Your article is spot on. CTS is a total mess. The biggest enemy of support for expansion of rail is the failure of the streetcar to gain any ridership even at NO FARE. Nobody understands why that was ever a good idea. The streetcar is slower than car travel, the doors open and nobody gets off and nobody gets on on many stops along the way. $200 million is just the cost of building it, its a deep hole annually in operating costs. Hopefully, it will continue to stimulate some development (as the light rail certainly did way beyond expectations). We are going to need the property tax revenue to offset this disaster. Thank you Anthony Foxx and City Council.
I hope this is a blessing in disguise. Charlotte is not built out for Rails, we don't have a nice grid, also rail constructions could never keep up with the here and now of our populaiton increases. We are a city made for cars. Bus Rapid Transit is the way to go, let's humble ourselves and do a practical, flexible and economic alternative to costly and inflexible rail systems. We just have to find a way to destigmatize riding the bus. Proper planning and Transit Oriented Development along BRT lines may help that.
Your article is spot on. CTS is a total mess. The biggest enemy of support for expansion of rail is the failure of the streetcar to gain any ridership even at NO FARE. Nobody understands why that was ever a good idea. The streetcar is slower than car travel, the doors open and nobody gets off and nobody gets on on many stops along the way. $200 million is just the cost of building it, its a deep hole annually in operating costs. Hopefully, it will continue to stimulate some development (as the light rail certainly did way beyond expectations). We are going to need the property tax revenue to offset this disaster. Thank you Anthony Foxx and City Council.
I hope this is a blessing in disguise. Charlotte is not built out for Rails, we don't have a nice grid, also rail constructions could never keep up with the here and now of our populaiton increases. We are a city made for cars. Bus Rapid Transit is the way to go, let's humble ourselves and do a practical, flexible and economic alternative to costly and inflexible rail systems. We just have to find a way to destigmatize riding the bus. Proper planning and Transit Oriented Development along BRT lines may help that.