LYNX Blue Line To Add Three-Car Trains

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Receives $18 Million TIGER III grant

“This grant provides CATS the ability to move towards operating three-car trains along extended platforms on the LYNX Blue Line,” said Carolyn Flowers, CATS CEO. “The money received today will also be used to enhance the power along the line for running more light rail cars, which will assist CATS in future operational savings by being able to run longer trains.

Read More at CATS Receives $18 Million To Increase Ridership Capacity Along LYNX Blue Line

Light Rail Extension Gets One Step Closer

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) received its Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the LYNX Blue Line Extension light rail project.

The 9.4-mile alignment would run from Uptown Charlotte to the UNC-Charlotte campus and include 11 light rail stations and four parking facilities. The system will operate generally within the existing railroad right of way from Uptown to NoDa, then transition into the median of North Tryon Street from Old Concord Road north, with the last station on the UNC-Charlotte campus.

The FTA Record of Decision determines that the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) have been met for this project. The next major step is attaining a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) from FTA, which means the federal government would fund half of the cost needed to build the Blue Line Extension. State and local funds would make up the remaining half.

Final Design is the last phase of project development. It includes right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, preparation of final construction plans, construction cost estimates, bid documents and finalizing the project’s financial plan.

Read the press release CATS Receives Record of Decision from Federal Transit Administration

CATS Buys Eastland Transit Center Land

The Charlotte City Council last week unanimously voted in favor of the Charlotte Area Transit System buying the 1.4 acres for $771,150. That property is currently home to a small community bus station, and CATS wants to stop paying annual land rent. In 2006, CATS spent $2 million building the Eastland Community Transit Center on the mall parking lot. The transit center is a nicely landscaped bus station, with eight shelters and a ticket booth. The center serves two main bus lines, the Albemarle Road Express and Route 9, which runs along Central Avenue and is one of the busiest in the city. It also serves three neighborhood shuttles. CATS has leased the property for $55,000 a year, and the city said the deal will pay for itself in 14 years because it will no longer have to pay rent. Despite the mall's closure in 2010, CATS said more people are getting on buses at the Eastland stop compared with 2007. The city hopes to eventually build a streetcar to the site, though that's unlikely to happen for at least 20 years.