Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[kermit]

So multi-family development along the BLE is far stronger that it ever was on the South line (South of New Bern). Every station other than UNCC main has multi family construction underway or recently completed within 1/3 of a mile (ish) [the caveats here are JW Clay is getting a hotel, not apts. and Tom Hunter is seeing construction halfway between it and U City station.]

My question is, why is it so different on the BLE? Is it the cycle? Zoning? The precedent of the South line’s success?  None of these things explain why no one has started new multi family South of  Scaleybark yet.

whats up here?

[lancer22]

33 minutes ago, kermit said:

So multi-family development along the BLE is far stronger that it ever was on the South line (South of New Bern). Every station other than UNCC main has multi family construction underway or recently completed within 1/3 of a mile (ish) [the caveats here are JW Clay is getting a hotel, not apts. and Tom Hunter is seeing construction halfway between it and U City station.]

My question is, why is it so different on the BLE? Is it the cycle? Zoning? The precedent of the South line’s success?  None of these things explain why no one has started new multi family South of  Scaleybark yet.

whats up here?

Precedent and the fact that there is so  much investment capital out there desperate to develop apartments.

 

[kermit]

2 minutes ago, lancer22 said:

Precedent and the fact that there is so  much investment capital out there desperate to develop apartments.

 

OK, but why nothing from Woodlawn, south still?

[CLTranspo]

7 minutes ago, kermit said:

OK, but why nothing from Woodlawn, south still?

I would include the townhouse development at Arrowood station - almost 300 townhomes - additionally, I’ve heard that they will also build apartments (different developer) just behind the townhomes, south of the station and fronting the light rail

[AP3]

19 minutes ago, kermit said:

OK, but why nothing from Woodlawn, south still?

Noticed the office buildings at the corner of Woodlawn and Old Pineville are being demo'd to make way for apartments and maybe town homes.

Edited October 11, 2019 by AP3

[lancer22]

33 minutes ago, kermit said:

OK, but why nothing from Woodlawn, south still?

Just think that there is so much focus on the BLE now. Think that there will be some in the future. Scaleybark & Woodlawn are the next prime targets

 

[cltbwimob]

Speaking of the BLE, August numbers for light rail ridership are out, and it looks as if there has been a marked improvement y-o-y.... with operational issues galore no less.   If they could get their operational issues sorted out, my guess is that ridership would be much better than it is today. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by cltbwimob

[nicholas]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

OK, but why nothing from Woodlawn, south still?

Honestly it might just be proximity to uptown.  There have been a few developments between NoDa and UNCC, but it seems to me that the bulk of the development along the BLE is going in between uptown and NoDa.

[CLTranspo]

Also, I guess the BLE has a major job and housing generator on the other end of it in UNCC, but the BL doesn’t have anything like that on its terminus. 

[t_money]

I'm going to start pretending that BLE stand for "Blue Line East" or something, because I hate the term blue line expansion because its all just one Blue Line now!

[slipperypete]

4 hours ago, AP3 said:

Noticed the office buildings at the corner of Woodlawn and Old Pineville are being demo'd to make way for apartments and maybe town homes.

I hope these are called Azteca Flats & Towns at Nations Crossing.

[nakers2]

2 hours ago, t_money said:

I'm going to start pretending that BLE stand for "Blue Line East" or something, because I hate the term blue line expansion because its all just one Blue Line now!

I prefer "Northline" or something to that effect, you're right, Blue Line Extension will get dated fast. Reminds me of the 105 extension up in Boone. It was built decades ago to bridge the gap between 321 and 421 to prevent all traffic from having to route down to ASU presumably, but today it just sounds kind of silly as it integrates into 105 so well, and it IS technically part of highway 105. 

[Urban Cowboy]

Can someone please refresh my memory...

Is it correct that the Northern/new section of the blue line’s stops were all built to accommodate three cars? Whereas some/none of the original Southern stops cannot accommodate a third car?

Is that accurate? And is there a plan to lengthen all of the stops to accommodate a third car? A lot of the rush hour trains could use a third car in my opinion. I know increased frequency is always another short term solution, too.

[kermit]

On 10/13/2019 at 7:50 AM, Urban Cowboy said:

Can someone please refresh my memory...

