Lynx Blue Line (South Corridor)

[monsoon]

yeah, it's pretty nuts over there. hopefully alot of those autos will disappear from that area as people will take the LYNX. i mean the rail is supposed to alleviate some of the traffic problems.

Well no..... that is not the purpose. The addition of the trains are not suppose to have a measurable impact on current traffic. Instead it will allow much more density without adding additional traffic congestion.

[stateman99]

Well no..... that is not the purpose. The addition of the trains are not suppose to have a measurable impact on current traffic. Instead it will allow much more density without adding additional traffic congestion.

There is an artical in the observer today about the light rail being a catalyst for a real estate boom. This is the key. Get the people around the line who will ride it. That will enhance the popularity. I think as more people ride it that live near the line, others who live outside the city will see it's popularity and start riding it too. My 2 cents worth.

Btw- i couldn't open the link since I am not a member of the chlt.com site.

[MZT]

There's plenty of buzz and rumor going on in my neighborhood about what parcels will be redeveloped. But I think people are getting way ahead of actual announcements. 3030 South is still the farthest out on the line that any real groundbreaking has taken place.

[monsoon]

I said this in the earlier thread. Given the value put on the land there, I have no doubt there won't be more highrises to appear along the line despite the resistance by some to keep this from happening. When land gets valuable, people sell out to developers and they don't like being told they can't. The Arlingtion may one day just be one color in a rainbow of buildings assuming the Charlotte economy and population continues to grow as it has been doing for the 30 years I have lived here.

[queensguy06]

But I think people are getting way ahead of actual announcements. 3030 South is still the farthest out on the line that any real groundbreaking has taken place.

Yes and no. The city is behind the south corridor redevolopment 110% from what I understand, and while no actual construction beyond that point is taking place at the moment, there is a lot in the works at the moment. For instance, there is a major development that is planned for the stretch of South Blvd. that will have the light rail train run down the center of the road. Also, I had heard from a buddy of mine that works for a developer in Charlotte that near the end of the line by AMC theaters there is a rather large mixed use development being planned.

[A2]

I said this in the earlier thread. Given the value put on the land there, I have no doubt there won't be more highrises to appear along the line despite the resistance by some to keep this from happening. When land gets valuable, people sell out to developers and they don't like being told they can't. The Arlingtion may one day just be one color in a rainbow of buildings assuming the Charlotte economy and population continues to grow as it has been doing for the 30 years I have lived here.

I concur metro. S. Blvd will defnately be the direction the Skyline heads. I think of Peachtree Street in Atlanta. It goes for many miles and that corridor is where 75% of ATL's highrises are.

A2

[MZT]

Here's a little more flesh on the bones of the next "3030" style development rumor. It's southeast of the Arrowwood station. Unlike 3030, this would be tucked away behind other structures, and not be so visible from South Blvd.

http://www.starmountnc.com/property.html

Interesting, that the city is lukewarm about rezoning the parcel for transit oriented development...

It's my understanding from my neighbors, that this property had been proposed for increased density in the past -- the neighborhood fought it, and the current zoning was a compromise. That was a decade or more ago. Some of the instigators of that resistance, may not be in the neighborhood anymore.

The adjoining neighbors will probably demand tree buffers and that the structures not be too high. But odds are, something will happen, I think. The neighborhood weighed in on the Celanese parcel to the north-- and although it took a couple of reviews, planning ultimately approved the development.

[MZT]

There is a sign hanging on the old Burger King by the future Archdale station saying "Hiring Soon". For DriveTime, an auto rental business.

Hmm. Would this be considered transit supportive development? I suppose since the rail only moves up and down the corridor, it could be helpful for some people to be able to walk to an auto rental place from a train stop. It's true there are a lot of places in Charlotte you need a car to reach.

But when considering how many car dealerships exist farther down the line, I feel like this is kind of a lost opportunity.

[monsoon]

If the current zoning allows for such a business, then there really isn't anything the city can do legally to stop someone from doing something like this with their own property.

[dubone]

Think positively. All those new residents that plan to not buy a car because of their LRT commute will occassionally need to rent an automobile for trips or days with complex transportation needs. What better than a car rental place near a station.

Other than being ugly, I'm not so sure that car dealers aren't transit supporting. When the car is in the shop, that is when one really needs to use transit.

[MZT]

April 18 2006, Book 20293 page 374

The City condemned and took that parcel (old Burger King). So it looks like it's just an opportunist throwing up a banner on the fence...

[hinsp0]

There is a sign hanging on the old Burger King by the future Archdale station saying "Hiring Soon". For DriveTime, an auto rental business.

