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Charlotte's Gold Line ­Streetcar Begins Service

Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan spoke at ribbon-cutting ceremonies July 14 in Charlotte, NC, introducing streetcar service on the Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) CityLYNX Gold Line—the first time this mode has operated in the streets of Charlotte in 77 years.

An incident interrupted Gold Line operation shortly after the opening but normal service resumed within two hours, not dampening the enthusiasm of first-day crowds.

Foxx, a former mayor of Charlotte, called the Gold Line “a great addition to Charlotte’s growing transit network, connecting residents and students with work, school and other ladders of opportunity while also stimulating tremendous economic development that creates jobs in the city.” He echoed the administration’s call for Congress to pass a long-term transportation funding bill “to meet the rising demand for more and better transportation choices” like the new streetcar.

In remarks published in DOT’s FastLane blog, McMillan described the Gold Line’s importance as “a new way for people to access healthcare centers, universities, city services and scores of retail establishments” that connects with light rail and bus routes.

She predicted 1.1 million square feet of new development connected to the Gold Line, including 731 new homes and 21,800 square feet of new retail, which could mean a potential annual property tax revenue take of as much as $7 million by 2035.

The part of the CityLYNX Gold Line that opened July 14 is the first 1.5 miles and six stations of a streetcar system that CATS hopes ultimately will cover 10 miles. It is free to riders and operates seven days a week. The second phase of the line, projected to enter service in 2019, will add two miles to the west end of the line and one-half mile to the east end.

The streetcar line has been a part of the Metropolitan Transit Commission’s vision since 2002 and received an FTA Urban Circulator Grant of almost $25 million in 2010. Coupled with a $12 million investment by the city, the project cost $37 million and started ­construction in December 2012.

Crowds board Charlotte's CityLYNX Gold Line on opening day.


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