City of Charlotte, NC Services, 4 Mar 2014

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From YouTube: CATS LYNX Blue Line Extension

Description

Get ready to hop on the light rail extension that will take you to Charlotte's University City. CATS is moving forward with the construction of the 1.16 billion dollar LYNX Blue Line Extension. This 9.3 mile extension adds 11 stations and four park and rides to the current LYNX Blue Line. It connects you to jobs, education, entertainment opportunities and more. It's scheduled to open in 2017.
For more info:
http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/Pages/default.aspx
https://twitter.com/CATSRideTransit
https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteAreaTransitSystem

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The Charlotte area, transit system or cats in the City of Charlotte opened the links blue line in november two thousand seven. The links blue line is the first light rail line in north carolina. This 9.6, my love line, meant operates from I 485 at south boulevard to Uptown Charlotte, with 15 stations, 7 park and rides, and a congestion free commute with a consistent travel time. The links blue line has been highly successful. The project has been recognized nationally and internationally for its design operations, safety, ridership and transit-oriented development.

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Now cats is moving forward with the construction of the one point. 16 billion dollar links blue line extension. This project is not just bringing rail to Charlotte's university city. It's bringing commuters to a new choice. The blue line extension connects educational opportunities, the arts, jobs conventions, businesses and more this nine point. Three mile extension adds 11 stations and four parkin rides to the current links blue line. The project begins where the existing blue line ends at seventh street station by imagine on, and the seventh Street public market.

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The first station is at ninth Street, located adjacent to the UNC Charlotte Center City campus sidewalks connect pedestrians between ninth and twelfth streets from the ninth Street Station. The alignment passes under the existing eleventh Street and I 277 bridges and crosses twelfth Street. It then bridges over the existing CSX tracks and follows along the North Carolina railroad corridor to sixteenth Street after crossing sixteenth Street.

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The line moves on to the Parkwood station at the intersection of parkwood avenue and north brevard street near the neighborhoods of belmont optimist park and villa heights between 22nd and 23rd streets is the entrance to the projects north yard facility constructed on part of the existing Norfolk Southern intermodal yard. This facility will provide train dispatch, a cleaning area an overnight train storage. The next station is at twenty fifth Street near little sugar creek new sidewalks during the twenty fifth Street and parkwood stations.

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The blue line extension passes under the existing Matheson avenue bridge and then it's on to 36, Street, Station and Charlotte's historic North, Davidson, also known as moda the station and no tub rings riders to one of the liveliest art districts in the city, home of unique restaurants, art galleries and music venues in this area. The links blue line extension construction lowers vehicle traffic on 36 Street to travel under the existing freight tracks and the new light rail tracks. The station platform is partially located on a bridge structure crossing the street below from 36 Street.

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The light rail line heads to the Sugar Creek station on the way to the Sugar Creek Station, the project parallels a portion of north davidson street and then bridges over the freight tracks at craighead road. The Sugar Creek Station, is the first park and ride on the blue line. Extension parking accommodates 600 to 700 spaces immediately north of the Sugar Creek Station. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is designing a grade separation project for sugar creek road to bridge over the railroad corridor.

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Cats and NCDOT are working together to coordinate the road and the light rail construction. The blue line extension continues along the North Carolina railroad parter and passes under the newly lengthened Eastway drive bridge. The next station is the old concord road station the park and ride for this station provides approximately 300 spaces. The station and park are accessible from both old harford road and north tryon street.

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After leaving the station, the blue line extension bridges over the intersection of North Tryon Street, an old concord road and into the noon North Tryon Street median the light rail project widens north tryon street for the next four miles, building a median, improving the north and southbound travel lanes and providing bike lanes. Planting strips and sidewalks the light rail runs. The newly constructed medium separated from the vehicle traffic lanes for new traffic signals are added to north tryon street, between old concord, road and tom hunter road, similar to the South Corridor. The blue line.

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Extension construction includes light rail bridges at major intersections, such as old concord road. I 85 connector university city boulevard and WT harris boulevard to minimize traffic impacts for roadway vehicles. Next, on the alignment is the tom hunter station serving the Hidden Valley and Newell South neighborhoods.

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Here riders will see artwork created by neighborhood children incorporated into the station design traveling further north east, the line bridges over the existing North Tryon I 85 connector and reaches the university city boulevard station, the largest of the four Park and Ride lots with 1500 parking spaces commuters can enter the university city boulevard parking garage from North Tryon Street via a new street that provides a convenient connection to City, Boulevard and I-85.

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After the university city boulevard intersection, we reach McCullough station the light rail, then bridges over WT harris boulevard and heads to the JW Clay Boulevard station, which includes a parking garage on the northwest corner of North Tryon Street and JW Clay Boulevard before 25 levels of parking accommodates 600 to 800 vehicles, as the train leaves the station. The alignment continues in the median of North Tryon.

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After passing the intersection at institute circle, the rail line gradually descends under the northbound lanes of North Tryon and enters the UNC Charlotte campus, the line bridges over Toby Creek and heads to the UNC Charlotte station. The last stop on the line the station is located on the campus across from Wallace hall dormitory and near the Student Union, scheduled to open in 2017. The links blue line extension generates economic growth. Connects communities, provides commuting choices and supports the development of pedestrian friendly urban neighborhoods, with a mixture of land uses.