Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[tozmervo]

57 minutes ago, UPNoDa said:

Hey toz, I can't tell from the pic, but is that the actual parking garage and foundation for the Crescent property?

I believe so, it's a little hard to get bearings around there but that should be the crescent project

[UPNoDa]

OK, great Thanks

[KJHburg]

Light rail line from the Highland Park Mill #1 that is being redeveloped 

[KJHburg]

The other half of the pedestrian bridge to UNCC at the JW Carley station over North Tryon (Hwy 29) 

[Guest StuckInASuburb]

I went to the UNCC station, lots of commotion so not too many pics.

Here they are putting in sidewalks and a place to idle your car for pickups/drop-offs.

There is also a spot where pipes are coming out of the ground.

 

Edited August 31, 2016 by StuckInASuburb

[tozmervo]

 

[NDL.]

On 8/30/2016 at 7:15 PM, StuckInASuburb said:

I went to the UNCC station, lots of commotion so not too many pics.

 

Here they are putting in sidewalks and a place to idle your car for pickups/drop-offs.

There is also a spot where pipes are coming out of the ground.

 

I don't get a chance to get over there often, so I thank you for the pics you took.  Amazing progress, and I like the form of the canopies they used.

[Guest StuckInASuburb]

19 hours ago, NDL. said:

I don't get a chance to get over there often, so I thank you for the pics you took.  Amazing progress, and I like the form of the canopies they used.

You're very welcome! I try to take a few pictures every two weeks or so.

[KJHburg]

36th Street Station and new bridge over 36th St and new Crescent apartment community today. 

[ah59396]

17 hours ago, KJHburg said:

36th Street Station and new bridge over 36th St and new Crescent apartment community today. 

Oh man I like that it's red!  Something a little different.

[SgtCampsalot]

4 hours ago, ah59396 said:

Oh man I like that it's red!  Something a little different.

It's NoDa vs. South End; Red vs. Blue!!

[DavieNative]

The red canopies look awesome! I'm glad they are keeping them similar but changing some things up at the same time. Can't wait for the new portion of the blue line to open. It will change alot in Noda, UCIty, and UNCC.

[tozmervo]

This is the new bridge over NCRR connecting North Davidson Street to Sugar Creek Station (in lieu of making people use the new Sugar Creek Road overpass)

[southslider]

^And given the year-plus delay of NCDOT completing their road overpass, it will be the only way to access the station from the NoDa side for a year or two.

[AP3]

2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

This is the new bridge over NCRR connecting North Davidson Street to Sugar Creek Station (in lieu of making people use the new Sugar Creek Road overpass)

Was there a pic attached to this?

[tozmervo]

It's a facebook embed, is it not showing up for you?

18 minutes ago, AP3 said:

Was there a pic attached to this?

 

[AP3]

18 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

It's a facebook embed, is it not showing up for you?

 

Ah, okay.  It's not showing up for me.  Work has the interwebs locked down.  Surprised I can still get on here, haha.

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, southslider said:

^And given the year-plus delay of NCDOT completing their road overpass, it will be the only way to access the station from the NoDa side for a year or two.

Speaking of Sugar Creek grade separation, it's bothersome that while they are building a beautiful bridge to go over Bearwood Ave (a dead-end street) which connects with N Davidson St, they are not making any kind of ped connector to Redwood Ave, which actually connects to other parts of the neighborhood and The Plaza.
I spoke with an engineer on the project and they said: 1. They don't see a reason by crossing over Sugar Creek at Redwood is a problem, and 2. They didn't want to make a sidewalk between Bearwood and Redwood next to the retaining wall because it might encourage loitering.

Thoughts?
 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2016 by SgtCampsalot

[Matthew.Brendan]

Time will tell but I think it is short sighted. Bearwood is going to be even more isolated than before. Literally a dead end "under the bridge". Yikes. 

[tozmervo]

36 minutes ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Speaking of Sugar Creek grade separation, it's bothersome that while they are building a beautiful bridge to go over Bearwood Ave (a dead-end street) which connects with N Davidson St, they are not making any kind of ped connector to Redwood Ave, which actually connects to other parts of the neighborhood and The Plaza.
I spoke with an engineer on the project and they said: 1. They don't see a reason by crossing over Sugar Creek at Redwood is a problem, and 2. They didn't want to make a sidewalk between Bearwood and Redwood next to the retaining wall because it might encourage loitering.

Thoughts?

There's some discussion about this from a while ago, and I think the general consensus is that this is a crappy NCDOT project that has little regard for the surroundings. They don't even acknowledge the light rail station. The grade separation is necessary, but the execution is awful.

If they were really worried about loitering, they would be more focused on the 500 feet of raised roadway and the inhuman cavern it creates below it.

[SgtCampsalot]

Right. And years from now it will possibly eventually lead to neighborhood pressure to install an "overland connector" likely on the city's dime. Perhaps if someone actually involved the church whose property is right there, they would support it.

Government. Amiright?

Edited September 20, 2016 by SgtCampsalot

[Guest StuckInASuburb]

I think urban planet reduced the size of the files you can share. Regardless, I have taken some pictures over the past couple of weeks.

[Guest StuckInASuburb]

I can't upload anymore pictures here so I will use imgur I guess, these pictures are not current, I just haven't had time to take more. I'm sorta busy creating a student organization and doing college. Right now all the rail ties are down, the tracks secured to them, and gravel has been poured over them. There also seems to be machines on rails that have come into campus along the rails. 

