130-535: The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte , North Carolina , United States. Opened in 2007, it was the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System , and the first major rapid rail service of any kind in the state. The 26-station, 19.3-mile (31.1 km) line extends from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in University City through NoDa , Uptown , and South End , then runs along South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at
260-724: A "light rail" vehicle (it is a heavy rail vehicle), and is only included for comparison purposes. Low-floor LRVs have the advantage of a low-floor design, allowing them to load passengers directly from low-rise platforms that can be little more than raised curbs. High-floor light rail systems also exist, featuring larger stations. Historically, the track gauge has had considerable variations, with narrow gauge common in many early systems. However, most light rail systems are now standard gauge . Older standard-gauge vehicles could not negotiate sharp turns as easily as narrow-gauge ones, but modern light rail systems achieve tighter turning radii by using articulated cars . An important advantage of
390-455: A $ 500 campaign contribution from Baucom in October 2012, had had no other contacts with him. Baucom said he didn't know Cannon well and denied requesting him for help with permits; he declined comment on the federal allegations and has neither been charged nor named in court documents. On June 3, 2014, Cannon pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud, a charge commonly used when
520-464: A Class 3 misdemeanor charge. CATS estimates between 4 and 5 percent of total fare revenue is lost from passengers who ride without paying. Following an initial "grace period" between its November 2007 opening and February 2008, CATS took more action with regards to issuing citations for fare jumpers. This was the case as many of the ticket vending machines were not working properly at all stations. As part of Lynx's initial "fare enforcement blitz" during
650-536: A December 2015 CATS construction report, most track had been laid and the foundations for the J.W. Clay Boulevard and UNCC stations had been completed. Work continued on the University City Boulevard and Tom Hunter stations , while grading for foundation work was under way for McCullough station . By January 2016, new rail car deliveries had begun from Siemens in California, with four of
780-458: A bus, there will be even more capacity when there is a combination of cars and light rail. Table 3 shows an example of peak passenger capacity. The cost of light rail construction varies widely, largely depending on the amount of tunneling and elevated structures required. A survey of North American light rail projects shows that costs of most LRT systems range from $ 15 million to over $ 100 million per mile. Seattle's new light rail system
910-403: A chaotic breakdown inflow and a dramatic drop in speed (a traffic jam ) if they exceed about 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane (each car roughly two seconds behind another). Since most people who drive to work or on business trips do so alone, studies show that the average car occupancy on many roads carrying commuters is only about 1.5 people per car during the high-demand rush hour periods of
1040-440: A city councilman, used his position to influence Charlotte zoning, planning and transportation officials to allow the club to be rebuilt on the remaining property after the original building had been demolished and the required land for the extension appropriated. In January 2013, Baucom's club received a zoning variance to allow its continued operation at the same site, as a church and a residential area were both within 1000 feet of
1170-1142: A common right-of-way (however, Link converted to full separation in 2019). Some systems, such as the AirTrain JFK in New York City, the DLR in London, and Kelana Jaya Line in Kuala Lumpur , have dispensed with the need for an operator. The Vancouver SkyTrain was an early adopter of driverless vehicles, while the Toronto Scarborough rapid transit operated the same trains as Vancouver, but used drivers. In most discussions and comparisons, these specialized systems are generally not considered light rail but as light metro systems. Around Karlsruhe , Kassel , and Saarbrücken in Germany, dual-voltage light rail trains partly use mainline railroad tracks, sharing these tracks with heavy rail trains. In
1300-543: A decrease in daily ridership from 19,700 to 19,500 passengers per day. In 2017-2018, Charlotte lost transit passengers at a faster rate overall than other large U.S. cities, with continued ridership declines (-20% Feb 2018 vs Feb 2017) and ridership dropping 19% in the first half of 2018. After the Blue Line Extension opened, the entire Blue Line averaged 26,064 trips on an average weekday in March 2018. In April,
1430-500: A joint venture of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure and Blythe Development Co., who would be paid $ 108 million for the first segment, from Uptown Charlotte to Old Concord Road. The joint venture was formed to improve drainage, build bridges, maintain retaining walls, control traffic, and move water and sewer mains. CATS chief executive Carolyn Flowers said the amount was $ 9 million less than the city had budgeted. A separate contract
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#17328015436581560-764: A leader of the campaign to repeal the transit tax, said in the Charlotte Observer : "I have to admit, they are doing better than I expected... Our concern was whether we would have a white elephant , and it doesn't seem we do." In August 2008, the John Locke Foundation 's Carolina Journal reported that taxpayers were subsidizing more than 90% of a rider's trip on what the Journal calls "a lightly used line," and that low ridership estimates did not take into account increasing gasoline costs resulting in higher transit ridership. The analysis of subsidies
1690-595: A light rail line between UNCC and Uptown via Newell was initially evaluated in 1985. The route was proposed for the then Southern Railway tracks, running parallel to both North Tryon Street and Old Concord Road, and was slated for completion at some point between 1995 and 2000. After years of discussion and delays, the proposed route was chosen in June 2006. The selected route followed the existing Norfolk Southern right-of-way from Uptown to approximately Sugar Creek Road where it paralleled North Tryon Street to its terminus on
1820-551: A light rail line serving the Pineville area had been incorporated in the original 1988 plan, including a southern terminus in the town of Pineville , the station was eliminated after Mayor George Fowler and the Pineville Town Council voted against it. Low projected ridership figures further argued against its construction at the time. Following significant public interest and the success of the existing Blue Line,
1950-416: A light rail train may have three to four cars of much larger capacity in one train under the control of one driver, or no driver at all in fully automated systems, increasing the labor costs of BRT systems compared to LRT systems. BRT systems are also usually less fuel-efficient as they use non-electrified vehicles. The peak passenger capacity per lane per hour depends on which types of vehicles are allowed on
