Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[LKN704]

I do wonder what will happen 10-20 years out in regards to the right of way of the line-especially in Uptown. 

I could be wrong-but I have a feeling that the Uptown and Southend community may grow to the point where the crossings are seen as a major nuisance. 

I wonder if it will ever become feasible or necessary to eliminate all crossings from the line, at least in the more dense areas. 

[Scribe]

14 hours ago, LKN704 said:

I wonder if it will ever become feasible or necessary to eliminate all crossings from the line, at least in the more dense areas.

I think you will see everything within I-277 get elevated (don't think they will bury it, but I could be wrong).

Not sure what it will take to change that in SouthEnd.

[Scribe]

Nice picture from UNC Charlotte Uptown Campus (credit: UNC Charlotte twitter account)

Gives you an idea of what a 4-car train would looks like... (basically not workable Uptown)

[deleted]

32 minutes ago, Scribe said:

Nice picture from UNC Charlotte Uptown Campus (credit: UNC Charlotte twitter account)

Gives you an idea of what a 4-car train would looks like... (basically not workable Uptown)

Awesome picture.  That park will look sooo much better when the trees mature.

[KJHburg]

How about this uptown addition to the Rail Trail as proposed by an UPer in this article.  https://www.charlottefive.com/what-charlotte-can-learn-culture/

[uptownliving]

UNCC has wrapped their elevator doors to look like the Lynx doors. Awesome promotion of the soon to open BLE.

[Windsurfer]

Man,  mark this afternoon ruined. Took the family uptown for an outing.... Ri Ra's , 7th Street, Imaginon..... then a ride on the rail.  Between Carson and West Blvd. a crazy plops down in front of us (or on drugs), turns around suddenly and starts yelling at my wife.  I stood up between this person and my wife to keep him/her (trans?) from approaching her.  She was every bit of 6'2. My 5 year old daughter, in the meantime is curling up in her seat.  Another family behind us starts getting scared, and I'm at the point where I'm studying this person for a vulnerable spot. Stomach, face or neck?  This person was possessed.  My wife tries in vain to reason with her, but she wasn't listening.  I told my wife to get up, and that this is our stop. As we head for the door I keep looking for some kind of emergency button. If there is , it's not very visible, especially when your adrenaline is rushing.  Finally,  the train stopped, and as the door opened, I thought this crazy person was going to follow us out.

We spend billions of dollars on these rails, and scrimp on security.  Not only will it be a long time before we ride again, but, I guarantee those families riding behind us, who undoubtedly endured more abuse since they were stuck on the train, will think twice.  When the Lynx opened up security was always walking up and down the trains. Do you guys still see them?  NOBODY was around or visible before we got on the train, during the ride, or after.

[Cadi40]

Sadly this happens everywhere in all forms of transit. For the 5 years I have been riding the light rail I have never had a terrible encounter.

[15895]

51 minutes ago, Cadi40 said:

Sadly this happens everywhere in all forms of transit. For the 5 years I have been riding the light rail I have never had a terrible encounter.

I ride every weekday once at 9am every morning then return at 3pm, 10pm, 3pm, 1pm. Including a transfer to the north Tryon bus. Sometimes in a suit, etc. 100% no problems yet 

 

in 10 years, no issues. One time someone was rapping obnoxiously. One time recently a guy was getting to frisky with a girl. Those are the worst experiences so far

Edited February 4, 2018 by AirNostrumMAD

[Popsickle]

I haven't had any problem in Charlotte, but when I was in NOVA it seemed like there was an incident similar to what you've  discribed every damn week. 

Sorry that happened with you and your family. 

[videtur quam contuor]

Surfer, I am so sorry for your predicament. Please carry your experience to CATS management. Please let it go forward from here.

Once while riding there was a call to my car for assistance at 3d street for an assault of some kind. Using the radio frequency that a CATS person on my car was carrying. At our 3d street arrival there was no sign of victim or perp or security or police. This was 8-9 years ago.

[15895]

59 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Surfer, I am so sorry for your predicament. Please carry your experience to CATS management. Please let it go forward from here.

