Answering your questions on the transit plan

Helping you understand Charlotte's transit plan details

Sep 12, 2024

You’re reading Transit Time, a weekly newsletter for Charlotte people who leave the house. Cars, buses, light rail, bikes, scooters … if you use it to get around the city, we write about it. Transit Time is produced in partnership between The Charlotte Ledger and WFAE.

From Independence bus lanes to the structure of a transit authority to Mooresville’s buy-in, we field Transit Time readers’ questions on the ambitious transit plan

The Charlotte region’s new transit plan is a complex topic, with a 29-page piece of draft legislation and plenty of nuances and perspectives.

Today, we’re helping you understand it better.

Our crack team of reporters and editors — Ely Portillo and Steve Harrison of WFAE and Tony Mecia of The Charlotte Ledger — take and answer your transit-plan questions on topics including the effect of tourism, the composition of the proposed transit authority, the view from Mooresville on the Red Line and the future of the road that everyone loves to hate, Independence Boulevard.

The short version of what we are talking about is: Charlotte and most of Mecklenburg’s towns have agreed on a path forward for more transit and roads, to be paid for in large part by a higher sales tax. But the $25 billion plan still needs the approval of legislators in Raleigh and of Mecklenburg voters.

We are committed to helping you understand this complicated topic. The Ledger and WFAE teamed up to launch our free weekly Transit Time newsletter three years ago for just this very moment. It is an important civic issue, and we aim to provide important context and perspectives.

We will keep taking and answering questions. You can submit yours by emailing editor@cltledger.com.

FAQ: To satisfy your transit-plan curiosity, you might check out our recent FAQ on the topic…

➡️ “The basics of Charlotte’s new transit plan”

… as well as our recent coverage since details started emerging:

Revised transit plan would scrap 1/2 of Silver Line, Matthews mayor says (May 30)
“The plan for buses to Matthews faces doubts” (Aug. 15)
“Charlotte scrambles to contain Silver Line blowback” (Aug. 29)
“Transit plan could be a windfall for Mecklenburg’s towns” (Sept. 5)

OK! Now onto the reader questions and answers:

Will Mooresville support — and pay for — the train?

Q. I’m curious if Iredell County is discussing ponying up for some of the costs. Unless the train ends in Davidson, it sounds like Mecklenburg County will be footing the costs of an expensive service that folks in and around Mooresville will benefit from. Is there any info on conversations, if any, that are taking place in Iredell County governmental entities around this issue? — Susan C.

With the ink barely dry on Charlotte’s purchase of the rail line from Norfolk Southern between uptown and the Mecklenburg-Iredell line to the north, it is premature to say whether it will eventually extend into Iredell.

Charlotte’s purchase of the line includes an option to buy the tracks in Iredell County at some point in the future. Those details have yet to be worked out and probably would not be worked out until it is clear this plan is actually happening. It still requires a legislative vote and for Mecklenburg County voters to agree to raise the sales tax to pay for the plans.

But it is an important question, because it seems as though it could be a future point of friction: Leaders in Mooresville are sounding unenthusiastic, and nobody seems to want to be the end of the line because of the massive park-and-ride that would be required, or the development that might come along with that.

Map of Red Line stops from Charlotte gateway station all the way to Mount mourne

Davidson’s leaders are not keen on having the end of the line in Davidson: “Davidson would like to see the end-of-line station in Mount Mourne,” Davidson’s town manager said this week, referring to the Iredell County community just outside Mooresville. “That’s where Lowe’s corporate is. It’s about making line viable and securing federal funding. From planning and logistics, that’s where the end needs to go, as originally planned.”

The draft legislation guarantees Davidson the right to reject being the end of the line for the Red Line.

In addition, Mooresville’s mayor said recently that having the train go to Mooresville is not a priority.

Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney told WBTV:

We will never tax nor take money out of our budget to support rail. … Most of the people who I ask that are pro-train. First thing I ask, I said, ‘OK, you’re OK with pro-development? Because that’s what comes with the train.’ And they’re like, ‘Well, no, I don’t want that.’ So it’s about asking that next question about, ‘Are you OK with all of the things that you get?’ Because the train doesn’t come without a downside.

Speaking of the possibility of having Mooresville be the end of the line, he said:

The end of the line is always a place where people park and ride in. It’s not even about the fact of our citizens, it’s all the counties surrounding us will then come to that endpoint to get on. Whether you go to Atlanta, Miami, anywhere in the country, D.C. — the last stop is the place where you end up with a lot of traffic on your secondary roads coming to that parking lot, and that’s a concern for us.

He did leave the door open a little by saying the town had set aside space for a small station, should the train come someday, but that it is not a current focus.

—

How the new transit authority would work

Q. Will appointed members to the new transit authority be compensated for their time? If so, is there a cap to this compensation to ensure funds are being spent appropriately and adequately on transit measures? With a 27-member board, compensation and reimbursable expenses could quickly add up and hinder the progress on initiatives. Also, how long would a term be for each appointed member? —Sophia T.

