allthingsplanes

So the problem with the internet is we sometimes miss body language or clues that would give away sarcasm. Because that's what this is, right? Or do you simply just work for Fox and Friends?

I love this design and echo other comments that I hope they keep it intact. For the security gates, I wouldn't mind larger, less cramped spaces. I have been through so many airports with better security areas than ours.

No it's where the new Parking Services and Facilities Operations and warehouse/receiving building is going to make way for the new science building.

Anyone have any insight into what else is going in by Kohls and now on the land across from Lowes?

As a UNC Charlotte staff member, I will say that one of the big problems in my opinion is that they've NEVER had a ticket structure to promote growing a fan base. They have one ticket price, period. I have 2 young kids and would look to bring them to games (even if we're bad) except it costs a lot of money for my family. I figure if my kids grew up going to games, they would want to continue to support the team as they get older. But there's no incentive to pay that money to watch what has been really bad football.

I have a random question regarding the I-77 widening. Why did they start up around mm 22 with the construction instead of starting down around mm 20 where the southbound portion opens up to 4 lanes? What would be the rationale for starting where they did?

No. Homeland.

At this point I have to say that I'm not nearly as optimistic about new routes for Charlotte as I was a couple of years ago. Then, it seemed like every few weeks we gained a destination or more frequencies. But it has slowed down so much that I don't hold my breath for new announcements. Hopefully I'll be surprised at some point by something major. I do believe that down the road, if Charlotte continues the same growth trend we have now, that we'll see more international airlines. But probably never have a major international presence.

^ I am not sure of all of the facts, but I disagree with your assessment. While the lack of connection from I-85 into the new express lanes will be a loss, to me that HOV lane doesn't tend to make that much difference. And buses coming from I-85 who are planning to take 277 into Uptown currently have to change across 4-5 lanes of traffic now, so it's not like they can just ride easily in the HOV lane (which ends anyway). As for the Lake Norman area, there are several things I think you're wrong about. The worst part of the congestion is between exits 19 and 23. As I see it, when the Gilead stop is open the buses will either exit at Hambright and go up 21 to the Park and Ride or will exit directly at Gilead, depending on traffic . They don't currently then get back on 77 to go to exit 25 - they go along back roads. Also, I've always found that, except on the worst days, the traffic flow between 23 and 25 isn't bad. Just my thoughts...

My point was that as you get into the heart of the city (within Davidson County anyway) it FEELS bigger. It's not about the extent of sprawl. For this post, I was merely talking about perception of the city for those who don't live there. I believe most people on this site like the feel of bigger cities and a more urban environment. An example of what I'm talking about - anyone driving north on I-77 probably doesn't feel like they're in a big city anymore once they pass exit 18, and I would argue that it's the case once they're past I-85. Compare that to the feel of being on I-85 from Little Rock Rd. up to Harris Blvd. It feels more urban. Driving through Nashville I would have thought that it's a bigger city, had I not known the rough population compared to Charlotte's. I recognize that part of what I wrote had to do with the HOV lanes and that's what you're responding to. But as someone who wasn't commuting and was traveling through the city, it was nice to have more highway / space available. I find this confusing. I have no idea how dense downtown Nashville is but as I said above my perception as a visitor was that it's a big city. It's the same feeling I get in cities such as Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Houston, etc. I'm not arguing simply for a taller building or two - Oklahoma City has one really tall building but the city doesn't feel bigger.

I was driving back to Charlotte this weekend and saw something that highlights to me 2 big issues with the Charlotte area (and really NC in general). We were driving through Nashville at night and the city seems huge compared to Charlotte - like much more of a big, urban city. I was on I-40 and went straight through the city and downtown. The 2 things they have that I feel like we don't are: Well lighted streets - almost the entire length of the interstate from nearly 10 miles outside of the city was lit really well. In Charlotte, major highways can be dark and major interchanges (for example I-485 and I-77 north) don't have any lights!!!). A 4-5 lane interstate that went for miles outside the downtown area. This includes both an HOV lane and a dedicated "truck" lane. On top of that, they have a ton of highrise buildings outside of the core downtown. So, even though their metro area is smaller (and the city itself is as well), and they don't have as many skyscrapers, it felt like a much bigger city. Why don't we have better lit streets / highways?

Seriously. The very first concert I went to there, it took close to an hour to get from the exit ramp on Univ. City to the parking lot when going there. And getting out is terrible. They do this almost weekly, so how do they, and the city, not have a better process???

