Second phase of Charlotte streetcar project breaks ground

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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Dignitaries participated in a ceremonial rail spiking to mark the groundbreaking of the second phase of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar project in Charlotte on Jan. 14, 2017.
Charlotte Area Transit System

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined local dignitaries participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2 project in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 14.

The Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) second phase of the CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar system that will improve transit options in the greater Charlotte area and offer faster, more convenient access to downtown by extending streetcar service west two miles from the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) through Uptown Charlotte and the Historic West End neighborhoods to French Street. At the other end of the line, the project will extend service east one-half mile along Hawthorne Lane from Novant Presbyterian Hospital to Sunnyside Avenue.

“The Charlotte Streetcar investment comes at a critical time for Charlotte,” said Secretary Foxx. “As the community seeks to reconnect areas of the city, expand job creation into historically underserved areas and bring the entire city together, this project has the potential to do so. This project can be more than a transportation asset; it can be a community builder.”

The 2.5-mile project, with a total cost of $150 million, will add 11 stops and replace the existing replica Gomaco vehicles with six S70 Siemens modern streetcars with hybrid technology. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is contributing $75 million in funding to CATS through a Small Start grant under the FTA’s Capital Investment Grant Program. FTA’s Small Starts grant comprises approximately 50 percent of the project’s total cost of $150 million. The remaining cost is being covered by the city of Charlotte and the extension is expected to be completed by summer 2020.

The first phase of the CityLYNX Gold Line, a 1.5-mile segment of the future full 10-mile streetcar system, began service in July 2015. With a cost of $37 million, the first phase surpassed ridership projections from the outset.

“Constructing Phase 2 of the CityLYNX Gold Line is a monumental step in building out our overall transit system,” said CATS CEO John Lewis. “This important cross-town connection will strengthen transportation choices for the Charlotte region.”

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