Next steps involve drafting an agreement between the City and USNWC/Crosland LLC, which covers the City's obligation to direct State of North Carolina monies earmarked for this purpose to the LLC for their use in constructing Whitewater Parkway. Council approval will be required at a later date on this agreement.
Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245 - rtober@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its meeting on Wednesday, July 26, 2006, the MTC voted unanimously to approve Resolution No. 2006-04. This resolution accepts and adopts as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Streetcar Corridor an alignment on Trade Street between Johnson C. Smith University and Presbyterian Hospital, extending along Hawthorne Lane and Central Avenue to Eastland Mall and Beatties Ford Road to the vicinity of I-485. This resolution also authorizes staff to continue studying the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities site and the Barnhardt Manufacturing Company site as possible options for the location of a vehicle maintenance facility. Two members of the public addressed the MTC and spoke in favor of this project moving forward.
The MTC also received information briefings on the following:
Southeast Corridor Study Results and Alignment Alternatives: Staff updated the MTC on the Southeast Corridor Highway and Transit Improvements study results and alignment alternatives. Staff presented the three technology choices for the corridor, which include light rail, bus rapid transit (BRT) and BRT with high occupancy vehicles (HOV). The proposed cost of the project depends on the technology chosen. Light rail is the most expensive choice at $585 million, followed by BRT with HOV at $350-$360 million and BRT at $315-$325 million. While staff continues to work on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which is scheduled to be complete this fall, NCDOT is working on the highway portion of the project, which will make improvements to Independence Boulevard. Ten members of the public and Council member Nancy Carter addressed the MTC on this project supporting the choice of light rail as the technology in this corridor. Staff will come back to the MTC for action on the Southeast Corridor in August.
West Corridor Study Results and Alignment Alternatives: Staff updated the MTC on the West Corridor study results and alignment alternatives. Staff presented information about the two technology choices, BRT and streetcar, as well as the pros and cons of both. With the streetcar option, major concerns are the water and sewer lines under the curb lanes on Wilkinson and safety issues with moving the lines into the median on Wilkinson. Staff continues to work with NCDOT and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities department to resolve these issues. The proposed cost for the project is $185 million if streetcar is chosen and $105 million if BRT is chosen. Staff also discussed the CMAQ Grant that will be used to enhance bus service to the airport. The MTC will take action on the West Corridor in August.
Chief Executive Officer's Report:
1. Ridership across all services increased 5.7% for the month of June 2006 compared to June 2005. Year-to-end ridership for FY2006 was up 7.8% over FY2005, marking the eighth consecutive year of ridership increases, and representing a 62.1% increase since FY1998.
2. CATS Service Development staff held two public meetings to discuss a proposal to adjust the Uptown routing for 11 express routes. If adopted, the proposal would streamline the Uptown routing for Express routes and would reduce travel time in Uptown.
3. On July 17, 2006, CATS added two additional veteran CMPD police officers to its Transit Liaison Unit, bringing the total number of officers in the unit to four, including one sergeant.
4. In the South Corridor, CATS' first light rail vehicle, which arrived on June 23, is now being readied for testing on a stretch of test track between Clanton Road and Tremont Avenue. Acceptance testing will begin in August and should take eight to ten weeks to complete. Also, plans to build a pedestrian bridge over I-277 to connect pedestrians and bicyclists from South End to Uptown have been abandoned, but staff is looking at alternatives involving the Caldwell Street/South Boulevard corridor and the South Tryon Street corridor to provide this connection.
The next MTC meeting will be August 23, 2006, when action will be taken on the Southeast and West corridors. The MTC is also scheduled to receive a presentation on the Art in Transit Program at that time.