2080-435: A live rail. In outer areas, the trams switch to conventional overhead wires . The Bordeaux power system costs about three times as much as a conventional overhead wire system and took 24 months to achieve acceptable levels of reliability, requiring the replacement of all the main cables and power supplies. Operating and maintenance costs of the innovative power system still remain high. However, despite numerous service outages,
2210-543: A longer distance. Light rail cars are often coupled into multiple units of two to four cars. Light rail systems may also exhibit attributes of heavy rail systems, including having downtown subways, as in San Francisco and Seattle . Light rail is designed to address a gap in interurban transportation between heavy rail and bus services, carrying high passenger numbers more quickly than local buses and more cheaply than heavy rail. It serves corridors in which heavy rail
2340-508: A low cost/benefit ratio of both the south corridor line and other urban rail projects proposed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Additionally, Sam Staley, Director of Urban and Land Use Policy for the Reason Foundation, stated Lynx struggled to capture riders in a sprawling city like Charlotte, where the majority of trips are not made to the central city. In 2015, Lynx ridership was back to earlier 2008 levels. During this same time period,
2470-406: A major transportation message to the U.S. Congress . It called for the establishment of a program of federal capital assistance for mass transportation. President Kennedy stated, "To conserve and enhance values in existing urban areas is essential. But at least as important are steps to promote economic efficiency and livability in areas of future development. Our national welfare therefore requires
2600-642: A more diverse range of design characteristics than LRT, depending on the demand and constraints that exist, and BRT using dedicated lanes can have a theoretical capacity of over 30,000 passengers per hour per direction (for example, the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit system operates up to 350 buses per hour per direction). For the effective operation of a bus or BRT system, buses must have priority at traffic lights and have their dedicated lanes, especially as bus frequencies exceed 30 buses per hour per direction. The higher theoretical of BRT relates to
2730-437: A northeast path along an existing railway right-of-way along both North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street . It is 9.7 miles (15.6 km) long with 11 stations, and cost $ 1.159 billion ($ 580 million federal funding plus $ 299 million state and $ 280 million local matches). The extension opened seven months late on March 16, 2018, in time for the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament . The possibility of developing
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#17328015436582860-471: A northeast path along the existing Norfolk Southern right-of-way along both North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street , to University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) opened on March 16, 2018. By the mid-1980s, city and county planners were evaluating strategies to both control and focus the region's growing population and expanding development. One strategy considered
2990-501: A one-half cent sales tax toward implementing the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan, which included construction of a light rail network. Once the tax was approved, Charlotte was able to receive matching funds from FTA grants for financing construction, and planning for the South Corridor to Pineville commenced. Although light rail had been envisioned to connect Charlotte and Rock Hill in previous years, official planning for
3120-484: A parking deck at Sugar Creek station , and a fifth level on the J.W. Clay Boulevard station parking deck. CATS also intended to request additional enhancements, including expansion of the North Yard maintenance facility and construction of a pedestrian bridge at Sugar Creek station. In addition, since the original Blue Line had only been designed for two-car trains, CATS intended to extend some station platforms since
3250-556: A public official takes kickbacks or bribes. The charge referenced a $ 2,000 bribe Cannon had received from Baucom in January 2013, according to prosecutors. After learning about the new federal allegations relating to Cannon and the light-rail extension, several business owners who had also been forced to give up property along the path of the extension said they were surprised. Some expressed frustration with disruption from construction and with compensation for their properties; they also said
3380-407: A result, has many of the operating characteristics of a metro system rather than a light rail system. A capacity of 1,350 passengers per train is more similar to the heavy rail than light rail. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is an alternative to LRT and many planning studies undertake a comparison of each mode when considering appropriate investments in transit corridor development. BRT systems can exhibit
3510-534: A top speed of 55–71.5 miles per hour (88.51–115.1 km/h) depending on the system, while the trains on the all-underground Montreal Metro can only reach a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour (44.74 mph). LACMTA light rail vehicles have higher top and average speeds than Montreal Metro or New York City Subway trains. Many light rail systems—even fairly old ones—have a combination of both on- and off-road sections. In some countries (especially in Europe), only
3640-475: A total budget of $ 121.4 million. The remaining 51 properties were to be acquired by the end of January. Engineering challenges include depressing 36th Street in NoDa (North Davidson) and elevating the railway line in that area to make the intersection safer. The city decided to divide the extension into three segments, split between different contractors. On January 27, the city awarded a civil construction contract to
3770-481: A tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as
3900-462: A week With construction under way, development of light rail and cost overruns associated with it became a major issue between incumbent Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory and Democratic opponent Craig Madans in the 2005 mayoral race. In 2006, following a report by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation , the project was cited as inefficient use of federal taxpayer dollars, and opponents claimed most of
4030-470: Is a generic international English phrase for types of rail systems using modern streetcars/trams, which means more or less the same thing throughout the English-speaking world . Light rail systems can range from trams runnig in streets along with other traffic, to semi-metro systems having portions of grade separated track. People movers are even "lighter", in terms of capacity. Monorail
Lynx Blue Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4160-575: Is a separate technology that has been more successful in specialized services than in a commuter transit role. The use of the generic term light rail avoids some serious incompatibilities between British and American English . The word tram , for instance, is generally used in the UK and many former British colonies to refer to what is known in North America as a streetcar , but in North America tram can instead refer to an aerial tramway , or, in
