Lynx Silver Line

Lynx Silver Line
Overview
Owner	Charlotte Area Transit System
Locale	Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina
Termini	CPCC Levine (south) Uptown/Gateway Station (north)
Stations	13
Service
Type	Light rail
System	LYNX Rapid Transit Services
Services	Silver Line
Operator(s)	Charlotte Area Transit System
History
Planned opening	unknown
Technical
Line length	13.5 miles (21.7 km)
Proposed route map Belmont Catawba River Sam Wilson I-485 Seddon "Rusty" Goode Freeway I-485 Airport Boyer Morris Field Ashley Remount Suttle I-77 Bill Lee Freeway Morehead Gateway Station  Gold Line  Graham 11th Street  Blue Line  First Ward I-277 Brookshire Freeway Central  Gold Line  Pecan Morningside Coliseum/Ovens Amity Gardens Sharon Amity Conference Village Lake McAlpine Galleria Matthews Township Parkway Downtown Matthews Sportsplex I-485 Gov. James G. Martin Freeway CPCC Levine

The Silver Line is a proposed light rail extension for the LYNX network in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Silver Line, or Southeast Corridor, would serve as a light rail line between the CPCC Levine Campus in Matthews and the proposed Gateway Station in Uptown Charlotte.

It is proposed to follow a southeasterly path primarily along Independence Boulevard, as it extends through southeastern Mecklenburg County. To be built at a cost of over $1 billion, the line would be 13.5 miles (21.7 km) long and have 13 stations, 8-10 of which would be park-and-ride. Currently, there is no firm construction schedule in place.

History

The prospect of developing a light rail line between Matthews and Uptown along Independence Boulevard was initially evaluated in 1985. By 1997, the Charlotte City Council voted, at the recommendation of an independent transit panel, for the development of a busway in the median of Independence in lieu of light rail. The decision to develop a busway over light rail was based on overall costs of $126 million for a busway versus $300 million for light-rail. However, by 1999 delays in the construction of the busway resulted in a renewed grassroots effort of rail advocates to have light rail placed along Independence. As a result of this campaign, Representative Robin Hayes, who served as a member of the House Transportation Committee, to design the busway in such a manner as to be adapted for light rail when it can be economically justified. In 2002, the Metropolitan Transit Commission recommended that the Independence corridor see the construction, but that as part of the initial engineering studies, light rail accommodation be considered.

By 2006, a study released by the Charlotte Area Transit System indicated that the cost of light rail along the corridor would be roughly double that of a busway and have fewer riders. The estimates stated light rail on Independence would be 12.7 miles (20.4 km) in length at a cost of $585 million, with a projected ridership of 14,400 in 2030; and stated a busway would be 13.5 miles (21.7 km) in length at a cost of $315 to $325 million, with a projected ridership of 16,000 in 2030. In September, the MTC voted to delay on determining whether a busway or light rail should be built along the corridor until 2011.

By October 2012, the MTC had voted in favor of a busway on interior lanes of the highway. However, in May 2013, a 30-member funding task force suggested a light rail line instead, at an estimated cost of $1.7 billion. The 2006 study had estimated the line would be 13.5 miles (21.7 km) and be complete through Idlewild Road by 2022, to Sardis Road North by 2024 and finally to CPCC Levine by 2026. Additionally, the line would contain 3,350 parking spaces and 16 stations along the corridor at a cost of $582 million.

In September 2016, after three years of further studies and consultations with area residents, CATS settled on light rail as the most viable option for the Silver Line. At the time, however, CATS lacked any further sources of funding to invest in future projects. John Lewis, the system's CEO, said he would wait for the Blue Line Extension to begin service in August 2017 before resuming discussions on how best to fund the new lines. A possible option could be to have neighboring counties contribute towards project costs. The Silver Line would come within less than a mile of the Union County border at the CPCC Levine Station. Lynx Silver Line will have 13 stations with about 10 having park-and-ride lots.

Further reading

CATS Transit Planning - LYNX Silver Line