The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Opened in 2007, it was the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System, and the first major rapid rail service of any kind in the state. The 26-station, line extends from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in University City through NoDa, Uptown, and South End, then runs along South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at the Pineville city limits. The line averages over 27,700 passenger trips every day and offers connections to the CATS CityLynx Gold Line which opened in 2015.
The first phase of the line opened on November 24, 2007 Available at Red Orbit between I-485/South Boulevard and 7th Street. It began operating nearly seventy years after the previous Charlotte streetcar system was dismantled in 1938 in favor of motorized bus transit. An extension from 7th Street, following a northeast path along the existing Norfolk Southern right-of-way along both North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street, to University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) opened on March 16, 2018.
History
By the mid-1980s, city and county planners were evaluating strategies to both control and focus the region's growing population and expanding development. One strategy considered was the construction of a light rail line to encourage new businesses and housing along its corridor. In 1984, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission made its first recommendation for a light rail line connecting Uptown Charlotte with the UNCC as part of the community's 2005 Vision Plan. In response, mayor Harvey Gantt sought $50,000 from the city council for a feasibility study, only to drop the request due to a lack of council support.
After remaining dormant for nearly three years, the light rail debate once again emerged as a light rail/mass transit task force was established by new mayor Sue Myrick in early 1988. The task force received $185,000 from a combination of local, state and federal sources to conduct an initial study of a system envisioned as three lines radiating from Uptown Charlotte. One line would run to the UNCC in the northeast; a second was to go to Pineville, with future expansion envisioned to both Fort Mill and Rock Hill to the south, and a third was to connect to Matthews, with future expansion anticipated to Monroe to the southeast.
By September 1988, the result of the initial Barton-Aschman Associates study was a system encompassing a loop around Uptown Charlotte and eight separate corridors radiating from the city center, at a total cost of $467 million. The corridors envisioned included a route along Albemarle Road to the east, connecting to SouthPark and Matthews to the southeast, Pineville to the south, the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport to the west, UNCC to the northeast, along Brookshire Boulevard to the northwest, and Davidson to the north. The cost of the plan was significantly more than the $101 million in bonds issued by the city council which was to be used to start the project. The cost factor, combined with the inability to obtain the necessary right-of-way for the lines, led to the project's deferral.
In March 1990, CATS allotted just $14 million for light rail development for the next decade. Once again, construction costs were cited in postponing the project. Additionally, at the time the proposal did not anticipate sufficient ridership to allow it to qualify for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants. Instead, the $14 million would be used to purchase abandoned rights-of-way for future light rail development as they became available, and to study a proposed line connecting the Wilgrove area in east Mecklenburg County with Tyvola Road south of Uptown Charlotte. In 1998, after nearly fifteen years of debate, Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-half cent sales tax toward implementing the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan, which included construction of a light rail network. Once the tax was approved, Charlotte was able to receive matching funds from FTA grants for financing construction, and planning for the South Corridor to Pineville commenced.
Planning and construction
Although light rail had been envisioned to connect Charlotte and Rock Hill in previous years, official planning for the corridor – later to become the Blue Line – did not commence until 1999. The line was initially to have been a route serving as a connection between Uptown Charlotte and Pineville along the Norfolk Southern rail line paralleling South Boulevard, at a cost of $225 million. In February 2000, the Metropolitan Transit Commission unanimously approved the corridor and by April $8.2 million was allocated for the initial purchase of construction materials. In September Parsons Transportation Group was hired by CATS to complete engineering and environmental studies for the corridor. Cost estimates for the completed line had by then increased to $331 million.
By July 2002 the overall cost for completing the line had escalated to $371 million as a result of increasing land and construction prices. By March 2004, estimates had increased to $398.7 million, and were further revised upward to $427 million in January 2005. The new estimates were again attributed to rising land and construction costs. These further delayed the official groundbreaking for the line, which was held on February 26, 2005.
Due to higher levels of traffic anticipated at a number of the stations along the route, CATS determined that bridges spanning the busiest road crossings would be necessary to prevent further congestion. Installation of concrete girders ranging in size between began at Tyvola station on January 4, 2006, and was completed by February. Along with the Tyvola viaduct, similar installation work took place at Archdale station from April 5 through May 5; at the Woodlawn station from May 10 through May 30; and at Arrowood station from July 13 through July 23. In February 2006, after a year of construction, CATS unveiled "Lynx" as the official name of the light rail network. Lynx was selected from a list of over 250 possibilities, including City Lynx and Xcel, and was chosen in congruence with the big cat theme used by local professional sports teams (the Carolina Panthers and the then-Charlotte Bobcats). It was also homophonous with "links", suggesting connectivity. By September 2006, estimated completion costs for the Blue Line had increased again, attributed to faulty planning and design by Parsons Transportation Group. By early 2007 revised estimates for completion were $462.7 million, more than double the original amount of $227 million.