4290-602: Is a significant amount of overlap between the technologies; similar rolling stock may be used for either, and it is common to classify streetcars or trams as a subcategory of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation. However, some distinctions can be made, though systems may combine elements of both. Low-floor light rail lines tend to follow a reserved right-of-way and with trains receiving priority at intersections, and tend not to operate in mixed traffic, enabling higher operating speeds. Light rail lines tend to have less frequent stops than tramways, and operate over
4420-563: Is by far the most expensive in the US, at $ 179 million per mile, since it includes extensive tunneling in poor soil conditions, elevated sections, and stations as deep as 180 feet (55 m) below ground level. This results in costs more typical of subways or rapid transit systems than light rail. At the other end of the scale, four systems (Baltimore, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah) incurred construction costs of less than $ 20 million per mile. Over
4550-663: Is done with superhighway construction. When ignoring the usable life of improvements the construction of roads is less costly than building light rail or subways, excluding land costs, but may contribute to increased sprawl. A campaign to retain the transit tax garnered more than $ 650,000, with at least one third coming from local corporations including Duke Energy , Wachovia (now Wells Fargo ), Bank of America , McDonald Transit Associates , Parsons Brinckerhoff , and Siemens . An additional twenty major businesses contributed, all of whom profit from CATS operations according to former city council member Don Reid. The group working to repeal
4680-426: Is especially important for wheelchair access, as narrower gauges (e.g. metre gauge) can make it challenging or impossible to pass the tram's wheels. Furthermore, standard-gauge rolling stock can be switched between networks either temporarily or permanently, and both newly built and used standard-gauge rolling stock tends to be cheaper to buy, as more companies offer such vehicles. Overhead lines supply electricity to
4810-502: Is expensive. Similarly, the most expensive US highway expansion project was the " Big Dig " in Boston, Massachusetts, which cost $ 200 million per lane mile for a total cost of $ 14.6 billion. A light rail track can carry up to 20,000 people per hour as compared with 2,000–2,200 vehicles per hour for one freeway lane. For example, in Boston and San Francisco, light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour, respectively, in
4940-575: Is hard to distinguish between what is called light rail, and other forms of urban and commuter rail. A system described as a light rail in one city may be considered to be a streetcar or tram system in another. Conversely, some lines that are called "light rail" are very similar to rapid transit ; in recent years, new terms such as light metro have been used to describe these medium-capacity systems. Some "light rail" systems, such as Sprinter , bear little similarity to urban rail, and could alternatively be classified as commuter rail or even inter-city rail. In
5070-559: Is impractical. Light metro systems are essentially hybrids of light rail and rapid transit. Metro trains are larger and faster than light rail trains, with stops being further apart. Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the Los Angeles Metro Rail 's A Line "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as
5200-484: Is one of the highest capacity ones, having been upgraded in a series of expansions to handle 40,000 passengers per hour per direction, and having carried as many as 582,989 passengers in a single day on its Line 1 . It achieves this volume by running four-car trains with a capacity of up to 1,350 passengers each at a frequency of up to 30 trains per hour. However, the Manila light rail system has full grade separation and as
5330-407: Is similar to that of a traditional tram, while operating at a higher capacity and speed, often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, it includes tram-like operations mostly on streets. A few light rail networks have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail , yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated are they referred to as light metros . The term light rail
Lynx Blue Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
5460-535: The 18th largest light rail system in the United States in terms of ridership . Fares were not collected as part of the opening celebration in 2007. Regular service with fare collection commenced the next day. Tickets for the Blue Line are purchased on the platform of all stations from self-serve ticket vending machines that accept cash, coins, debit, and credit cards. Transfers from buses, weekly and monthly passes are also accepted. Fares, which are equal to those of
5590-542: The Cádiz TramBahia , where trams share track with commuter and long-distance trains from the main terminus in the city and curve off to serve cities without a railway connection. Some of the issues involved in such schemes are: There is a history of what would now be considered light rail vehicles operating on heavy rail rapid transit tracks in the US, especially in the case of interurban streetcars . Notable examples are Lehigh Valley Transit trains running on
5720-629: The Federal Transit Administration had approved preliminary engineering work on the corridor, and in January 2008 the Charlotte City Council approved funding, with work to commence by March 2008. The $ 30 million engineering study was expected to be complete by 2010, at which time the FTA would determine if federal funding was available for half of the project's construction. In July 2010, CATS announced that funding
5850-758: The London Underground and the New York City Subway . Conventional rail technologies including high-speed , freight, commuter , and rapid transit urban transit systems are considered "heavy rail". The main difference between light rail and heavy rail rapid transit is the ability for a light rail vehicle to operate in mixed traffic if the routing requires it. The world's first electric tram operated in Sestroretsk near Saint Petersburg , Russia , invented and operated on an experimental basis by Fyodor Pirotsky in 1880. The first tramway
5980-637: The Netherlands , this concept was first applied on the RijnGouweLijn . This allows commuters to ride directly into the city center, rather than taking a mainline train only as far as a central station and then having to change to a tram. In France, similar tram-trains are planned for Paris, Mulhouse , and Strasbourg ; further projects exist. In some cases, tram trains use previously abandoned or lightly used heavy rail lines in addition to or instead of still in use mainline tracks. In 2022, Spain opened
6110-743: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) committed to paying 25 percent ($ 290 million) of the extension's estimated $ 1.16 billion final cost, with construction set to begin in 2013. On May 16, the North Carolina Railroad Company, CATS and Norfolk Southern signed lease, construction and operating agreements for the Lynx Blue Line Extension along the North Carolina Railroad Corridor. In July,
6240-874: The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa, Ontario , Canada, the River Line in New Jersey , United States, and the Sprinter in California , United States, which use diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars. Light rail is different from the British English term light railway , long-used to distinguish railway operations carried out under a less rigorous set of regulations using lighter equipment at lower speeds from mainline railways. Light rail