The draft legislation doesn’t provide for any compensation, and members of appointed state and local boards are generally not compensated beyond a per diem and reimbursement for any travel expenses they incur. (For example, members of the state’s occupational licensing boards can collect a per diem of up to $100 to cover costs while they’re meeting). Since the transit authority’s board would have to reside “in the territorial jurisdiction of the authority” — i.e., Mecklenburg County, at least at first — they wouldn’t have any travel expenses besides mileage and parking. It’s also possible they’d get a free dinner, like Charlotte City Council does at their 5 p.m. meetings.

Each member would be appointed for a four-year term. Half of the initial appointments (13 or 14) would be for two years, however, to prevent the whole board from rolling off at once after their first term. The people who get those staggered, shortened appointments would be chosen by lots at the initial board meeting. One final limitation: There’s a two-term limit, but board members can be appointed again after serving two terms once they’ve been off the board for two years.

—

Effects of tourism

Q. Much of what I have read has focused on the residents of Mecklenburg County. However, I’m wondering what are the potential impacts on tourism? With the renovations to Bank of America Stadium and success of Charlotte FC, how does the plan consider the growth of tourism to the area? —Sophia T.

While there’s been a lot of talk over the years about the importance of building a truly regional transit system, what’s proposed so far is mostly Mecklenburg-centric. Whereas a few years ago, planners were discussing how to run the Red Line to Iredell County, the Silver Line to Gaston and Union counties, and even extending Charlotte’s light rail to Rock Hill, S.C., those plans are on the shelf right now. The transit authority would cover only Mecklenburg County. It could be expanded to any contiguous North Carolina county (with the consent of 75% of that county’s commissioners), and that county would have to spell out its “financial, legal, or operational commitments” to the authority. Extending the transit lines into contiguous counties would likely require them to raise their own sales taxes to cover those costs (for example, Mecklenburg won’t pay for a train station for the Red Line in Iredell).

So what does all that mean for tourism? If you define tourism to include people coming from, say, Weddington to uptown to go to a Panthers game, probably not much. Some of them might take the Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit, but it’s hard to see that driving a big surge in the overall number of visitors. Think about South End: The effect has been largely to spur redevelopment along the Blue Line, rather than a huge number of new visitors to uptown stadiums, restaurants and bars.

Would tourists be attracted to Charlotte if the transit plan goes through, as depicted in this AI-generated photo illustration? That seems unlikely.

Probably the most significant long-distance travel-related facet of the city’s transit plans would be the Silver Line light rail west to the airport. Much ink has been spilled over whether the plan to build the airport station about a mile from the terminal (connected by a people-mover or bus), instead of putting a stop directly at the airport, will benefit fliers. So while people will have a couple more options to get into central Charlotte, including from the airport, this plan isn’t predicated on growing the number of tourists.

—

Bus rapid transit on Independence

Q. I still don’t understand the logic behind a dedicated rapid bus lane on Independence Boulevard, when that road is already congested and a nightmare to navigate. —Gus Sanchez

According to Charlotte officials, the idea would not involve taking existing lanes from Independence and converting them to bus-only rapid transit lanes — which would make it more of a “nightmare” for drivers. Instead, the idea would be to run the bus on additional lanes next to the existing lanes of traffic.

Officials don’t have specifics yet on bus rapid transit between uptown and Matthews, but the original corridor of the light rail called for going along Independence then cutting over to Monroe Road near Idlewild Road (by East Mecklenburg High).

Because the plan is not expected to generate enough money for all of the transit projects originally envisioned, buses are expected to replace rail in that corridor. But it would still likely be expensive because of land acquisition and building additional lanes.

Would bus rapid transit on Independence Boulevard cause drivers to be angry as depicted here (poorly, by ChatGPT)? It seems unlikely, because the buses would probably operate on the side of the street in a new lane, not in existing lanes.

Q. Did Independence used to have its own bus lane? Was there a Matthews Express bus years ago? (Is there still?) —Molly Putnam

It did yes, and it recently reopened. The Charlotte Area Transit System has used the center lanes on Independence for years for its buses, but it had to close the lanes when the city rebuilt the Hawthorne Lane bridge for the Gold Line streetcar.

There is an express bus to Matthews: the 64x. It has five morning departures to uptown. There is also the 74x, which is an express bus to Union County.

—

What questions do you have? Send us an email or leave them in the comments, like this guy:

A person sitting on a light rail train, composing a question on their smartphone. The individual is concentrating on their phone, typing calmly while seated. The light rail car features modern interiors with clean, comfortable seats and large windows. Through the windows, the Charlotte, NC skyline can be seen, including iconic buildings like the Bank of America Corporate Center and Duke Energy Tower. It's a sunny day, with clear skies, and the urban landscape is clearly visible in the background, providing a peaceful, modern urban setting.

Asking a question about the transit plan is as easy as sending an email from your phone.

Keep the questions coming, either in the comments or by email (to editor@cltledger.com)

The Charlotte Ledger