I have a question regarding the railroad improvements in Harrisburg. The new bridges over the rail lines are behind (no surprise) but I see differing information about when the work should be completed. Specifically for the Roberta Rd. ext bridge. I keep hearing it will be complete late fall 2015 but the NCDOT website also mentions late 2016. Will that work really take another year? The crossing / intersections for Robinson Church are so bad - I can't see it continuing for another year. Any insights would be appreciated.

^ I'm sorry, but you can't possibly be saying that there are too many exits on North 77? There are 7 exits over the 17 miles from I-85 to exit 30. The problem is that the entrances to the interstate at both 23 and 25 promote a high volume of traffic entering at one time (ie - when the light turns green). I'm continually amazed at the lack of understanding people have for I-77 north traffic. Yes there are a lot of commuters - in both directions. But there are a ton of long-distance travelers too. 77 is slammed over the weekends as well, in both directions.

It looks like the announcement of the waterpark expansion will be occurring on Aug. 27th. That's according to a countdown clock on the webpage.

Thanks. It looks like it's only Thursdays and Saturdays, from what I see. At least in December.

Random question - I saw today that after September you can no longer book direct flights from CLT to San Jose, Costa Rica. It still shows in Wikipedia (not most reliable) as a destination and also on the US airways website as direct. Is that flight going away? Or is it seasonal now?

To me, in looking at that map and having lived on the northern edge of Charlotte, there's not a good reason NOT to annex many of those areas. There is relatively so little unincorporated areas left in the county and it's such small pockets. I like the way Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are melded together in many ways. I understand the concerns about not sprawling too much but it's going to happen whether it's annexed or not. I'd rather it be more controlled in the bigger picture of the city.

^ AMEN!

I feel the need to respond to a few of the things said in previous posts. 1) Regarding I-77 as compared to I-85 and the types of traffic. I would strongly argue against the idea that 85 has more "legitimate" interstate traffic than 77 does. Maybe between Charlotte and other cities in NC. However, for anyone who drives 77 on a regular basis, you routinely see licence plates from NY, PA, OH, WV, and VA. I believe that 77 is one of the most used routes for people going from the north/northeast down to Florida. Even cars from Canada are seen regularly. I imagine some people who could go down 95 still go 77 to avoid the DC and Richmond areas. So yes, there are a lot of commuters on 77 but there are a ton of travelers as well. 2) I am personally offended by some of the rhetoric around commuters. I drove 77 daily for 6 years up until this year when I switched jobs. By myself. However, in my particular situation I didn't have any other choice. My wife got a job in Rock Hill and I was working in Davidson. We chose a living location that was closest to the center for both of us - North Charlotte. So we were both commuting. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone around us who was making that same drive, so carpooling was not an option. The bus would have been extremely inconvenient. I was really hoping the Red Line would have been able to come and would have ridden it regularly. I would also say there are a ton of reasons people live where they do, even if it means they have a commute. So don't bemoan all commuters. 3) Like I was doing, there are a lot of reverse commuters on 77. With Lowe's and Ingersoll Rand, along with other businesses, there are a lot of people who live in Charlotte or south Huntersville and drive north in the mornings. Finally, I am in favor of the HOT lanes on 77. The 2 "free" lanes that are present now will continue to be available for those who don't want to pay. So it's not like there will be less free lanes (except further south where traffic isn't an issue). Also, if we don't build it this way, it likely won't happen for a long time Is that better?

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Thunder Road isn't bringing in visitors to the park. While I agree that from a nostalgic point of view it's sad to see the old wooden coasters leaving, they "generally" don't bring the paying customers (unless they're REALLY famous). My family has been here 7 years and had season passes for 5 years. I've ridden Thunder Road once and my wife has never ridden it. It's out of the way but it's not a destination. Sorry.

I agree that we need at least a couple of other spots in the city where there are midrises at the least. In the population thread there was an article by Slate referenced. In that article they have a picture of uptown and the caption underneath states The "City" of Charlotte. Like we're not really a city. We need to have a couple more urban locations around the city so we're not at the 76% suburban rate that we currently are. I think those spots could be around northlake (already have a couple of "taller" office buildings) and maybe on the southside along 485. Similar to what you find in ATL on the loop.

Will they just start with a new floor structure on top of the plywood and not tear out the old roof later? Or will they build up from there and come back and deal with the old roof / new floor later?

^ This is my guess too. This is an absolute logistical nightmare. Not only do they need to maintain traffic for the departures and arrivals all moving through during construction, but they're obviously going to still accommodate pedestrians moving to and from the hourly deck. If they were building something new on an empty site it likely wouldn't take them this long. Plus, it's not just a roadway - it's essentially a huge bridge that will support hundreds of vehicles and people at one time.

Surely those hints are for more than this. Since it's now 2015, are they going to roll out a new master plan for the next 5 years?