6370-703: The Philadelphia and Western Railroad high-speed third rail line (now the Norristown High-Speed Line ). Such arrangements are almost impossible now, due to the Federal Railroad Administration refusing (for crash safety reasons) to allow non-FRA compliant railcars (i.e., subway and light rail vehicles) to run on the same tracks at the same times as compliant railcars, which includes locomotives and standard railroad passenger and freight equipment. Notable exceptions in
6500-579: The Pineville city limits. The line carries an average of over 27,700 passenger trips every day and offers connections to the CATS' CityLynx Gold Line which opened in 2015. The first phase of the line opened on November 24, 2007 between I-485/South Boulevard and 7th Street . It began operating nearly seventy years after the previous Charlotte streetcar system was dismantled in 1938 in favor of motorized bus transit. An extension from 7th Street, following
6630-723: The President of the United States , the FTA functions through Washington, D.C. headquarters office and ten regional offices which assist transit agencies in all states, the District of Columbia , and the territories. Until 1991, it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration ( UMTA ). Public transportation includes buses , subways , light rail , commuter rail , monorail , passenger ferry boats, trolleys , inclined railways , and people movers . The federal government, through
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#17328015436586760-615: The South End neighborhood was first proposed in a 2018 city plan, and was approved by the city council on September 13, 2021. The station, currently at the pre-planning phase, would be situated between the New Bern and East/West Boulevard stations, and would be constructed with a blend of public and private funding. CATS expects the station to open in 2026. Prior to the opening of the line in November 2007, CATS projected ridership for
6890-530: The medians of roads . If run in streets , trains are usually limited by city block lengths to about four 180-passenger vehicles (720 passengers). Operating on two-minute headways using traffic signal progression, a well-designed two-track system can handle up to 30 trains per hour per track, achieving peak rates of over 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. More advanced systems with separate rights-of-way using moving block signaling can exceed 25,000 passengers per hour per track. Most light rail systems in
7020-407: The $ 101 million in bonds issued by the city council which was to be used to start the project. The cost factor, combined with the inability to obtain the necessary right-of-way for the lines, led to the project's deferral. In March 1990, CATS allotted just $ 14 million for light rail development for the next decade. Once again, construction costs were cited in postponing the project. Additionally, at
7150-571: The $ 8.9 billion slated for transit out of a total of $ 12.7 billion for all transportation projects in the Charlotte Region's Long Range Plan was attributed to rail. In response to these concerns, a coalition labeling itself Stop the Train launched a petition drive to put a repeal of the 1998 transit tax on the November 2007 ballot, citing cost-overruns and concerns over CATS management. Mecklenburg County elected officials announced in June 2007
7280-624: The 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems ( Stadtbahnen ). With the exception of Hamburg , all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks. The concept of a "limited tramway" was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as: The term light rail transit
7410-671: The Charlotte city council approved a change order to increase three contracts by $ 19.5 million and keep the project on schedule; however, city council reported still having $ 170 million in the contingency fund. In September 2015, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that it had issued a $ 180 million loan via the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act for Blue Line construction. According to
7540-628: The FFGA with the FTA. Of the projected $ 1.16 billion cost, the FTA was responsible for $ 580 million; the NCDOT would spend $ 299 million, and CATS $ 281 million. Some property owners along the proposed route later expressed concerns over inadequate compensation for their properties. On July 18, 2013, the official groundbreaking took place near the 9th Street station. Attending the ceremony were Charlotte mayor Patsy Kinsey , UNCC chancellor Philip Dubois, FTA administrator Peter Rogoff and N.C. Governor Pat McCrory ,
7670-538: The FTA gave its approval for CATS to enter the Final Design stage for the Blue Line Extension, which allowed the project to move from the 65 to 100 percent design level, preparation of final construction plans, right-of-way acquisition, construction cost estimates, bid documents and utility relocation. CATS could then enter into a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) with the FTA, at which stage the FTA would commit to provide 50 percent funding. On October 16, CATS signed
7800-505: The FTA, provides financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems. The FTA oversees grants to state and local transit providers, primarily through its ten regional offices. These providers are responsible for managing their programs in accordance with federal requirements, and the FTA is responsible for ensuring that grantees follow federal mandates along with statutory and administrative requirements. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy sent
7930-495: The French city of Bordeaux , the tramway network is powered by a third rail in the city center, where the tracks are not always segregated from pedestrians and cars. The third rail (actually two closely spaced rails) is placed in the middle of the track and divided into eight-metre sections, each of which is powered only while it is completely covered by a tram. This minimizes the risk of a person or animal coming into contact with
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#17328015436588060-544: The Pew Charitable Trust found that highway construction and maintenance requires a 49% subsidy in 2007. UNCC transportation studies professor David Hartgen states that the line does not displace car traffic significantly as about half the ridership consists of prior bus riders. Also, Hartgen dismisses a city report's claims concerning increased land use as a result, stating: "In short, the big winners are about 4,000 prior bus riders, 4,000 commuters living close to
8190-664: The Pineville town council passed a resolution in October 2018 which supported extending the line southwards from the I-485 station to serve the town and the Ballantyne neighborhood . After further study, the Metropolitan Transit Commission formally approved the plan on September 25, 2019, with a bus rapid transit route along I-485 intended to service the Ballantyne area in the short term. As proposed,
8320-505: The UNCC in the northeast; a second was to go to Pineville , with future expansion envisioned to both Fort Mill and Rock Hill to the south, and a third was to connect to Matthews , with future expansion anticipated to Monroe to the southeast. By September 1988, the result of the initial Barton-Aschman Associates study was a 77-mile (123.9 km) system encompassing a loop around Uptown Charlotte and eight separate corridors radiating from