Is it correct that the Northern/new section of the blue line’s stops were all built to accommodate three cars? Whereas some/none of the original Southern stops cannot accommodate a third car?

Is that accurate? And is there a plan to lengthen all of the stops to accommodate a third car? A lot of the rush hour trains could use a third car in my opinion. I know increased frequency is always another short term solution, too.

Yes, you are correct. All of the BLE stations can accommodate three unit trains. On the original portion of the blue line only 7th, CTC (? I think CTC was originally built for 3 unit trains but not certain), Stonewall, Woodlawn and 485 have been rebuilt to accommodate trains with more than 2 units. Those stations were extended using a TIGER grant that CATS received a few years after the line was finished.  There is currently no plan to extend the remaining platforms other than John Lewis mentioning that it will be part of the big bang. When Lewis started his job CATS was in the process of applying for a capacity enhancement grant from the FTA to extend the remaining stations but he pulled the plug on it and never explained why.

CATS does not have enough LRT vehicles  to run 3 unit trains even if the stations were ready. The fleet is currently maxed out at peak periods.

Capacity limitations are a huge issue for CATS. I would argue that the sardine can nature of the Blue Line between 4:30 and 6 has put a cap on ridership. The uptown office market is growing very rapidly, however any prospective new riders are going to be confronted with rush hour overcrowding and choose to drive to work instead. CATS needs to do something to fix this. One marginal (and possibly free if the contractor was at fault) improvement would be getting BLE speeds up to design levels which should allow them to run slightly higher peak frequencies with existing equipment.

Edited October 14, 2019 by kermit

[davidclt]

33 minutes ago, kermit said:

Capacity limitations are a huge issue for CATS. I would argue that the sardine can nature of the Blue Line between 4:30 and 6 has put a cap on ridership.

Even at our most sardined in Charlotte, we have nothing on this (Shanghai metro at rush hour). This was solid people. I'm not saying I ever want to be this packed again but Lynx doesn't even begin to compare.

[Desert Power]

The relative cost of using a car to get around Shanghai vs their subway has to be ridiculous.  In Charlotte, it is very close.

[t_money]

Beijing subway at rush hour is like a literal wave of people.  If you aren't pushing and shoving, you aren't getting on or off.  It is wild.

[nakers2]

Just a little trolling. 

[grodney]

Today the 6:28am northbound from 485 had to de-board at Arrowwood "due to a biological impact".  That was unsettling, hahaha.  Talked to a CATS guy and apparently somebody ralphed in the first car (I was in the 2nd).  Ewwwww.  Anyway they took the whole thing out of service and we waited 15 mins for the next one.  Honestly surprised this doesn't happen more often.

[QClifer]

Can they not keep the car running and pickup a cats worker at a future stop to clean it up and then get off a few stops later?

[Trickbot]

3 hours ago, grodney said:

Today the 6:28am northbound from 485 had to de-board at Arrowwood "due to a biological impact".  That was unsettling, hahaha.  Talked to a CATS guy and apparently somebody ralphed in the first car (I was in the 2nd).  Ewwwww.  Anyway they took the whole thing out of service and we waited 15 mins for the next one.  Honestly surprised this doesn't happen more often.

This has literally never happened before, I've been on trains with people who have puked, and twice someone peeing in the train itself onto the floor and the train just kept on rolling and all of us went to the other side of the car

[grodney]

Yeah when I said I'm surprised it doesn't happen more, I meant I'm surprised people don't puke on the train more often.  I'd be surprised if they take it out of commission every time it happens.....maybe it's a new policy like the 5-second door delay.  Who knows.

[tozmervo]

I believe it's always been their policy to remove the vehicle from service and clean it, but if no one notifies the train operator or ticket checkers don't see it happen, there's probably no immediate way for CATS to know it's happened.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

5 hours ago, Trickbot said:

This has literally never happened before, I've been on trains with people who have puked, and twice someone peeing in the train itself onto the floor and the train just kept on rolling and all of us went to the other side of the car

I was on a train the St. Patrick's Day weekend the extension opened. Had to get off around Woodlawn so they could clean up some reveler's vomit.

[Desert Power]

With the way some of the operators drive, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more frequently.