Once while riding there was a call to my car for assistance at 3d street for an assault of some kind. Using the radio frequency that a CATS person on my car was carrying. At our 3d street arrival there was no sign of victim or perp or security or police. This was 8-9 years ago.

 

That does remind me there is a help button (no lights or anything) by the Light Rail doors for emergencies. I'm not sure if you wanted to take it that far,  but that's always an option if anyone ever feels very unsafe too. 

[Windsurfer]

Thanks for all the comments. What do you do exactly when a crazy person starts going off on you or your family on public transportation?  He/She jumped up so fast that I jumped up too, but then she just started yelling and did not attack physically. (It was close) You don't want to take your eyes off of the threat to look for buttons. It could've gotten really bad quickly.  You end up miserable thinking to yourself: should I have defended my wife's honor?  Should I have tried to say something to calm them down. Some kind of presence would go a long ways on these rides. In the beginning they checked tickets and just having somebody who looks authoritative walking up and down the isle goes a long way.  

[CLT2014]

Sadly experiences like that are why many people pack up their family in the Honda Pilot and drive to Uptown / cough up money for parking. It often takes only one bad experience when trying public transit out (which people may already be hesitant to try) to have people give up on that mode of transportation. So sorry you went through that on the train. 

Sometimes people's experience in other cities leads to them being hesitant to try the train out as well. My parents from SoCal refused to ride Lynx to Uptown for a Hornets game because they had a bad experience in Los Angeles with a crazy person on the subway a few years earlier. They pretty much are anti-public transit now anywhere. 

Edited February 5, 2018 by CLT2014

[DMann]

So, there have been several accidents on 485 with a driver driving the wrong way and killing someone.  Using the above logic, never drive on 485 because someone could kill you?

Life can be strange, and there are strange people all around.  

[JoshuaDrown]

6 minutes ago, DMann said:

Life can be strange, and there are strange people all around.  

Perception is an amazing thing, and very powerful. So many people feel under control in their car, while they feel exposed on public transit... even though statistics on safety would show the opposite. 

I have a friend that has spent nearly her entire life in Manhattan and Brooklyn utilizing public transportation, but has never personally driven nor attempted to get her driver’s license. She is OK around town in a car as a passenger, but the freeway makes her incredibly nervous and to her looks like pure chaos... 4,000 lbs cars weaving in and out at 80mph, frequent delays for wrecks, and crumpled cars and car parts on the sides of the road.

[CLT2014]

1 hour ago, DMann said:

So, there have been several accidents on 485 with a driver driving the wrong way and killing someone.  Using the above logic, never drive on 485 because someone could kill you?

Life can be strange, and there are strange people all around.  

I absolutely agree with you on the fallacy of this logic - but taking on the battle against people's perception is challenging. Americans can experience confirmation bias while traveling on a train and then they think all trains are full of crazy homeless people. They might have to interact with people they don't usually interact with. Cars give them this feeling of being in a bubble. I wish it weren't so, but it is the battle of changing public opinion in the US. 

Edited February 5, 2018 by CLT2014

[dubone]

19 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

I absolutely agree with you on the fallacy of this logic - but taking on the battle against people's perception is challenging. Americans can experience confirmation bias while traveling on a train and then they think all trains are full of crazy homeless people. They might have to interact with people they don't usually interact with. Cars give them this feeling of being in a bubble. I wish it weren't so, but it is the battle of changing public opinion in the US. 

I think this bubble and suburbia is part of the reason that our society doesn't invest as much in the social safety net and mental health, and those in the bubble tend to be the ones that politically would like to end what we do already.  

Urban life exposes us to it, but that doesn't mean it is okay.   I get very angry with homeless that affect my life directly (abusive yelling, litter, theft, begging money or work from me on my own property).    Clearly this person was on drugs and was not in control, and the fact that they were trans and has reached this stage of life and drug abuse is hardly a mystery given they very likely were abandoned by their family or other traditional support networks.    (It happens a lot in NC.  I just talked to someone this past weekend who was kicked out of their home because he came out to them).