8450-662: The US are the NJ Transit River Line from Camden to Trenton and Austin's Capital MetroRail , which have received exemptions to the provision that light rail operations occur only during daytime hours and Conrail freight service only at night, with several hours separating one operation from the other. The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa also has freight service at certain hours. With its mix of right-of-way types and train control technologies, LRT offers
8580-455: The US as a whole, excluding Seattle, new light rail construction costs average about $ 35 million per mile. By comparison, a freeway lane expansion typically costs $ 1.0 million to $ 8.5 million per lane mile for two directions, with an average of $ 2.3 million. However, freeways are frequently built in suburbs or rural areas, whereas light rail tends to be concentrated in urban areas, where right of way and property acquisition
8710-666: The United States and in North America . In Britain, modern light rail systems began to appear in the 1980s, starting with the Tyne and Wear Metro from 1980 and followed by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London in 1987, continuing into the 1990s including the establishment of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992 and the Sheffield Supertram from 1994. Due to varying definitions, it
8840-590: The United States are limited by demand rather than capacity (by and large, most American LRT systems carry fewer than 4,000 persons per hour per direction), but Boston's and San Francisco's light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour per track during rush hour. Elsewhere in North America, the Calgary C-Train and Monterrey Metro have higher light rail ridership than Boston or San Francisco. Systems outside North America often have much higher passenger volumes. The Manila Light Rail Transit System
8970-472: The United States, "light rail" has become a catch-all term to describe a wide variety of passenger rail systems. Light rail corridors may constitute a fully segregated corridor, a dedicated right-of-way on a street, an on-street corridor shared with other traffic, a corridor shared with other public transport, or a corridor shared with pedestrians. The most difficult distinction to draw is that between low-floor light rail and streetcar or tram systems. There
9100-415: The ability of buses to travel closer to each other than rail vehicles and their ability to overtake each other at designated locations allowing express services to bypass those that have stopped at stations. However, to achieve capacities this high, BRT station footprints need to be significantly larger than a typical LRT station. In terms of cost of operation, each bus vehicle requires a single driver, whereas
9230-504: The adult establishment. Cannon had also consulted about Baucom with the councilman for Baucom's district, Michael Barnes, who subsequently became mayor pro tem of Charlotte. While Barnes said he had contacted the CATS chief executive on Baucom's behalf to see if his business could remain open for longer, the request for an extension had been turned down, as the club had already received extensions to remain open. Barnes said he had "made an inquiry just as I would for any citizen," and apart from
9360-618: The area's population increased 20%. The recent 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, rated Charlotte First In Worst Traffic In North Carolina. A contrary report on the impact of light rail in Sacramento, Baltimore, and St. Louis, indicated that light rail systems had resulted in traffic congestion growing more slowly than before the system was built(from 2.8% annual congestion growth to 1.5%, from 4.5% to 2.2%, and to 0.89% from 0.86% respectively). Further pro-rail arguments emphasize that rail lines were built to areas before development takes place, as
9490-479: The cars undergoing testing during that month. By early 2017, the extension's stations had been completed and most of the track had been laid. On February 27 John Lewis, the CEO of CATS – citing delays in testing new light rail vehicles and completing the remaining electrical work – announced that the extension would not be opened until March 16, 2018, when it opened in its entirety and dropped the name "extension". Although
9620-866: The case of the Disney amusement parks , even a land train . (The usual British term for an aerial tramway is cable car , which in the US usually refers to a ground-level car pulled along by subterranean cables .) The word trolley is often used as a synonym for streetcar in the United States but is usually taken to mean a cart, particularly a shopping cart, in the UK and elsewhere. Many North American transportation planners reserve streetcar for traditional vehicles that operate exclusively in mixed traffic on city streets, while they use light rail to refer to more modern vehicles operating mostly in exclusive rights of way, since they may operate both side-by-side targeted at different passenger groups. The difference between British English and American English terminology arose in
9750-507: The city center, at a total cost of $ 467 million. The corridors envisioned included a route along Albemarle Road to the east, connecting to SouthPark and Matthews to the southeast, Pineville to the south, the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport to the west, UNCC to the northeast, along Brookshire Boulevard to the northwest, and Davidson to the north. The cost of the plan was significantly more than
9880-421: The closure of Glasgow Corporation Tramways (one of the largest in Europe) in 1962. Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in San Francisco and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by Boeing Vertol to introduce a new American light rail vehicle in
10010-405: The completed Blue Line to be 9,100 on an average weekday in its first year of operation, gradually increasing to 18,100 by 2025. In its first few months of operation, the Blue Line saw an average daily weekday ridership of 8,700 passengers. By the end of the first quarter of 2008, weekday ridership had increased to 18,600, double first-year projections and ahead of the 2025 projections. In March 2008,
10140-483: The corridor – later to become the Blue Line – did not commence until 1999. The line was initially to have been a 13.5-mile (21.73 km) route serving as a connection between Uptown Charlotte and Pineville along the Norfolk Southern rail line paralleling South Boulevard, at a cost of $ 225 million. In February 2000, the Metropolitan Transit Commission unanimously approved the corridor and by April $ 8.2 million
10270-416: The corruption probe deepened their doubts about the fairness of the construction process. Other business owners felt the temporary disruptions would be worth it, as the new light-rail line would improve their business. In a statement issued after the new allegations were revealed, Ryan Daniels, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said the corruption probe would not affect federal funding for
10400-402: The day of purchase. Lynx uses a proof-of-payment system, as there are no turnstiles at the entrances to train platforms. Instead, CATS fare inspectors and CATS security conduct random sweeps through trains and occasional checks for tickets as passengers enter and leave trains. If a passenger is caught without evidence of proper fare, a citation of $ 50 is issued in addition to potentially facing
