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Eyewitness Report on the
Lynx Blue Line of
Charlotte, North Carolina
April 6, 2008
Webb Smedley, Purple Line NOW!
North Carolina's first light rail line, the “Lynx”, opened in Charlotte in November 2007 and is off to a very successful start. The completed segment, the Blue Line, has 16 stations, and runs 9.6 miles from downtown Charlotte, south to the South Blvd Station near the city’s beltway. It is the first phase of a comprehensive network of light rail and bus rapid transit lines. The 2nd phase of the system is the Northeast Corridor extension through the campus of UNC Charlotte.
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) [www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/] is very pleased with ridership on the new line – it is attracting more than 12,000 riders a day and is exceeding projections for the first year of operation by about 35%. Because of this success, more two-car trains are being added midday to accommodate the additional riders. In addition, the FTA has allowed CATS to factor a consumer bias for rail into its projections for the Northeast extension.
Unlike The Purple Line, the Charlotte Blue Line is a radial line, bringing people from the lower density suburbs into the higher density center city, and many of the suburban stations have park and ride lots.
There are many segments of the line, however, which provide good examples for PL planners as identified below:
- General: The line feels different depending on the area through which it passes. The suburban segment uses an elevated structure as it passes through a low-density non-residential. The structure allows higher travel speed than would otherwise be possible with an at-grade line. This might be a model for the University Blvd segment of the Purple Line, if it were to include a viaduct. In the low-rise urban area (e.g. Bland St. and Carson stations) the train is well integrated with the community fabric, and reinforces the area’s pedestrian and transit identity. In the densest part of downtown, the line is mostly elevated and passes right through the Convention Center. There are stops at the Convention Center and the Charlotte arena. The bridge abutments of this facility show a far greater attention to design detail than do, for example, those of the Washington Red Line. The last stop is on the edge of downtown adjacent to an outdoor café.
- Vehicles: The public at large was involved in the selection of vehicles for this light rail system. More than 14,000 individuals participated in an opinion poll resulting in the selection of streamlined Siemens “Avanto” vehicles. These are 92’ long with 68 seats and a total capacity of 236 per unit, or 573 per each two-unit train. They can travel at up to 55 mph and are very quiet and attractive.
- Station Design: Stations are simple and attractive. They include canopies, fare card machines, maps, art, bike racks, water fountains, benches and trash receptacles. They include crossovers between south and northbound tracks. The stations are located only .6 miles apart on average for the 16 stations. Travel time between many of them is about two minutes.
- Train Speed: From its South Blvd terminus to the fifth station on the line (the Tyvola station), the Blue Line feels like Washington’s Red Line north of Union Station. It is on an elevated viaduct allowing travel speeds exceeding those of traffic on adjacent roads. The line operates alongside an active Norfolk Southern Railroad for this segment, and a bike trail is visible from the Archdale Station.
Speeds are lower as the line enters the more urbanized area just south of downtown. But here the trains are separated from traffic and have signal preemption over intersecting roads. Crossing gates are used at roadways, but fences do not separate the tracks from the adjacent sidewalks in these lower-speed areas.
- Pedestrian Connections: The community south of downtown Charlotte is similar to an inner-suburb, such as the Fenton Village area of Silver Spring. It has mid-rise buildings and a street grid pattern. The LRT in this area is flanked by a mix of uses, including low-rise offices, condos and apartments and retail. Attractive walkways, catenaries and upgraded lights run along the LRT line between stations.
- Art Work: A public art component was included in the Blue Line system design. Mosaics and unique detailing are evident at stations.
- Noise: Train wheel noise seemed minimal, although only single unit vehicles observed (two units together may produce more track noise). The line is relatively straight which also minimizes noise levels. Bells are used when arriving at stations, yet whistles are used liberally at grade crossings.
- Fare card machine: The fare card machines are a weakness of the system. The machines frequently malfunction and CATS is working on the problem.
- Conclusion: Charlotte has successfully developed a starter light rail line that is being studied carefully by many cities, including Atlanta. It was a pleasure riding it. While the line carries nowhere near the number of passengers projected to ride the Purple Line, there are many lessons to be learned from this latest addition to the U.S. light rail network.
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68,000 riders each weekday is huge! Counting down to completion of Purple Line DEIS; Latest news: Latest News; How you can help
See: Calendar of Events.
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