Regardless of the culture wars, we have every reason to expect safety on the train.  CMPD and transit security can't be everywhere, but they surely can be more prevalent than they are now.     Agreed that the best course of action now is to notify city council and CATS managers.     

[Windsurfer]

4 minutes ago, dubone said:

I think this bubble and suburbia is part of the reason that our society doesn't invest as much in the social safety net and mental health, and those in the bubble tend to be the ones that politically would like to end what we do already.  

Urban life exposes us to it, but that doesn't mean it is okay.   I get very angry with homeless that affect my life directly (abusive yelling, litter, theft, begging money or work from me on my own property).    Clearly this person was on drugs and was not in control, and the fact that they were trans and has reached this stage of life and drug abuse is hardly a mystery given they very likely were abandoned by their family or other traditional support networks.    (It happens a lot in NC.  I just talked to someone this past weekend who was kicked out of their home because he came out to them).

Regardless of the culture wars, we have every reason to expect safety on the train.  CMPD and transit security can't be everywhere, but they surely can be more prevalent than they are now.     Agreed that the best course of action now is to notify city council and CATS managers.     

I definitely won't be writing letters to the editor,  and will keep it on the down low, but there's a real feeling of helplessness that comes with sitting on a train with the doors closed (and moving) with a stranger yelling at your loved one. And, yes, more than likely on a bad drug.  Why he/she chose my loved one who knows, but I felt sorry for the folks left on the train with her.  We were so shook up that we walked back up town to work it off. Didn't even think about calling the police, but certainly they could've caught him. 

I just think, that if we're going to spend billions of dollars and try to promote this, the least we could do is add a couple of ticket checkers, even on off days like Sunday.  A uniform always calms folks down. 

And, fwiw worth, a couple of years ago  on The Blue Line, I saw a couple of female gang members start in on a young person..."What are you looking at!!!... ". It almost escalated with the young person too terrified. to move. Bullies are everywhere and come in every shape and color.  I know that. And, I know we all experience road rage on the highways. I'm still frustrated with myself....which is part of the reason for dwelling on this. 

[videtur quam contuor]

Surfer you are fine. I support you and your decisions. You did the right thing all along the route. Bless you and your kin.

[dubone]

10 hours ago, Windsurfer said:

And, fwiw worth, a couple of years ago  on The Blue Line, I saw a couple of female gang members start in on a young person..."What are you looking at!!!... ". It almost escalated with the young person too terrified. to move. Bullies are everywhere and come in every shape and color.  I know that. And, I know we all experience road rage on the highways. I'm still frustrated with myself....which is part of the reason for dwelling on this. 

I had that once on a bus, people aggressively talking to their friends about the [clearly me by description] and thinly veiling hints of violence.   It was very unnerving and contributing to me riding the bus far less.   Then I can imagine seeing it indirectly and the jarring anxiety that follows.   Then to be directly affected like your situation, and it is true victimhood.  It was against the law what that person did to you, and yet the law wasn't there to protect you.         Misery spreads, but you are doing your best to defy the impact on yours and your wife and children's psyche, something you should never have been exposed to.  

It is what trains were designed to do, bring general population back to transit.   It is a huge loss if they can't contain the problems in a meaningful way. 

 

[southslider]

Inaugural ride scheduled for 10am leaving UNCC.

[Matthew.Brendan]

We are roughly a month out of the BLE opening and yet the website has not been updated with the new station information. What are they waiting until the day of?

The website is pretty terrible overall, so I guess I’m not surprised. It desperately needs an overhaul to streamline the information and eliminate redundancies. 

[Scribe]

4 hours ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

We are roughly a month out of the BLE opening and yet the website has not been updated with the new station information. What are they waiting until the day of?

Charlotte magazine the 2018 City Guide issue has a foldout map of Uptown (and the county on the flip side) with all the attractions mapped out.  I noticed that the BLE stops are all listed and there are no caveats or fine print about it not being open.

[KJHburg]

in other LYNX news all students at UNC Charlotte will be able to  ride all trains and buses for free for $25 extra a semester.   http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article198815104.html

Edited February 7, 2018 by KJHburg