10530-415: The day. This combination of factors limits roads carrying only automobile commuters to a maximum observed capacity of about 3,000 passengers per hour per lane. The problem can be mitigated by introducing high-occupancy vehicle ( HOV ) lanes and ride-sharing programs, but in most cases, policymakers have chosen to add more lanes to the roads, despite a small risk that in unfavorable situations an extension of
10660-755: The direct translation, which is city rail (the Norwegian term, by bane , means the same). However, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead. Light in this context is used in the sense of "intended for light loads and fast movement", rather than referring to physical weight. The infrastructure investment is also usually lighter than would be found for a heavy rail system. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), in its Glossary of Transit Terminology, defines light rail as: ...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in
10790-584: The entire Blue Line averaged 24,333 weekday passenger trips (-7% from previous month or -27% from projected ridership). The original Lynx line was averaging about 15,500 passenger trips before the extension opened. Original projections had the extension adding nearly 18,000 passenger trips in its first year, for a total of about 33,500 trips. As of the fourth quarter of 2020, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has Lynx weekday ridership at 27,700, making Lynx
10920-428: The existing bus network, are as follows: $ 2.20 for a one-way trip, $ 4.40 for a round-trip ticket, $ 6.60 for a one-day pass with unlimited rides, $ 30.8 for a weekly pass, and $ 88 ($ 44 for seniors and ADA) for a monthly pass. There is no fare to kids below 6 with fare-paying rider (limit 3). The first ride on a round trip ticket must be taken within 90 minutes of purchase, while the second trip can be taken at any time during
11050-478: The extension would use three-car trains. By late 2014, only 20 percent of the $ 228 million contingency fund had been used. CATS reported encountering difficulties with relocating underground utilities, but said the project remained on schedule. In the uptown area, initial grading had begun, as well as removal of overhead electrical wires originally installed for the Charlotte Trolley in the 1990s. Along
11180-411: The federal corruption probe revealed Cannon had accepted payments from a local strip club owner, David Baucom, from at least 2009; Baucom's business lay in the path of the light-rail extension and was slated for demolition as a result. Both Baucom and Cannon were members of the city Hospitality and Tourism Board. According to the federal bill of information outlining the charges against Cannon, Cannon, then
11310-782: The first week of February 2008, 41 citations were issued with one arrest in the first day of enhanced enforcement. Due to its success, CATS officials announced that future "blitzes" would target individual stations and not be publicized. As of June 2010, CATS estimates 0.5 percent of daily riders are fare jumpers at a daily loss of $ 300 in revenue. Lynx operates seven days a week. It runs from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 6:15 a.m. to midnight Sunday. On weekdays, frequencies range from 10 minutes during rush hour periods to 20 minutes at night, with weekend daytime service running every 15 minutes on Saturdays and 20 minutes on Sundays, with night service 20–30 minutes. As of 2021, it operates on Sunday schedule, seven days
11440-487: The former mayor of Charlotte and an initial supporter of the Lynx project. By the end of the year work began to shift underground utilities, building retaining walls and initial grading and drainage work. By January 2014, final design work for the extension was over 95 percent complete, costing nearly $ 80 million of a total budget of $ 187 million; the city had also purchased 261 of the 312 properties needed for $ 69.7 million from
11570-458: The late 19th century when Americans adopted the term "street railway", rather than "tramway", with the vehicles being called "streetcars" rather than "trams". Some have suggested that the Americans' preference for the term "street railway" at that time was influenced by German emigrants to the United States (who were more numerous than British immigrants in the industrialized Northeast), as it is
11700-524: The latter is described as light rail. In those places, trams running on mixed rights-of-way are not regarded as a light rail but considered distinctly as streetcars or trams. However, the requirement for saying that a rail line is "separated" can be quite low—sometimes just with concrete "buttons" to discourage automobile drivers from getting onto the tracks. Some systems such as Seattle's Link had on-road mixed sections but were closed to regular road traffic, with light rail vehicles and buses both operating along
11830-462: The light rail concept was the "Shaker Heights Rapid Transit" which started in the 1920s, was renovated in 1980-81 and is now part of RTA Rapid Transit . Many original tram and streetcar systems in the United Kingdom , United States , and elsewhere were decommissioned starting in the 1950s as subsidies for the car increased. Britain abandoned its tram systems, except for Blackpool , with
11960-617: The light-rail extension. "Decisions to fund major transit projects are part of a multiyear, multistep process. Funding decisions are based solely on the merits of the project, which in this case, were determined well before these allegations arose." Other transit in the United States: Light rail Light rail (or light rail transit , abbreviated to LRT ) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology while also having some features from heavy rapid transit . The term
12090-520: The line, and 400 South Carolina drivers." Hartgen's claims of limited benefits are contradicted by the March 2011 report from the Center for Transit Oriented Development which found that the Blue Line generated nearly 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m) of new commercial and residential development along its route, more than comparable lines in Denver and Minneapolis. In March 2014, Mayor Patrick Cannon
12220-426: The official groundbreaking for the line, which was held on February 26, 2005. Due to higher levels of traffic anticipated at a number of the stations along the route, CATS determined that bridges spanning the busiest road crossings would be necessary to prevent further congestion. Installation of concrete girders ranging in size between 89 and 119 feet (27 and 36 m) began at Tyvola station on January 4, 2006, and
12350-465: The old and new systems. Since the 1980s, Portland, Oregon , has built all three types of system: a high-capacity light rail system in dedicated lanes and rights-of-way, a low-capacity streetcar system integrated with street traffic, and an aerial tram system . The opposite phrase heavy rail , used for higher-capacity, higher-speed systems, also avoids some incompatibilities in terminology between British and American English, for instance in comparing
12480-565: The opening of the Blue Line marked a revival of rail transit within the city since the original streetcar network was abandoned in 1938 in favor of motor buses. Originally called the Northeast Corridor, the Blue Line Extension connects end-on with the existing line at the 7th Street station in Uptown Charlotte . The extension serves University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), following