Hmm. Would this be considered transit supportive development? I suppose since the rail only moves up and down the corridor, it could be helpful for some people to be able to walk to an auto rental place from a train stop. It's true there are a lot of places in Charlotte you need a car to reach.

But when considering how many car dealerships exist farther down the line, I feel like this is kind of a lost opportunity.

DriveTime sounds a lot like the ZipCars rental places we have in DC. ZipCar has set up shop near several metro stations so that you can get off the metro and cheaply rent a car for a day or a few hours if you need it. Seems like transit oriented development to me... given that the opportunity to inexpensively rent a car near a transit station would lower the necesity for people living along the transit corridor to own a car.

[f0xym0p]

A quick search brought me to this: http://www.drivetime.com/

They specialize in selling cars to people with bad credit. Just what we need.

[dubone]

They also hablamos espagnol. What is the world coming to!

I just can't picture a car dealership that speaks spanish and specializes in customers with bad credit succeeding on South Blvd.

[monsoon]

Oh that is a big business in Charlotte. "We Tote the Note!"

Basically the car dealer buys a car for X amount at the auction and the downpayment on the car is X amount. Then whatever the dealer collects in payments is pure profit. If they don't pay, then the repo man goes out and collects the car, and then they get to sell it again.

[hinsp0]

A quick search brought me to this: http://www.drivetime.com/

They specialize in selling cars to people with bad credit. Just what we need.

I guess I should've done some research before making the ZiPCar comparison.... oh well... is selling cars to people with bad credit transit-oriented planning?

[revitalize]

new South Transitions newsletter out today....

http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/e5wk2...nsSpr062pgs.pdf

[karmst]

I read the above newsletter and I noticed that there is going to be a tunnel for cars to the parking lot into the 485 station.

What I was wondering is if there should not have been a tunnel planned also for pedestrians from the station over to the Carolina Pavillion mall? I live in Southend and I will be definitely taking the train to the Carolina Pavillion mall, but would sort of like it if pedestrians were not required to cross South Boulevard to the mall. I do not trust irate driver in cars, plus it would be.nice to be able to make it from the mall to the station via a walkway.

Thanks, ka

[revitalize]

that would be a good feature, but I'm not sure they've planned anything like that. I know what youre talking about though...I've walked the sidewalks along South Blvd. in the vicinity of Carolina Pavillion, and it was really scary... not the most pedestrian friendly stretch of road.

[dubone]

I think you are mistaken on what kind of tunnel it is. It isn't under ground. It is simply going under the freight tracks, causing the tracks to go over a what is, in effect, a bridge. The 'tunnel' will be maybe twenty to thirty feet long.

[karmst]

Oh, I did indeed think it was a 'tunnel', thanks for clarifying...The pedestrian tunnel would still be a great feature though...I hope, when traffic on the light rail line exceeds everyones expectations, the ped tunnel will be built I hate that part of SB!!!

Thanks, ka

[AuLukey]

Oh, I did indeed think it was a 'tunnel', thanks for clarifying...The pedestrian tunnel would still be a great feature though...I hope, when traffic on the light rail line exceeds everyones expectations, the ped tunnel will be built I hate that part of SB!!!

Thanks, ka

Maybe they should be an elaborate pedestrian bridge like this one in Sydney (I'm sorry guys, I keep wishing for Charlotte to become Sydney... maybe someday)

[AuLukey]

On another note though, do you guys think that now that Iredell has backed out of the Commuter Rail, that the NE line through University might bump them one down the list? Now that the commuter line won't run into Iredell, the only cities the line will service would be Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. That chops the population it would have serviced in nearly a third and its demand in nearly half.

[monsoon]

On another note though, do you guys think that now that Iredell has backed out of the Commuter Rail, that the NE line through University might bump them one down the list? Now that the commuter line won't run into Iredell, the only cities the line will service would be Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. That chops the population it would have serviced in nearly a third and its demand in nearly half.

Iredell has not backed out of the Commuter Rail deal. They have not made an official decision as to what will happen. The loss of the last two stations means a loss of about 250 riders/day, its not that critical. The North line will also have 3 stations in Charlotte and it already has $1.5 Billion in TOD announced for it which currently more than even on the South line. Read the Transit is Politics thread for how this decision will be made.

[dubone]

It is now June, 2006. If memory serves, this month was the original planned completion date for the LRT project. It jumped to October, 2006 for much of the engineering process, and then to Spring, 2007 by the time it was funded by the fed. When it started bids, it was Summer, 2007. Now it is Fall, 2007 as a result of the high bids for the uptown section. Let's hope it doesn't get any more delays!