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Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

dubone

By dubone
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uptownliving Town

uptownliving

Posted
Posted

Good news for the BLE... The FTA has agreed to letting CATS modify the future ridership model to take into account current Blue Line ridership. This means at current cost estimates the BLE qualifies for Federal Funding :good:

Here is the excerpt sent to City Council in a memo today:

CATS staff gave a status report on the BLE’s New Starts Update. The cost estimate was updated in April. The revised ridership model approved by the FTA reflects current ridership on the existing Blue Line and forecasts the 2030 BLE daily ridership at 23,800 with total daily ridership along the ultimate 20-mile line at 47,600. The new ridership figures help put the BLE’s cost effectiveness index between $16.01 and $20.45, which is solidly in the "Medium" range currently required by the FTA to qualify for federal funds for construction.

Unfortunately this does not move up construction on the BLE...that will depend on the local economy to get the money flowing through the 1/2 Cent Sales Tax again.

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GoldenEagle128
GoldenEagle128

Just some before and after photos of the view of uptown and the blue line from 11th street. Definitely a big difference!

kermit
kermit
tozmervo
tozmervo

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guy4charlotte Whistle-Stop

guy4charlotte

Posted
Posted

We would first have to get the NC Legislature to allow that vote to happen. And this year even though the Meck Co Commission asked..the NC Legislature explicitly said no to Mecklenburg.

just to be precise Sen Dan Clodfelter (D-Charlotte) is the person responsible for Mecklenburg not being included in the 1/2 cent transit tax bill that was passed by the legislature this year

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tozmervo Metropolis

tozmervo

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it's also why articulated buses are illegal in North Carolina, though that hasn't stopped Chapel Hill.

At the risk of wondering too far off topic, wow, really? I had kind of wondered why CATS didn't use larger buses on some of it's busier routes like #9 - I never knew that they were illegal in NC.

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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We've talked about this in the past. Maybe even in this thread? ...but I was under the impression that Clodfelter made articulated buses illegal in North Carolina because he didn't want them used as an alternative to LRT on Independence.

Along those lines, its a shame that Rep. Becky Carney isn't going to run again. She is our best advocate in the House for transportation issues (among other things).

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southslider Town

southslider

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^Right, it's been covered. I just mentioned that quirk again, as it just goes to show Clodfelter will use whatever tactic he has at his disposal to prevent BRT on Independence, be it exclusion of Mecklenburg from considering a sales-tax levy, or prohibiting the use of articulated vehicles.

However, I believe both of Clodfelter's tactics ironically hurt East Charlotte. No articulated buses means routes like #9-Central can't expand their capacity, when frequency is already more than LYNX. And no possible increase in sales tax not only means that Southeast Corridor will be waiting in a long line behind other transit corridors, but area roadway needs too, such as Independence, which provides the right-of-way for SE Corridor, but will continue to be widened at a snail's pace.

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caterpillar2 Hamlet

caterpillar2

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Global No Pants Subway Day. http://improveverywh...ts-subway-ride/

Impressive list of cities. Charlotte should join the fun now that we have a light rail.

That would work really well in Charlotte. The girl shown on the video would be raped and thrown out of a window before she got to the next stop. LOL! It might work if there was an agreement to ban sexual harrassment charges for the day.

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

That would work really well in Charlotte. The girl shown on the video would be raped and thrown out of a window before she got to the next stop. LOL! It might work if there was an agreement to ban sexual harrassment charges for the day.

How do you figure that exactly? If it worked on MARTA, where there actually is a chance of an event such as the one u alluded to, I think it would be fine in Charlotte. I fairly certain I can say that most rapes happen in public... I am participating in the event this year on the MTA.

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Neo City

Neo

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Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone actually pay for their light-rail tickets? Of all the times I've ridden Light-rail blush.gif I never bought a ticket

Why would you not want to support mass transit in this city. By not purchasing a ticket you're not only stealing but you're simply not supporting the efforts of CATS. (Shocking since you're a member on this site)

I'm also curious why you would want to admit to such an act on a public forum. It certainly isn't something to be proud of IMO.

