Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[nakers2]

It was eerie hearing the announcement over the system wide PA they use on the bus. They don't use it often. They didn't talk about an accident but I knew that they wouldn't close the blue line in the middle of a workday without a very good reason.

[End_The_Sprawl]

UNCC Station

 

--In Addition--

I'd like he opportunity to say I do not like this installation bolted to the ground. It looks like a warped bench that you can't sit in from the ground.

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, End_The_Sprawl said:

UNCC Station

--In Addition--

I'd like he opportunity to say I do not like this installation bolted to the ground. It looks like a warped bench that you can't sit in from the ground.

 

I think "semi-functional" is the case. http://charlottenc.gov/cats/transit-planning/art-in-transit/current-projects/Pages/ble-uncc-station.aspx

[mad_park]

3 car trains won't be happening anytime soon....wonder if they'll be able to increase the frequency at peak hours to make up?

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article139256098.html#storylink=indep

[southslider]

^Peak service will be 7.5 minutes, improved over today's peak of every 10 minutes 

[Desert Power]

22 hours ago, mad_park said:

3 car trains won't be happening anytime soon....wonder if they'll be able to increase the frequency at peak hours to make up?

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article139256098.html#storylink=indep

Lot's of bad news for the light rail recently.  Not a great time to ask for billions on other lines...

[grodney]

Got to 485 station at 10:20 today.  No spots in deck.  No spots outside.  I mean none....unless you want to park at Steak n Shake or over across South Blvd.  There were tons of people illegally parked along the islands in the outside lot.

Sharon Rd West was also FULL on the sign, so I didn't drive in.

Arrowood had lots of space.

I had never seen 485 completely full before.  Not that I frequently get there that late.  Made me wonder if some special event was going on uptown --- or is it just that busy these days?

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by grodney

[rickrodewd]

5 hours ago, grodney said:

Got to 485 station at 10:20 today.  No spots in deck.  No spots outside.  I mean none....unless you want to park at Steak n Shake or over across South Blvd.  There were tons of people illegally parked along the islands in the outside lot.

Sharon Rd West was also FULL on the sign, so I didn't drive in.

Arrowood had lots of space.

I had never seen 485 completely full before.  Not that I frequently get there that late.  Made me wonder if some special event was going on uptown --- or is it just that busy these days?

 

It isn't uncommon for me to see 485 station and Sharon Road West station FULL when driving by in the morning around 830.

[UPNoDa]

^That speaks volumes about the need for increased capacity (read: three car trains)

 

[DEnd]

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 10:59 PM, UPNoDa said:

^That speaks volumes about the need for increased capacity (read: three car trains)

 

 Or maybe a better connection with Ballantyne so that more people don't have to drive.  Increasing the parking deck size and higher frequency is probably way cheaper though. 

[QClifer]

11 hours ago, DEnd said:

 Or maybe a better connection with Ballantyne so that more people don't have to drive.  Increasing the parking deck size and higher frequency is probably way cheaper though. 

Id like to see a study of where the commuters are coming from that are driving/parking/riding from the 485 station? Ballantyne direction, are we seeing anybody come over from 77 and ride from the 485 station? The 485 parking is already massive and they seem to squeeze another 40spots in every couple years

id love to see the light rail go to Ballantyne one day and have 2 stops out there, prob not in my lifetime though

[orulz]

Pineville, Carolina Place, and Ballantyne are clearly the manifest destiny of the Blue Line. Just a matter of WHEN. 20 years perhaps, before this is up on the agenda?

[QClifer]

would love to see Northwood Ravin think it was an asset to the office park and throw in a hundred mil to connect it

[Niner National]

On 3/23/2017 at 5:05 PM, QClifer said:

would love to see Northwood Ravin think it was an asset to the office park and throw in a hundred mil to connect it

A hundred million probably wouldn't even take it an extra  mile.

[CLTProductions]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article140530508.html

 

Jesus, they are clowning right now 

[rancenc]

 

I actually think that CATS is tip toeing around the fact, that Norfolk Southern is probably a BIG culprit in this delay and financial overrun. The railroad has not been a team player on various parts of the the rail line for quite awhile. They reneged on sharing the tracks for the Red Line to Lake Norman. They have been a BIG obstacle for the construction of a badly need Amtrak/Central Transportation Center on West Trade as well. It's ironic, that the south line that opened up in 2007 is actually a very limited Norfolk Southern route (if it is used at all). That's probably why there was not the cost overruns associated with that part of the line.

[kermit]

all press is good press:

http://www.charlottefive.com/charlotte-light-rail-stops-ranked/

kinda sad that this kid whines about walking a half mile.

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by kermit

[CLTranspo]

4 minutes ago, kermit said:

kinda shocked that this kid whines about walking a half mile.

Eh, in some transit studies only 1/4 mile is considered reasonable walking distance/walking shed for a transit stop. Especially if you consider people walking in professional attire or in an area with hot temps

[kermit]

2 minutes ago, CLTranspo said:

Eh, in some transit studies only 1/4 mile is considered reasonable walking distance/walking shed for a transit stop. Especially if you consider people walking in professional attire or in an area with hot temps

just a bunch of pu55ys

(its probably for the best that I am not a transportation planner)

Edited April 10, 2017 by kermit

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, CLTranspo said:

Eh, in some transit studies only 1/4 mile is considered reasonable walking distance/walking shed for a transit stop. Especially if you consider people walking in professional attire or in an area with hot temps

 

1 hour ago, kermit said:

just a bunch of pu55ys

(its probably for the best that I am not a transportation planner)

When I was a naive child, I was at Smelly Cat with a friend from Germany, and when we decided to go to Amelie's, I asked "Do you want to [walk back to the YMCA parking lot and] drive there?"
Their response: "You are so American!"

[Norm2]

7 hours ago, kermit said:

all press is good press:

http://www.charlottefive.com/charlotte-light-rail-stops-ranked/

kinda sad that this kid whines about walking a half mile.

 

 

Kinda a cool article. Not a fan of how the stations were ranked though. The higher the rank the more breweries there were lol.

[KJHburg]

Couple I took along the BLE today near Tom Hunter Station, 36th St station, the Parkwood station and near the Thompkins Mill, 

[kermit]

^ so how much construction activity on the line is still visibly underway? The photos make it look like nearly everything is buttoned up.  If CATS is going to meet their mid November open date (the date that they gave the FTA in the last quarterly report) then they will need to take posestion of the line to begin testing within the next six weeks (I believe). Does anyone have a sense of progress from either observation or gossip?

[tozmervo]

36 minutes ago, kermit said:

^ so how much construction activity on the line is still visibly underway? The photos make it look like nearly everything is buttoned up.  If CATS is going to meet their mid November open date (the date that they gave the FTA in the last quarterly report) then they will need to take posestion of the line to begin testing within the next six weeks (I believe). Does anyone have a sense of progress from either observation or gossip?

Well, they're already landscaping some of the stations. Last I knew 36th street was still a hold-up, but I think catenary wires are running along there now, too. I wouldn't be surprised to see a test train being moved north past the new maintenance yard very, very soon. Apparently Sunday mornings are a good day to be on the look out for that.

[kermit]

FREE BEER* to the first UPer to snap a photo of a test vehicle North of the new service yard.

(* I'll pay out when I return to Charlotte in mid July)