South Light Rail Transit

[CLTfanatic]

man, those things look amazing!

What a different look than what we are used to.

[Hotlanta]

These bridges don't have to have guard rail on either side do they? And, those I beams they put in place, is that it or do have to put a surface top on the bridge?

[monsoon]

There will be a deck built on top of the girders and rail track laid on top of that. I am not sure about guard rails. This rendering of the Scalybark station gives some clues.

[dubone]

The computer rendering of the 485 station is a closer up image of what they will on the above-ground stations.

This is the United States, where we like to minimize Darwinian reductions. Anywhere that people can fall down a height taller than 9 inches, a guard rail is required.

One point of clarity, Scaleybark station is at street level. The one pictured above ground is Archdale station. We can be sure there will be plenty of guardrails, even though it is hard to see on the Archdale rendering.

The following stations will be on bridges above street level:

- 485

- Arrowood

- Archdale

- Tyvola

- Woodlawn

- Stonewall/Westin

- 3rd

- Trade/Arena

[brianc]

Do anybody know when they will finish the South Blvd area around the Scaleybark Station.

[dubone]

According to CATS's construction website, the final construction task won't be finished until next year. However, the new southbound South lanes should be finished much sooner than that. Then, they'll start rebuilding the northbound lanes.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Charlo...te/tyvolaCU.htm

[dubone]

Here was the planned schedule that CATS posted a year ago. From the looks of things, though, everything is now three months later compared to that schedule, and they pushed all of the uptown components to after February, 2006.

http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/eowvs...ngsJan20052.pdf

[orulz]

Wow, I guess I didn't realize how much of this line was going to be elevated. The bridge goes over Tyvola, stays elevated, and then goes over the railroad mainline, right?

[Miesian Corners]

Has anyone from CATS mentioned how southbound South Blvd traffic will be affected at Scaleybark? The SB lanes cross the LRT line twice in a period of less than a half mile. Are we going to see traffic backed up to Marsh/New Bern rds at rush hour because of this?

[Mobuchu]

Wow, I guess I didn't realize how much of this line was going to be elevated. The bridge goes over Tyvola, stays elevated, and then goes over the railroad mainline, right?

Correct

I dont remember what they said about traffic backups but I know they addressed it. D might remember?

Also forgot to point out that the crossings and traffic signals are in place for the new Clanton Rd.

[dubone]

Has anyone from CATS mentioned how southbound South Blvd traffic will be affected at Scaleybark? The SB lanes cross the LRT line twice in a period of less than a half mile. Are we going to see traffic backed up to Marsh/New Bern rds at rush hour because of this?

They have done detailed traffic modelling and the level of service for South Blvd is not negatively affected by this change.

Northbound traffic will not cross the tracks at all, so that direction will not be affected negatively. That section will benefit from wider lanes, better rain drainage, and improved streetscape. Southbound traffic will need to stop for the trains, but they already must stop for cross streets like Clanton. There will probably just lie 10 or 15 seconds when both Clanton and South are red, while the LRT passes through. Maybe it will be like this:

- South Blvd is green and Clanton is red.

- Trains will be nearing the intersection, so southbound South Blvd gets a red light and Clanton stays red.

- Trains pass quickly

- Clanton Road then gets a green light and South Blvd stays red.

- Clanton Road then gets a red light and South Blvd turns green

Even though I am glad we are getting so many bridges, I think the line could have stayed closer to the original budget by just having surface crossings at roads like Archdale, Arrowood, and Woodlawn. Those roads already turn red for South Blvd, so having a red light for the very short time that LRT passes through would not have been a big impact on them.

[infobuff]

The following stations will be on bridges above street level:

- 485

- Arrowood

- Archdale

- Tyvola

- Woodlawn

- Stonewall/Westin

- 3rd

- Trade/Arena

dubone, do you know approximately how many miles of the 9+ will be elevated?

