Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[HopHead]

Apologies for what may be a dumb question, but who's responsible for building the roads to an airport? The state? If that's the case then it's the same reason why we are now just getting 485 finished. If not, then it's just another thumbprint on the former Jerry Orr run airport. 

 

EDIT: Nevermind, all I had to do was look back at a few posts to see NCDOT. Need more coffee.

Edited February 19, 2014 by wend28

[allthingsplanes]

Added to the STIP

 

You're killing me here.  I just read through the whole Mecklenburg County section and didn't see this project.

[southslider]

Sorry, in the draft MTP, which was formerly the LRTP:

 

http://crtpo.org/plans-programs/metropolitan-transportation-plan

Edited February 19, 2014 by southslider

[dubone]

In Charlotte, we are held back by the fact that most of our roads are owned by the state.  In small cities that is sometimes good, but now it makes it very hard to add complete street infrastructure or innovative designs because the state engineers used to doing rural freeways want to make every road a freeway (see University City). 

 

It is absurd that we have Little Rock Road aligned properly to build this very connection, but we just can't get it built by the state.   

 

Being on the long range plan is pointless in my opinion.  It has been on the STIP as unfunded for years and now it isn't even there, so that is a step backward not forward toward it being built.   I thought southslider meant it was added with funding in the 7 year plan.  Without that it is as good as a decade away.

 

I think the only real hope is for the city to ask to take over responsibility for it and then go ahead an build the connection with airport or city funds.   NCDOT obviously does not ignore Charlotte, but it does large regional projects and rarely cares enough to prioritize the small projects that are often necessary for urban connectivity. 

[km1789]

In Charlotte, we are held back by the fact that most of our roads are owned by the state.  In small cities that is sometimes good, but now it makes it very hard to add complete street infrastructure or innovative designs because the state engineers used to doing rural freeways want to make every road a freeway (see University City). 

 

It is absurd that we have Little Rock Road aligned properly to build this very connection, but we just can't get it built by the state.   

 

Being on the long range plan is pointless in my opinion.  It has been on the STIP as unfunded for years and now it isn't even there, so that is a step backward not forward toward it being built.   I thought southslider meant it was added with funding in the 7 year plan.  Without that it is as good as a decade away.

 

I think the only real hope is for the city to ask to take over responsibility for it and then go ahead an build the connection with airport or city funds.   NCDOT obviously does not ignore Charlotte, but it does large regional projects and rarely cares enough to prioritize the small projects that are often necessary for urban connectivity. 

 

DILLON'S RULE!!!! (shakes fists in air...)

[uptownliving]

Just to follow up on Dubone's great post. This airport entrance road has been on the STIP (State Road Plan) since the 1970s!!! However the powers that be on our regional road board always but it as a low priority and so it never got funded. The roadwork that is being done now is fully funded by the airport, however it was the State that was supposed to be doing the work.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Charlotte needs to move to South Carolina.  Maybe Columbia would treat Charlotte better.  If we were on the Outer Banks, it would be done by now.

[dubone]

We should ask the Turnpike Authority to build it as a toll freeway, and it'll be built in no time.  

[MilZ]

^ lol yeah "NO time"

[southslider]

Sure, just like the newly opened Monroe Connector, Garden Parkway, and 77 HOT Lanes. Though sources closer to the legendary NC capital claim tollways do exist.

[GreenvilleSucks]

[HopHead]

^More cranes for the airport parking & rental decks than uptown...

[allthingsplanes]

You beat me to it!  I was going to say the exact same thing.  Sad, really!

[ChessieCat]

^Oh the disapointment I feel whenever I see the above photo... The fact CLT is spending all this $$$ on parking / rental decks and they are not bulding an underground LRT terminus.  I know the politicos would go nuts spending $$ on a line that doesn't exist, but at least get the terminus out of the way now

[Matthew.Brendan]

Why plan ahead now when you can just spend multitudes more later to retrofit?

[southslider]

I thought the new decks retain an envelope down their middle for a future people-mover.

[teeg]

I thought the new decks retain an envelope down their middle for a future people-mover.

I thought so too.  

[Miesian Corners]

It does retain an area for a people mover.  The connection would be at Wilkinson Blvd for LRT or at the rail line that serves Amtrak (which probably has a far greater chance of happening than LRT).

[southslider]

I doubt the Airport would ever build its own people-mover train to just reach the local transit system.  However, the connecting transit station (be it on the NSRR, Wilkinson Blvd, or I-85) could be just one of several stops along an Airport-built line that also serves far-flung parking decks, accessory offices, and/or large hotels.  Basically, if the people-mover system could replace all of the employee and parking shuttles, then the Airport would be motivated to build such a system independent of CATS.  After all, the Airport is already incorporating a rental-car deck as part of the rebuilt hourly deck, thereby eliminating a lot of the rental-car shuttle congestion.

[HopHead]

We'd all love to see a Light Rail extension out to the Airport. But as has been mentioned before, that ridership numbers wouldn't justify it any time soon. The density/population between uptown and the airport isn't there yet. Though as someone who lives south of uptown, I'd take it up from 485 to uptown and over to CLT in a heartbeat if it were available. The cost of airport parking, which is only going to go up, would certainly warrant me spending the extra 15 min on a light rail train. 

[New Name]

I go into fits thinking about all those Airport Shuttles driving in circles all day long guzzling all that gas. Someday the USA will pay what England or other countries pay for their gasoline, and need a more efficient alternative.

[49er]

At least the rental car shuttles will go away now that those vehicles will be in the new deck near the terminal

[DEnd]

I go into fits thinking about all those Airport Shuttles driving in circles all day long guzzling all that gas. Someday the USA will pay what England or other countries pay for their gasoline, and need a more efficient alternative.

I bet those shuttles are close to or more efficient than the light rail is. The only real efficiency advantage rail has over busses is the rolling resistance, which is likely compensated for by the ability to right size the buss vs. a train.

[ScottCLT]

On the topic of shuttles, does anyone agree with me that the current path they take to the daily decks is just ridiculous? Wasted time, wasted gas. Here is my crude drawing of how the shuttles normally operate for picking up and dropping off:

 

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to do it like this? Note that this path isn't possible now because the roads aren't there, but you would think they would have taken this into consideration with all the construction going on...

 

[ssh214]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/28/4729390/regional-jet-fleets-set-to-shrink.html#.UxCtyvldX5F

 

Terrible article IMO on the Observer today... This article is pure speculation as to what could happen as opposed to what is currently going on. This sort of speculation puts a negative perception in people's minds and causes unnecessary fear as Charlotte's status as a part of the new American Airlines.