Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network

[ajfunder]

According to congressmen Pittengers office, Charlotte did not receive any money for the streetcar project. It also did not receive any money for the blue line platform extensions or for the new control tower. This is from a WCNC report.

The city says they will continue to pursue other funding avenues and they remain optimistic.

Edited September 4, 2013 by ajfunder

[birky]

According to congressmen Pittengers office, Charlotte did not receive any money for the streetcar project. It also did not receive any money for the blue line platform extensions or for the new control tower. This is from a WCNC report.

The city says they will continue to pursue other funding avenues and they remain optimistic.

 

Saw this last night. Major bummer.

[vassago]

Reading the comments on every story that the CO posts regarding the street car would make one think that the entire city is opposed to the project.  Has any official or unofficial polling been done to get a realistic idea of public support?

[cltbwimob]

Reading the comments on every story that the CO posts regarding the street car would make one think that the entire city is opposed to the project. Has any official or unofficial polling been done to get a realistic idea of public support?

There was a poll conducted a few years ago that indicated the citizens of the city were overwhelmingly opposed to the streetcar-somewhere in the 60-70% range against. The streetcar issue has been a lightning rod of contention. Most people simply do not see the efficacy of the streetcar.

[dubone]

I deal with misinfo about the streetcar in the general public all the time on Facebook with friends and associates.   I think people calm down about it when they realize it is an upgrade to the most-ridden bus line in the city.  

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2013/09/no-dot-funding-for-charlotte-streetcar.html

 

Here is the CBJ article on not winning any TIGER grants.   To be honest, it does make some sense that we didn't, considering how much else we have gotten in the last couple years.   They do need to spread those things out.   But that does not mean we can keep it as an active project and resubmit for new money as time goes on.  

[southslider]

Neither the starter project nor the failed TIGER grant concept would replace either the 7-Beatties Ford or 9-Central bus routes. Only the Gold Rush would change and still not be completely replaced by these first two phases of the "Gold Line."

[ajfunder]

It's a start towards upgrading these routes though, eventually it will replace these bus routes, but it has to be built in stages first.

[southslider]

As a daily rider, I'd rather see Sprinter-like improvements all at once, instead of a mile of streetcar at a time. But the Gold Line isn't really about transit.

Supposedly, it's for revitalizing areas akin to South End. But with all the apartments already coming to Central, I question if it's really even needed for development's sake either.

[15895]

As someone with foresight and ability to see the larger picture, I'd rather do a mile of streetcar at a time. Which could be enhanced with bus service. If we could build the entire line at a single time, we would, but we have to start somewhere because there will always be people who don't want this, don't want that, thinks this is a waste, thinks that's a waste. The uptown arena, Romare Bearden, Blue Line, Greenway, BB&T stadium, etc. have been major success that people have tried to hold up also.

The gold line is an "all-of-the-above" re: development & mass transit.

A lot of people don't like and will not ride the buses. No matter what. They will ride Rail. I like the bus, personally.

[southslider]

But a lot of people DO ride the bus, including yuppies. Just this morning, I rode the 9 in a crammed aisle full of white collar workers. We need more transit now, not years from now.

[dubone]

I ride the bus, and I really don't enjoy riding the bus. 

[DMann]

I ride the bus, and I really don't enjoy riding the bus. 

What route, and what don't you like about it?

[kermit]

^ I am not trying to speak for dubone but I dislike the bus because of stops on every block. The constant stopping is exaserbated by the lack of coordination between stops and stop lights. It feels (to me) like the UNCC bus makes about 150 stops in its 45 minute, 9 mile run.

The streetcar is likely to have half as many stops as the equivalant bus. (<-- that is my perception)

[dubone]