[dubone]

Most are just inclines, bridges then declines. Counting the elevated sections that run on dirt (Mechanically stabilized earth) I estimate about 3 miles are above street level off the top of my head. The longest sections are in the southern half of uptown and between Tyvola and Archdale.

[Sabaidee]

In a way, I'm glad that our LRT system has its own dedicated right of way with some sections elevated. According to some preliminary planning, the Northeast LRT will have elevated structures too, as that line has to cross over the main CRR and CSX lines after the 36th Street Station.

[Rickydavisfan21]

wow that would look wicked cool, the light rail passing over a trainyard, wow.

[Unifour]

What will??

Not Charlotte, that's for sure.

Wow, I realize this is an old post, but I always thought Charlotteans believed in themselves and thier potential. Charlotte's growth far outstrips the big metros of the northeast. Charlotte will in fact soon be larger than Philadelphia, even if because of annexation. Mecklenburg will soon have over a million residents. Keep in mind that the northeastern metros are combined with others. Philly with Camden, NJ and Wilmington DE, DC with Balt., and New York with Newark, NJ, Stamford, CT, Long Island, etc. Charlotte's metro has nearly doubled and went from 7 counties to 13. It's growth will probably make it larger than at least some of these before too much longer. One day Charlotte will be combined with Columbia, SC and perhaps Hickory and Greeneville-Spartanbur. Image that! Can they run transit that far?? I don't think there will ever be a reduction in traffic in the USA until the US population growth slows, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon. It will only get worse and worse, regardless of how many transit systems are installed or expanded. The USA could have a population of over a billion by the end of the century. Our teeming cities will be just as crowded as modern day China. I'm not sure if we should be excited or scared.

[stateman99]

The USA could have a population of over a billion by the end of the century. Our teeming cities will be just as crowded as modern day China. I'm not sure if we should be excited or scared.

I'm not too worried. I don't plan on being here then.

[Neo]

Wow, I realize this is an old post, but I always thought Charlotteans believed in themselves and thier potential. Charlotte's growth far outstrips the big metros of the northeast. Charlotte will in fact soon be larger than Philadelphia, even if because of annexation. Mecklenburg will soon have over a million residents.

Charlotte's growth is more than many metros larger than it, but things go up and down. Economies in cities rise and fall and who's to say that Charlotte's economy will not stall and allow other cities to take advantage of that stalling out? Charlotte is not and is nowhere close to being as large as Philly. Forget the numbers. Drop yourself in the middle of Charlotte and then drop yourself in the middle of Philly, which one is bigger? It's not a science, it is common sense. Charlotte's numbers tell the story of it being larger than Boston but that is far from the truth.

I do believe in Charlotte's potential and I believe we are something special and will progress in a manner that gives us more credit than we have been given in the past, but to be so naive to think that we are larger than reality is in error.

[krazeeboi]

Charlotte will in fact soon be larger than Philadelphia, even if because of annexation.

Define "soon." Philly is HUGE, and while I don't doubt Charlotte's current growth and potential, what you are postulating is a stretch...literally.

[Mobuchu]

This is the first of these Iv'e seen. Taken at Old Pineville where it crosses the tracks to run into South Blvd.

Some progress at least...

[monsoon]

Haha, I hope they go to Home Depot and get a couple of levels. Otherwise it is going to be a bumpy ride.

[RiverwoodCLT]

They have machines to level the cross ties and track.

[orulz]

Mmm, concrete ties. Those things will last just about forever. Especially with light vehicles like LRVs.

And yeah, they don't really worry about leveling it out until they're installing the rails and filling in the ballast. So no worries about a bumpy ride!

[Rickydavisfan21]

How much of the girders are up????

[RiverwoodCLT]

They are just about down to the main rail line. Looks like about 75% is up now. They were putting up girders today, and I saw at truck coming in with more girders. They are putting them up fast. Looks like they will have to stop at the main rail until they get the supports finish.