![]() “ The new rail line… is expected to trigger a development boom similar to the surge of new building that followed the Blue Line in South End,” it said, referring to an area served by the existing line. In a January 2016 article, it said plans to build more than 1,000 retail, office and residential units had already been announced. The FTA, which provides financial and technical help to local public transport systems, is sponsoring the project.Įarly signs of urban renewal appearing along the extended line have been encouraging, according to the newspaper. “Universities, hospitals, convention centers, sports arenas, especially if they develop policies around it to make it convenient, they succeed.” Charlotte's Blue Line construction: future expectations “ Whenever you can connect big employers, it's almost a sure-fire formula for success,” Peter Rogoff was quoted as saying. The most visible impact that it has had since it went into service in 2007 has been to encourage the transformation of the formerly industrial area through which it runs.Īt the ground-breaking ceremony for the extended line in August 2013, the administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) at the time told The Charlotte Observer newspaper of the importance that public infrastructure including transportation had on the economy. It has a fleet of 20 light-rail trains that serve 15 stations. The LYNX Blue Line, the first of its kind in North Carolina, runs for 15.4 kilometres from Seventh Street to the south end of the city at South Boulevard near Interstate 485. Charlotte's Light Rail Project: its impact on the industrial area In addition to contributing to the local economy, the public transport system, operated by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), has helped reduce traffic and air pollution along the city’s roads and highways. With state and federal backing, it is overseeing a $1.16 billion project to double the length of the LYNX Blue Line from Seventh Street near the Time Warner Cable Arena in the downtown area to a campus of the University of North Carolina on the outskirts.īegun in 2013, construction is scheduled to end in 2017, with the extended line coming into revenue service in August of the same year.Ĭity officials hope that these 14.9 kilometres of light rail will encourage the same kind of development that occurred along the existing line: new stores, new offices and new homes, attracting thousands of new workers and residents. state of North Carolina is going for a repeat performance. Charlotte has had so much success with its first light-rail transit line that this major city in the U.S.
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