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)

That would be pretty cool to have a no-pants light-rail day. Cool as in "Different" smile.gif

Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone actually pay for their light-rail tickets? Of all the times I've ridden Light-rail blush.gif I never bought a ticket

:cry::cry: I greatly dislike you, thank you for ruining my day! Criminal

Edited by Guest
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caterpillar2 Hamlet

caterpillar2

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Posted

That would be pretty cool to have a no-pants light-rail day. Cool as in "Different" smile.gif

Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone actually pay for their light-rail tickets? Of all the times I've ridden Light-rail blush.gif I never bought a ticket

I hope you eventually get caught. Most people want the light rail to be successful. With dishonest people like you, it will be harder. And, yes I buy tickets. I was taught right from wrong.

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DPK Hamlet

DPK

Posted
Posted

Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone actually pay for their light-rail tickets? Of all the times I've ridden Light-rail blush.gif I never bought a ticket

I was brought up to pay for what I use so that it can be maintained for others. Also to treat where I am as an extension of my home. I wouldn't want my home treated like crap so why would I do it anywhere else. Way to not support public transit man.

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15895 City

15895

Posted
Posted (edited)

I was brought up to pay for what I use so that it can be maintained for others. Also to treat where I am as an extension of my home. I wouldn't want my home treated like crap so why would I do it anywhere else. Way to not support public transit man.

Considering I've ridden 2X... which is still 2X too many. I didn't even know you had to pay for it until a friend told me... Live in Gastonia - senior in highschool. Don't get to uptown to often. Will on Friday, though. Takin' lightrail from Woodlawn.

Edited by AirNostrumMAD
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tozmervo Metropolis

tozmervo

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok, so I've had the occasional CATS-related complaint. Usually it's an aesthetic complaint - not a significant one.

Tonight they had, in the internet parlance, an epic fail.

I went uptown around 6pm. No big. 12:30 am is drawing near and myself and friends head to the CTC station to catch the train back home. The scrolling sign reports that there will be no train service after 10pm. Ok... that's new. There's a little sign in the middle of the platform saying to catch a bus at bay V.

Fortunately, I am familiar enough with the bus system to have any inkling of what that meant, even though my companions had no idea. As it turns out, I didn't entirely know either. Bay "V", as is the case of every bay after "U", does not get any kind of wayfinding signage in the CTC. That is, we had no idea where to find V. It's on Brevard street, outside of the CTC, and not really signed at all.

AND as it turns out, the replacement bus is not running on the same schedule. It evidently leaves 8 minutes before the scheduled train time. So if you're showing up at 12:30 for a 12:30 train, you're actually in for a 22 minute wait. Yay.

So there were a many things CATS could have done better - and they have, when the silo fell on the track. First, they could have assumed that no one that takes the train is familiar with the bus system. They didn't. Second, they could have given riders some kind of head's up beforehand. They didn't. Third, they could have had reps at the train platform to explain what was going on (I still don't know why the train stopped). They didn't. Fourth, they could have had actual signage to Bay V. They didn't. Fifth, they could have used a freaking interior sheltered bay. They didn't. Sixth, the bus driver could have been announcing what station they were near. Yeah, they didn't. Again, they just assumed the passengers had any idea what was going on.

Uhg. Sorry, venting. Should probably be doing this on the CATS feedback form.

Edited by tozmervo
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New Name Burg

New Name

Posted
Posted

You should complain to them. They need feedback on things like that to improve service.

They are supposed to be repairing the track crossing on East Blvd (which will close the street to traffic too, so I assume that has already started.

ha. I can tell you first hand that CATS doesn't respond well to customer complaints. I had submitted a written complaint and request for a refund after I was left at a LYNX platform on a Sunday afternoon because the train was too full to fit into (and you will note that since it was Sunday, the next train would be 30 minutes). And the response I got from Larry Kopf of CATS said (paraphrasing: "Sir, we expect our trains to be full. If you could not fit on, that was your decision. We don't give refunds."

Kopf is German for "head". His name was Larry Head. I can think of another word to use other than Larry.

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