• Jerky braking and jerky driving
• Thankfully it's not considered a sex crime to smash into people's thighs and boobs with your thighs and shoulders respectively, but it doesn't mean that I too have not suffered 'unwanted contact' with other human beings thanks to the jerky driving 
• Depressing and overly bright fluorescent lighting in a color temperature that makes everyone look like they're in the morgue or worse, a Walmart
• Waiting in the grass or once-was-grass where usually the only seating is a disgusting trash can which mysteriously is used only for seating while the trash is instead deposited on the the once-was-grass
• The bus terminal is chaotic, dirty, and reeks of toxic diesel fumes
• This could happen on a train too, but I have had to ignore some poorly raised teenagers on buses saying horrible things about me by virtue of being the different type of person on the bus.  This happens less in a more diverse mixture of people.
• Odd routes that mysterious pull away from the thoroughfare into a random neighborhood location to improve ridership
• That people in general society seem to PITY me when I say I took the bus to a location, which never happens when I ride train, even when I say as matter of fact as possible
• I will never ever ever take a guest to the city on a bus ever ever, but I gladly take them on the rail transit
• Tchhh, tchhh, tchhh, tchhh, tchhhhhhhh, tchhh, tchhh, tchhh, tchhh, tchhh I really don't enjoy that sound much
• Missing a flight because the Sprinter technically is not on the list of buses that stop next to the future Gateway Station near Graham, only at Poplar and Cedar, even though stopping for me at the Graham stop would add no extra time compared to if I had instead been at Cedar since I would have been the only one at either stop.  I clearly had baggage for a flight and was panicking that the bus does not seem to be stopping but received no empathy.  While this 20 second out-of-policy stop apparently would have ruined the lives of no one, it ruined my day of travel by not stopping, and given how many times I have waited for buses 30, 45, even 60 minutes late from their schedule, it really was insulting. 

The quality of the experience is not even comparable.   A bus ride is a chore while a streetcar ride or light rail ride has a certain joy to it.  

 

It could be that they improve the experience of buses dramatically by way of expensive stations, electric drivetrains, drivers without Parkinsons or bitchy demeanors, warm lighting, gps locators integrated with google maps in real time, etc.  But there is a reason that rail lines are ridden by more segments of society than buses.  I am an outlier in my segment in that I am willing to put up with the terribleness of it all for altruistic goals of being greener, being car-free for 6 years, etc., but it doesn't make it any less goddam terrible.    

[southslider]

If yesterday's primary was a referendum on Foxx's legacy, it doesn't look so good. Cannon, Barnes, and Fallon all fought and continue to oppose any tax increase for streetcar.

[15895]

It wasn't a referendum on Foxx's legacy. Foxx has a great legacy; Cannon entered the race much more prepared and prominent. It doesn't hurt that cannon is quite handsome also.

[southslider]

At least now, the remaining mayoral candidates are against any tax increase for streetcar.

[ajfunder]

I don't think there are any proposed tax increases for the streetcar, at least for phase 2. I heard the city is working on a New/Small Starts grant application for the streetcar, but it may only be a rumor.

Cannon supports the streetcar if no property taxes are involved. Barnes is hesitant but supports the streetcar if it doesn't interfere with funding for other transit projects (he believed applying for the TIGER funding for the streetcar would hurt the chances of expanding the blue line to three car). Even peacock said he would support the streetcar if funded via the current transit tax, only problem is there is no money there. Fallon is the only one who I have never heard even consider supporting the streetcar.

[Urbanity]

I think the Streetcar itself is not in danger and in fact likely to grow only because the starter line is already being built.  

 

That said unless it wins a formidable federal grant or business community funding will probably become a truncated line that will go from maybe JCSU to Elizabeth and even that may take ten years to accomplish.

[southslider]

The City can already afford "Phase 2" with its magically appeared $63 million. Maybe if they build it, CATS can again apply for Small Starts projects that are truly needed for mobility.

[kermit]

Its all speculation at this point but it appears that the Cincinatti streetcar project could be cancelled depending on their mayoral election results. If so, $41 million in federal Urban Circulator and TIGER funds would become available for reallocation. Its possible that they would want to push those funds to another streetcar project (like ours).

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-28786-white_%28and_orange%29_noise.html

Of course this is dependent upon our mayoral election as well.....

I gotta say that I was very impressed with how Toronto's streetcars facilitated circulation despite their slow speed. They effectively turned the mostly linear urban environment into a much more clustered and accessible mass. Given my Toronto experience I can see how our streetcar could make the uptown retail environment much more viable (assuming high enough frequencies).

[Guest]

How is the starter line progressing anyways?

[kermit]

^ lots of very visible (and road closing) utility relocation around the arena.

[ah59396]

Trade street is a mess.  And 5th street around the arena has median re-location going on.

[dubone]

Progress feels slow because it is all the boring pre-work tasks so far from what I have seen. It is a long timeline I think as well to avoid high costs. It would really awesome if we turned out to be next on the list of projects to get Cincinnati's money. It is absurd that these cities are shooting themselves in the foot with cancelations of infrastructure, but there is nothing that requires cities to want to grow and invest in the future. I will gladly take their infrastructure money and eventually it will be their populations that we will take as quality of life will be far better in cities with proper infrastructure after population growth.