Decision time: Where will Charlotte’s next light rail take us? (Axios)
Tuesday night, the board for Charlotte Area Transit System will discuss the route for the Silver Line. It’s a decision that will shape the future of the city.
Why it matters: Just look at what happened with the Blue Line. The light rail sparked a transformation of its corridor, reshaping warehouses into busy breweries and attracting tower developers. The Silver Line is expected to draw the same kind of economic development that will create jobs — and then move people to those jobs.
“Outside of the Gateway Station, I don’t think there’s going to be another transit investment that’s going to have a broader impact on Center City Charlotte,” says Michael Smith, CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners.
Sustain Charlotte is in favor of the Gold Line “but only if it has a dedicated right of way through Uptown,” the organization’s founder Shannon Binns tells Axios.
“It would put the line in the center of Uptown, closer to jobs and other destinations, and intersect with the CTC as well as Gateway station thus being more useful to more people.”