Commencement of service Nearly three years after the start of construction, the Lynx Blue Line opened to passengers on November 24, 2007. On the opening weekend of November 24–25, all trips were free, resulting in 24,000 rider trips during the first four hours and 60,000 trips on the first day, well above maximum rated capacity. Revenue service commenced on Monday November 26. The first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina, the opening of the Blue Line marked a revival of rail transit within the city since the original streetcar network was abandoned in 1938 in favor of motor buses.
University City extension Originally called the Northeast Corridor, the Blue Line Extension connects end-on with the existing line at the 7th Street station in Uptown Charlotte. The extension serves University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), following a northeast path along an existing railway right-of-way along both North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street. It is long with 11 stations, and cost $1.159 billion ($580 million federal funding plus $299 million state and $280 million local matches). The extension opened seven months late"Blue Line Home Page""Project Overview" on March 16, 2018, in time for the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
Planning (1985–2011)
The possibility of developing a light rail line between UNCC and Uptown via Newell was initially evaluated in 1985. The route was proposed for the then Southern Railway tracks, running parallel to both North Tryon Street and Old Concord Road, and was slated for completion at some point between 1995 and 2000. After years of discussion and delays, the proposed route was chosen in June 2006.
The selected route followed the existing Norfolk Southern right-of-way from Uptown to approximately Sugar Creek Road where it paralleled North Tryon Street to its terminus on the southern side of Interstate 485. Along the Norfolk Southern R-line ROW, the light rail tracks paralleled existing freight lines, and also included a station on the UNCC campus. The decision to end the line at I-485, short of Salome Church Road, was based on an estimated $30 million bridge and a projected daily passenger count of only 200 riders. Estimates for the line ranged from $928 million to $1.12 billion. This included more grade separations than previous estimates, and platforms to accommodate longer trains.LYNX Transitions Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2009
By November 2007, the Federal Transit Administration had approved preliminary engineering work on the corridor, and in January 2008 the Charlotte City Council approved funding, with work to commence by March 2008. The $30 million engineering study was expected to be complete by 2010, at which time the FTA would determine if federal funding was available for half of the project's construction. In July 2010, CATS announced that funding was being sought to extend the existing line to 9th Street to serve the UNCC Uptown Campus.
Design (2011–2013) On December 12, 2011, the FTA issued a record of decision for the line, confirming that the preliminary design passed the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, and allowing final design work to begin. On the same day, an $18 million federal grant for the project was also approved.
On April 19, 2012, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) committed to paying 25 percent ($290 million) of the extension's estimated $1.16 billion final cost, with construction set to begin in 2013."State commits to funding Lynx Blue Line Extension to UNCC On May 16, the North Carolina Railroad Company, CATS and Norfolk Southern signed lease, construction and operating agreements for the Lynx Blue Line Extension along the North Carolina Railroad Corridor."Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Light Rail Project Reaches Milestone With North Carolina Railroad Agreement"
In July, the FTA gave its approval for CATS to enter the Final Design stage for the Blue Line Extension, which allowed the project to move from the 65 to 100 percent design level, preparation of final construction plans, right-of-way acquisition, construction cost estimates, bid documents and utility relocation. CATS could then enter into a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) with the FTA, at which stage the FTA would commit to provide 50 percent funding."CATS Receives Green Light for Blue Line Extension to Enter Final Design " On October 16, CATS signed the FFGA with the FTA. Of the projected $1.16 billion cost, the FTA was responsible for $580 million; the NCDOT would spend $299 million, and CATS $281 million. Some property owners along the proposed route later expressed concerns over inadequate compensation for their properties.
Construction (2013–2018) On July 18, 2013, the official groundbreaking took place near the 9th Street station. Attending the ceremony were Charlotte mayor Patsy Kinsey, UNCC chancellor Philip Dubois, FTA administrator Peter Rogoff and N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, the former mayor of Charlotte and an initial supporter of the Lynx project. By the end of the year work began to shift underground utilities, building retaining walls and initial grading and drainage work.