STEELE
CREEK NEWS
Charlotte Transit Considers Rapid Transit Route South
of Charlotte-Douglas Airport
(September 7, 2002)
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is developing plans for
rapid transit services along five corridors radiating from central
Charlotte. Staff from CATS and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning
Commission will make recommendations to the Metropolitan Transit
Commission regarding alignments, transit technologies, and station
locations on September 18.
Two alternatives
are being considered within the West Corridor. One route (W-3B) runs
south of the airport along Tyvola Road, Yorkmont Road, and the new
planned alignment of West Boulevard west to Dixie River Road. This
alternative generally would follow the northern edge of the Steele
Creek Community. The other alternate (W-2A) follows Wilkinson
Boulevard north of the airport.
CATS provides the
following description of Alternative W-3B: This alternative would
run from Center City along Morehead Street, then west on Wilkinson
Boulevard, then south along the proposed extension of Clanton Road
to West Boulevard. The alignment would then proceed westward along
West Boulevard to Tyvola Road and then south of the airport along
[Yorkmont Road and] the proposed relocated West Boulevard to just west of I-485. This
alternative would have around 10 stations outside of the Center City
at locations such as Morehead Street/Freedom Drive, West
Boulevard/Clanton Road, and the office complexes near the current
Charlotte Coliseum. This route could be either bus rapid transit or
light rail transit.
The southern route
would service employment rather than residential areas. Considerable
employment exists along the south side of the airport, and this
likely would increase if line W-3B were selected and new facilities
are built to take advantage of the line. Employment areas could be
serviced by shuttle busses running from the rapid transit stations.
Rapid transit
lines will follow dedicated lanes either along the sides or center
of streets. Thus riders will be able to bypass most traffic
congestion. Planners are considering either bus rapid transit or
light rail transit along both of the West Corridor alternatives.
Staff may
recommend adoption of one or both of the West Corridor alternative
routes. They may recommend following the entire routes in the plan
or portions of the routes.
Key dates in the
planning process:
- September 18 -
Staff presents recommendations for routes and transit
technologies to the Metropolitan Transit Commission
- October 2 -
Public Hearing in the Meeting Chamber of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center
- November 20 -
Metropolitan Transit Commission adopts a final plan and schedule
The
Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization also must adopt
the plan and incorporate it in the region's Long Range
Transportation Plan.
For more
information, contact Brad Shultz of CATS at 704-336-3207 or visit
the Transit Planning web page at www.ridetransit.org/planning/index.htm.
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