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 among The Charlotte Ledger
Ok, its not sexy, but spending a fraction of the red line rail money to build out direct ramps and stations using the toll lanes on 77 is the practical and effective solution up here. Direct access via ramps and frequent service would likely be a winner.... IF we continue to have increased employment concentration uptown.
That said, Without considering cost or a recalcitrant norfolk southern, of course a redline hydrorail would be a boon- imagine the benefit to existing centers of the northern towns and greenfield developments between them.
When my wife and I moved to Davidson in 1997, we rode the DMU demonstration rail used to sell the initial sales tax. It was very very nice- 24 years later, if installed, that same technology would be a huge winner. But somehow I dont have high expectations. A pity. The under utilized railline is just a screaming waste just sitting there.....
We in the northern towns were sold a bill of goods when Charlotte pitched a northern train and again when it had its way with the toll lanes. Now, P.T. Barnum reincarnated is at it again. Will some of us be gullible once more? Great story, by the way. The Ledger is doing a super job of informing the people of Mecklenburg County on a wide range of subjects.
Yeah, I understand the view of folks who question why we didn't just add a couple of lanes that were "free lanes". Seeing multi lane freeways in more remote corners of our state can cause some headscratching.
On the other hand, I also understand the longer view that toll lanes offer other benefits- a method to manage mobility and incidentally a freely moving transit access. If you carpool or ride the bus I bet you think it rocks.
I'm not so set in my thinking that I deny the possibility that the toll lanes may pan out to be a better long term option- say 10 years from now.
Maybe it won't.
I do enjoy knowing that I can go to sleep knowing that I don't have to leave 5 hrs ahead to get to the airport.
Please dear readers, don't go ballistic on me. I know emotions run deep on this one. I'm just willing to give it some time before I judge. If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us a) be prepared for things to change. B) give Grace to those who are sticking their neck out trying to do their best to help others c) be humble.
The point is: Not only have WE IN THE NORTH been paying for everybody else’s goodies for a couple of decades now, but we were deceived and the same old attempts at deception continue. More than anything, I hate being treated like a complete idiot.
I think E-bikes, complete streets, and a more reliable accessible and expansive public transportation system are the keys to improving Charlotte's traffic woes. Active transportation has been shown to improve health and wellness and a city that encourages walking and biking will be a healthier and more thriving city. A city is a place for people, so we should design it for people first and foremost, not cars (self driving or not).
On self driving cars: I agree with Shannon Binns. Self driving cars could help fill in gaps in public transportation and bike/ped infrastructure, but a car takes up way too much space and uses way too many resources for a city environment for this to drive policy decisions. Not to mention they do nothing to help people feel comfortable and safe biking and walking.
Boring Company Tunnels: Musks's tunnels seem to be mostly promises without much to deliver. The Las Vegas "loop" system cost over $50 million for less than a one mile distance (two 0.8 mile tunnels). That's a far cry from $10 million a mile. Not to mention, it's just an underground road with basically zero safety infrastructure or transit infrastructure. His tunnels aren't this amazing 21st century technology... they're just kind of small tunnels. We've been digging tunnels for hundreds of years so in a sense the boring company is the 100-year-ago technology. Putting RGB lighting on a horse drawn carriage doesn't make it a 21st century technology. The biggest costs of tunneling is the stations and emergency/safety systems. I'm supportive of looking into tunneling in conjunction with some type of rail as a solution, but having an underground Uber loop is not progress.
Hydrail: It's a good idea in practice, but currently most hydrogen is produced as a byproduct of making natural gas, so it's not really a clean fuel. It can be made using clean methods, but it's far more expensive to do so. So while it's a possibility, the production for that fuel would improve for it to really be a green solution.
Flying Cars: I for one do not really want to live in a future where Charlotte's traffic issues leave the street and go to the air. Besides the obvious issues of how you manage traffic in the air without everyone becoming airline pilots or trusting yet-unproven automation, I would like to be able to enjoy the skyline and the sky without drones and flying cars clogging up the view. Add to that, the energy/resource usage of cars is already incredibly high per passenger and current cars don't have to fight gravity 100% of the time.
Councilman Tariq Bokhari is right. Why would we build an $8B (likely a lot more) fixed rail project, estimated completion date 2040, when it will be immediately, laughably outdated. For that kind of money, it would pay to take some futuristic, calculated risks. I admire the Councilman for his foresight. Let's hope the rest of Charlotte's leadership choose to lead instead of follow other, less creative cities.
OK, who has ideas on what kind of technology would revolutionize transit/transportation in Charlotte? Let's hear 'em!
