Extending the light rail directly to the airport (not any BS where you have to take a shuttle, have the station within easy walking distance of the terminal and the rental car facility) would be the best investment they could make.
When I go visit my son in DC. I cannot express the convenience of flying into Reagan and catching the metro right next to the terminal.
Just make it happen Charlotte!! Whatās your malfunction???
clt says light rail to airport is dumb
monorail to airport is brilliant
Hell, could say the same for the train station. Hereās to hoping Gateway station (originally planned to be open 2025) doesnāt take another 20 years.
If I recall they wanted to keep light rail on the 74 corridor so that airport development and redevelopment would not impact future light rail service through to Gaston county. As long as the airport runs their intermodal train to the light rail station I donāt see too big an issue, but you are right would be nice if it was a stop just at the terminal. Imagine the potential cost there though would be very high as it likely would have to go below ground.
Fwiw it took about 30 years from the time they discussed connecting to Dulles to actually doing it.
It will probably end up being an intramodal short line to a station on 74 but I hope they can just reroute the mainline to the airport and back.
It will cost a lot.
But these investments have huge lifetimes (forever if properly maintained).
The Dallas situation was so dumb.
Why does a city that big take so long?
Same thing with LaGuardia.
When did New York stop expanding and investing in their subway system for such obvious improvements? My guess is there was political shenanigans. There should have been the subway at LaGuardia like forever ago.
clt says getting to LGA sucks!
A lot of the metro delay was getting all the surrounding cities and municipalities to kick in. Same reason why the line stop on campus at and 485 south instead of going where it should.
Where was it supposed to go on the south section?
Pineville.
Like downtown Pineville? That would have been cool.
I think it would have basically continued down south blvd (Polk street after you cross over 485) and then went left and stopped at carolina place mall. Iām sure there would have been a stop at or near Polk and 51, which is basically downtown pineville. Just a 1-2 block walk.
$195 and you can be there from Manhattan in no time.
Would be cool. Hopefully still to happen.
Just takes money. For Charlotte transit to really be what it needs to be all the surrounding areas have to buy in and contribute. Until they happens itās gonna be tough.
Most major cities have regional transportation agencies. Ours is Charlotte only and concord and kannapolis have a joint system. Rock hill has a small bus system with 5 routes. Gastonia might have one as well? Iām not sure if anyone else does.
I feel like it would be better off if all the surrounding counties collaborated.
The light rail was going to continue to Pineville running parallel to the train tracks through Pineville into South Carolina. The light rail tracks would have required the demolition of Pinevilleās cute little downtown to the west of highway 51 and South Blvd.
Pineville refused to cooperate with the destruction of its only unique section.
We may have autonomous electric robo taxis before the Silver line is built out. Iām not convinced spending billions of dollars on light rail makes sense considering how few people ride the existing line and how poorly CATS has maintained the infrastructure.
There is a limit to road capacity. I know from the gaston county side of things - we wonāt be able to build bridges big enough. 85 and 74 are already at capacity and we are years from new bridges being built.
First Iāve ever heard of that, and makes no sense because there is tons of room even today to run parallel to the train tracks through pineville without disrupting the original downtown.
The reasoning Iāve always heard was Pineville had concerns about crime coming into the city, because everyone knows when you steal youāre going to to wait at the train station for your getaway.
Pineville town council knows they fucked up which is why theyāve been vocal about wanting to be included on expansion plans thatāll probably never happen.
clt says people break into homes and steal tvs then take the light rail home