12610-589: The original amount of $ 227 million. Nearly three years after the start of construction, the Lynx Blue Line opened to passengers on November 24, 2007. On the opening weekend of November 24–25, all trips were free, resulting in 24,000 rider trips during the first four hours and 60,000 trips on the first day, well above maximum rated capacity. Revenue service commenced on Monday November 26. The first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina ,
12740-447: The peak direction during rush hour. Federal Transit Administration The Federal Transit Administration ( FTA ) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT . Headed by an Administrator who is appointed by
12870-464: The project would involve upgrading existing stations to accommodate three-car trains, expanding parking facilities at the I-485 station, and constructing five additional stations, tentatively situated at Centrum, Carolina Place Mall , Ballantyne Corporate Park, Johnston, and Community House. The completed extension would be 5.5 mi (8.9 km) long, and is estimated to begin operating in 2041. An additional light rail station to improve service for
13000-592: The provision of good urban transportation, with the properly balanced use of private vehicles and modern mass transport to help shape as well as serve urban growth." President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 into law, which passed the House by a vote of 212-129 and cleared the Senate 52–41, creating the Urban Mass Transportation Administration . The agency
13130-442: The request due to a lack of council support. After remaining dormant for nearly three years, the light rail debate once again emerged as a light rail/mass transit task force was established by new mayor Sue Myrick in early 1988. The task force received $ 185,000 from a combination of local, state and federal sources to conduct an initial study of a system envisioned as three lines radiating from Uptown Charlotte. One line would run to
13260-556: The required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles. Reference speed from major light rail systems, including station stop time, is shown below. However, low top speed is not always a differentiating characteristic between light rail and other systems. For example, the Siemens S70 LRVs used in the Houston METRORail and other North American LRT systems have
13390-473: The required number of signatures had been gathered and validated, guaranteeing a referendum on the transit tax. According to David Hartgen, professor emeritus of Transportation Policy Studies at UNCC, transit would provide a viable means of transportation for just 2–3% of the Charlotte region's travel needs, and 1% of regional travel. This is a similar proportion to most arterial road segments Road transportation advocate Wendell Cox also cited similar concerns of
13520-432: The right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley [pole] or a pantograph ; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps." However, some diesel-powered transit is designated light rail, such as
13650-415: The road network might lead to increased travel times ( Downs–Thomson paradox , Braess's paradox ). By contrast, light rail vehicles can travel in multi-car trains carrying a theoretical ridership up to 20,000 passengers per hour in much narrower rights-of-way , not much more than two car lanes wide for a double track system. They can often be run through existing city streets and parks , or placed in
13780-401: The roads. Typically roadways have 1,900 passenger cars per lane per hour (pcplph). If only cars are allowed, the capacity will be less and will not increase when the traffic volume increases. When there is a bus driving on this route, the capacity of the lane will be higher and will increase when the traffic level increases. And because the capacity of a light rail system is higher than that of
13910-671: The same as the German term for the mode, Straßenbahn (meaning "street railway"). A further difference arose because, while Britain abandoned all of its trams after World War II except in Blackpool , eight major North American cities ( Toronto , Boston , Philadelphia , San Francisco , Pittsburgh , Newark , Cleveland , and New Orleans ) continued to operate large streetcar systems. When these cities upgraded to new technology, they called it light rail to differentiate it from their existing streetcars since some continued to operate both
14040-613: The second phase (from uptown to Old Concord Road) the city had started building retaining walls and laying the foundation for the Old Concord Road station . Several temporary street closures were required, including 16th Street (to February 2015) and 36th Street in NoDa (until 2017). CATS also worked with NCDOT to replace the West Mallard Creek Church Road bridge over North Tryon Street. On June 8, 2015,
14170-576: The single light rail line accounted for 19.5% of total system ridership—402,600 of the 2,061,700 monthly passenger-trips of all lines including bus, dial-a-ride , and vanpool . Daily ridership continued to climb through the fall of 2008 due to increasing gasoline prices , peaking at 22,300 in the third quarter. By summer 2009, a CATS survey indicated that 72 percent of Lynx riders did not use public transportation prior to its completion. On December 11, 2009, Lynx celebrated its 10 millionth passenger trip since its opening in November 2007. For 2009, Lynx saw
14300-647: The southern side of Interstate 485 . Along the Norfolk Southern R-line ROW, the light rail tracks paralleled existing freight lines, and also included a station on the UNCC campus. The decision to end the line at I-485, short of Salome Church Road, was based on an estimated $ 30 million bridge and a projected daily passenger count of only 200 riders. Estimates for the line ranged from $ 928 million to $ 1.12 billion. This included more grade separations than previous estimates, and 300-foot (91 m) platforms to accommodate longer trains. By November 2007,
14430-408: The standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauges also allows light rail vehicles to be conveniently moved around using the same tracks as freight railways. Additionally, wider gauges (e.g. standard gauge) provide more floor clearance on low-floor trams that have constricted pedestrian areas at the wheels, which
14560-551: The system was a success with the public, gaining up to 190,000 passengers per day. Automatic train operation is employed on light rail networks, tracking the position and speed of a train and hence adjusting its movement for safety and efficiency. One line of light rail (requires 7.6 m, 25' right of way) has a theoretical capacity of up to 8 times more than one 3.7 m (12 foot) lane on a freeway, excluding busses, during peak times. Roads have ultimate capacity limits that can be determined by traffic engineering , and usually experience
14690-537: The time the proposal did not anticipate sufficient ridership to allow it to qualify for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants. Instead, the $ 14 million would be used to purchase abandoned rights-of-way for future light rail development as they became available, and to study a proposed line connecting the Wilgrove area in east Mecklenburg County with Tyvola Road south of Uptown Charlotte. In 1998, after nearly fifteen years of debate, Mecklenburg County voters approved