Here is the album:

http://imgur.com/a/3WKT2

Edited September 28, 2016 by StuckInASuburb

[Brother Otto]

In regards to the Sugar Creek Road grade separation-----there were a number of issues driving the design of the bridge:

(1) The two warehouses on opposite sides of Sugar Creek, just north of the railroad crossing were designated eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  This means that the structures are protected under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and Section 4(f) of the USDOT.  Section 4(f) basically means that b/c there are USDOT funds in the project, the buildings must be avoided unless there is a feasible and prudent alternative to demolishing or acquiring R/W from the buildings.  The feasible and prudent alternative was based off of a horizontal alignment and typical section that stayed within the existing r/w.  The warehouse in the NW quadrant of the Sugar Creek/NCRR has an entrance that faces Sugar Creek Road.  That entrance needed to remain accessible. Blocking that entrance with a retaining  would have resulted in an additional Adverse Effect determination from a Section 106 standpoint and a Section 4(f) impact (use).  The presence of the warehouse in the NW quadrant prohibited a direct connection between the bridge and the LRT station.  The connection could not be placed on the NCRR r/w and could not cross the warehouse property---as it would have been a Section 4(f) use, which requires the evaluation of an avoidance alternative.

(2) Zion Primative Baptist Church Cemetery:  The cemetery is on the NW concern of the church property and abutted Sugar Creek Road.  Though not protected by law, the goal was to avoid or minimize impacts to the cemetery.  There were unmarked graves in the cemetery very close to the existing r/w.  Remote sensing and other archaeological methods to identify grave sites.  Minimizing impacts to the cemetery and church property necessitated the large retaining wall structure.  There was a small group meeting conducted at the church, specifically to hear and address their concerns.  Also, a workshop and a public hearing was conducted.

(3) Bridge vertical and horizontal clearance requirements:  The bridge was required to span the NCRR corridor.  The corridor has two mainline tracks and there are plans to add 1 to 2 tracks for intercity passenger rail.  The bridge also had to accommodate the two Blue Line tracks and the required spacing b/n the LRT tracks and the freight tracks.  The bridges also had to provide enough clearance for double-stack containers and catenary-----just in case future SEC trains are electrified.  These requirements and the design standards prevented designers from getting the road back down for an at-grade intersection with Raleigh Street.  Raising Raleigh Street was evaluated----but would have required retaining walls on all four quadrants of the intersection----and would also impact the National Register-eligible warehouses.  Thus, this alternative was eliminated.  The decision was made to span Raleigh Boulevard and construct a new connect between----an extension of Goldsboro Street.  Connecting Redwood and Bearwood was considered.  However, Howie Acres Community Park is also protected by Section 4(f).  Other connections between the two streets were considered, but would have required demolishing homes within the Howie Acres Community to accommodate the new roadway.  Thus, Bearwood was extended westward to connect with Davidson, providing residents of Bearwood an outlet similar to what they currently have.  This required the bridge to be extended over Bearwood.

[Norm2]

59 minutes ago, Brother Otto said:

In regards to the Sugar Creek Road grade separation-----there were a number of issues driving the design of the bridge:

(1) The two warehouses on opposite sides of Sugar Creek, just north of the railroad crossing were designated eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  This means that the structures are protected under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and Section 4(f) of the USDOT.  Section 4(f) basically means that b/c there are USDOT funds in the project, the buildings must be avoided unless there is a feasible and prudent alternative to demolishing or acquiring R/W from the buildings.  The feasible and prudent alternative was based off of a horizontal alignment and typical section that stayed within the existing r/w.  The warehouse in the NW quadrant of the Sugar Creek/NCRR has an entrance that faces Sugar Creek Road.  That entrance needed to remain accessible. Blocking that entrance with a retaining  would have resulted in an additional Adverse Effect determination from a Section 106 standpoint and a Section 4(f) impact (use).  The presence of the warehouse in the NW quadrant prohibited a direct connection between the bridge and the LRT station.  The connection could not be placed on the NCRR r/w and could not cross the warehouse property---as it would have been a Section 4(f) use, which requires the evaluation of an avoidance alternative.

(2) Zion Primative Baptist Church Cemetery:  The cemetery is on the NW concern of the church property and abutted Sugar Creek Road.  Though not protected by law, the goal was to avoid or minimize impacts to the cemetery.  There were unmarked graves in the cemetery very close to the existing r/w.  Remote sensing and other archaeological methods to identify grave sites.  Minimizing impacts to the cemetery and church property necessitated the large retaining wall structure.  There was a small group meeting conducted at the church, specifically to hear and address their concerns.  Also, a workshop and a public hearing was conducted.

(3) Bridge vertical and horizontal clearance requirements:  The bridge was required to span the NCRR corridor.  The corridor has two mainline tracks and there are plans to add 1 to 2 tracks for intercity passenger rail.  The bridge also had to accommodate the two Blue Line tracks and the required spacing b/n the LRT tracks and the freight tracks.  The bridges also had to provide enough clearance for double-stack containers and catenary-----just in case future SEC trains are electrified.  These requirements and the design standards prevented designers from getting the road back down for an at-grade intersection with Raleigh Street.  Raising Raleigh Street was evaluated----but would have required retaining walls on all four quadrants of the intersection----and would also impact the National Register-eligible warehouses.  Thus, this alternative was eliminated.  The decision was made to span Raleigh Boulevard and construct a new connect between----an extension of Goldsboro Street.  Connecting Redwood and Bearwood was considered.  However, Howie Acres Community Park is also protected by Section 4(f).  Other connections between the two streets were considered, but would have required demolishing homes within the Howie Acres Community to accommodate the new roadway.  Thus, Bearwood was extended westward to connect with Davidson, providing residents of Bearwood an outlet similar to what they currently have.  This required the bridge to be extended over Bearwood.

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