Ok, its not sexy, but spending a fraction of the red line rail money to build out direct ramps and stations using the toll lanes on 77 is the practical and effective solution up here. Direct access via ramps and frequent service would likely be a winner.... IF we continue to have increased employment concentration uptown.
That said, Without considering cost or a recalcitrant norfolk southern, of course a redline hydrorail would be a boon- imagine the benefit to existing centers of the northern towns and greenfield developments between them.
When my wife and I moved to Davidson in 1997, we rode the DMU demonstration rail used to sell the initial sales tax. It was very very nice- 24 years later, if installed, that same technology would be a huge winner. But somehow I dont have high expectations. A pity. The under utilized railline is just a screaming waste just sitting there.....
We in the northern towns were sold a bill of goods when Charlotte pitched a northern train and again when it had its way with the toll lanes. Now, P.T. Barnum reincarnated is at it again. Will some of us be gullible once more? Great story, by the way. The Ledger is doing a super job of informing the people of Mecklenburg County on a wide range of subjects.
Yeah, I understand the view of folks who question why we didn't just add a couple of lanes that were "free lanes". Seeing multi lane freeways in more remote corners of our state can cause some headscratching.
On the other hand, I also understand the longer view that toll lanes offer other benefits- a method to manage mobility and incidentally a freely moving transit access. If you carpool or ride the bus I bet you think it rocks.
I'm not so set in my thinking that I deny the possibility that the toll lanes may pan out to be a better long term option- say 10 years from now.
Maybe it won't.
I do enjoy knowing that I can go to sleep knowing that I don't have to leave 5 hrs ahead to get to the airport.
Please dear readers, don't go ballistic on me. I know emotions run deep on this one. I'm just willing to give it some time before I judge. If the pandemic taught us anything, it taught us a) be prepared for things to change. B) give Grace to those who are sticking their neck out trying to do their best to help others c) be humble.
The point is: Not only have WE IN THE NORTH been paying for everybody else’s goodies for a couple of decades now, but we were deceived and the same old attempts at deception continue. More than anything, I hate being treated like a complete idiot.
I think E-bikes, complete streets, and a more reliable accessible and expansive public transportation system are the keys to improving Charlotte's traffic woes. Active transportation has been shown to improve health and wellness and a city that encourages walking and biking will be a healthier and more thriving city. A city is a place for people, so we should design it for people first and foremost, not cars (self driving or not).
On self driving cars: I agree with Shannon Binns. Self driving cars could help fill in gaps in public transportation and bike/ped infrastructure, but a car takes up way too much space and uses way too many resources for a city environment for this to drive policy decisions. Not to mention they do nothing to help people feel comfortable and safe biking and walking.
Boring Company Tunnels: Musks's tunnels seem to be mostly promises without much to deliver. The Las Vegas "loop" system cost over $50 million for less than a one mile distance (two 0.8 mile tunnels). That's a far cry from $10 million a mile. Not to mention, it's just an underground road with basically zero safety infrastructure or transit infrastructure. His tunnels aren't this amazing 21st century technology... they're just kind of small tunnels. We've been digging tunnels for hundreds of years so in a sense the boring company is the 100-year-ago technology. Putting RGB lighting on a horse drawn carriage doesn't make it a 21st century technology. The biggest costs of tunneling is the stations and emergency/safety systems. I'm supportive of looking into tunneling in conjunction with some type of rail as a solution, but having an underground Uber loop is not progress.
Hydrail: It's a good idea in practice, but currently most hydrogen is produced as a byproduct of making natural gas, so it's not really a clean fuel. It can be made using clean methods, but it's far more expensive to do so. So while it's a possibility, the production for that fuel would improve for it to really be a green solution.
Flying Cars: I for one do not really want to live in a future where Charlotte's traffic issues leave the street and go to the air. Besides the obvious issues of how you manage traffic in the air without everyone becoming airline pilots or trusting yet-unproven automation, I would like to be able to enjoy the skyline and the sky without drones and flying cars clogging up the view. Add to that, the energy/resource usage of cars is already incredibly high per passenger and current cars don't have to fight gravity 100% of the time.
Councilman Tariq Bokhari is right. Why would we build an $8B (likely a lot more) fixed rail project, estimated completion date 2040, when it will be immediately, laughably outdated. For that kind of money, it would pay to take some futuristic, calculated risks. I admire the Councilman for his foresight. Let's hope the rest of Charlotte's leadership choose to lead instead of follow other, less creative cities.
Following seems to be the one thing at which the majority of Charlotte’s leadership excels.