14820-503: The trams, making it safe on city streets. Several systems in Europe and a few recently opened systems in North America use diesel -powered trains. When electric streetcars were introduced in the late 19th century, conduit current collection was one of the first ways of supplying power, but it proved to be much more expensive, complicated, and trouble-prone than overhead wires . When electric street railways became ubiquitous, conduit power
14950-413: The transit tax saw far less support (under $ 13,000) mostly from individuals. Mecklenburg County voters overwhelmingly rejected the repeal of the tax, 70 percent to 30 percent, on November 6, 2007. In the months following opening, the line was averaging 80% over initial ridership projections, leading Light Rail Now to proclaim the line a "huge success". Jim Puckett, former Mecklenburg County Commissioner and
15080-460: The vast majority of light rail systems. This avoids the danger potentially presented by an electrified third rail . The Docklands Light Railway uses an inverted third rail for its electrical power, which allows the electrified rail to be covered and the power drawn from the underside. Trams in Bordeaux , France, use a special third-rail configuration where the power is only switched on beneath
15210-434: The widest range of latitude of any rail system in the design, engineering, and operating practices. The challenge in designing light rail systems is to realize the potential of LRT to provide fast, comfortable service while avoiding the tendency to overdesign that results in excessive capital costs beyond what is necessary to meet the public's needs. The BART railcar in the following chart is not generally considered to be
15340-638: Was allocated for the initial purchase of construction materials. In September Parsons Transportation Group was hired by CATS to complete engineering and environmental studies for the corridor. Cost estimates for the completed line had by then increased to $ 331 million. By July 2002 the overall cost for completing the line had escalated to $ 371 million as a result of increasing land and construction prices. By March 2004, estimates had increased to $ 398.7 million, and were further revised upward to $ 427 million in January 2005. The new estimates were again attributed to rising land and construction costs. These further delayed
15470-589: Was arrested by the FBI on corruption charges. According to the affidavit, he agreed to help undercover agents posing as developers to "time purchases of real property on the Gold Line," and also discussed development opportunities along the Blue Line Extension. He allegedly boasted of having political clout in Washington, which he said he would use to get further funding for the Gold Line. Further allegations filed in
15600-575: Was being sought to extend the existing line to 9th Street to serve the UNCC Uptown Campus . On December 12, 2011, the FTA issued a record of decision for the line, confirming that the preliminary design passed the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act , and allowing final design work to begin. On the same day, an $ 18 million federal grant for the project was also approved. On April 19, 2012,
15730-525: Was chosen in congruence with the big cat theme used by local professional sports teams (the Carolina Panthers and the then- Charlotte Bobcats ). It was also homophonous with "links", suggesting connectivity. By September 2006, estimated completion costs for the Blue Line had increased again, attributed to faulty planning and design by Parsons Transportation Group. By early 2007 revised estimates for completion were $ 462.7 million, more than double
15860-459: Was coined in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA; the precursor to the Federal Transit Administration ) to describe new streetcar transformations that were taking place in Europe and the United States. In Germany, the term Stadtbahn (to be distinguished from S-Bahn , which stands for Stadtschnellbahn ) was used to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt
15990-502: Was coined in 1972 in the United States as an English equivalent for the German word Stadtbahn , meaning "city railway". Different definitions exist in some countries, but in the United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled together, with a lower capacity and speed than a long heavy rail passenger train or rapid transit system. Narrowly defined, light rail transit uses rolling stock that
16120-570: Was completed by February. Along with the Tyvola viaduct, similar installation work took place at Archdale station from April 5 through May 5; at the Woodlawn station from May 10 through May 30; and at Arrowood station from July 13 through July 23. In February 2006, after a year of construction, CATS unveiled "Lynx" as the official name of the light rail network. Lynx was selected from a list of over 250 possibilities, including City Lynx and Xcel, and
16250-431: Was flawed by the report's reliance on a 7% discount rate for capital expenditures on the project, since no money was borrowed for the project (at the local and state level) no interest is paid on its capital costs, thus the report overstated costs by a substantial margin. Criticisms of transit on the grounds of subsidies also overlook the fact that all other modes of transportation are subsidized by non-user fees. For example,
16380-677: Was introduced in North America in 1972 to describe this new concept of rail transportation. Prior to that time the abbreviation "LRT" was used for " Light Rapid Transit " and " Light Rail Rapid Transit ". The first of the new light rail systems in North America began operation in 1978 when the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta , adopted the German Siemens-Duewag U2 system, followed three years later by Calgary, Alberta , and San Diego, California . The concept proved popular, with there now being numerous light rail systems in
16510-464: Was let for the section from Old Concord Road to UNCC; the $ 119 million contract was awarded to Lane Construction on April 14. In the same month A separate contract for $ 130.8 million was awarded to Balfour Beatty to lay rails and install power stations and overhead catenary . The contracts had a total budget of $ 558 million. Because bids were lower than anticipated, CATS restored some previously eliminated items, including additional ticket vending machines,
16640-632: Was the Gross-Lichterfelde tramway in Lichterfelde near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It was built by Werner von Siemens who contacted Pirotsky. It initially drew current from the rails, with overhead wire being installed in 1883. The first interurban to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889. An early example of
16770-558: Was the construction of a light rail line to encourage new businesses and housing along its corridor. In 1984, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission made its first recommendation for a light rail line connecting Uptown Charlotte with the UNCC as part of the community's 2005 Vision Plan. In response, mayor Harvey Gantt sought $ 50,000 from the city council for a feasibility study, only to drop
16900-527: Was used in those cities that did not permit overhead wires. In Europe, it was used in London, Paris, Berlin, Marseille, Budapest, and Prague. In the United States, it was used in parts of New York City and Washington, D.C. Third rail technology was investigated for use on the Gold Coast of Australia for the G:link light rail, though power from overhead lines was ultimately utilized for that system. In
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