Calendar:
Tuesday, September 5
2:00 pm - Environment Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Floodplain Management Ordinance
5:00 pm - Council Workshop, Room 267
7:30 pm - Citizens' Forum and Closed Session, Room 267
Wednesday, September 6
12:00 pm - Economic Development and Planning Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Additional Cultural Facilities Agreements, Status of Quality of Life Text Amendments
Thursday, September 7
12:00 pm - Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting, (Location TBD). AGENDA: Kroc Center Proposal
Information Items
US Airways Center
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn 704-432-1396 - tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On August 28, US Airways invited Charlotte to submit a proposal for a new consolidated operations center. US Airways also invited Phoenix and Pittsburgh, current sites of US Airways' operation centers, to submit proposals. A copy of the letter is attached.
The operations center would employ 600 people and represent an investment of approximately $25 million.
City staff has met with staff from the Charlotte Chamber, Mecklenburg County, Duke Power, Charlotte Regional Partnership and the N.C. Department of Commerce. We will be working with all of these partners to develop our proposal. We will brief City Council before submitting our proposal.
Clean Air Works! Update
Staff Resource: Julie Burch, 704-336-3187 - jburch@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is the latest update for Clean Air Works! - the pilot program to raise awareness and take positive steps to improve air quality.
Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245 - rtober@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its meeting on Wednesday, August 23, 2006, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) voted unanimously to approve Resolution No. 2006-06, which adopted Bus Rapid Transit primarily along Wilkinson Boulevard as the Locally Preferred "Build" Alternative (LPA) in the West Corridor. Attachment A of the Resolution provides a discussion of the approved items and is available for review.
The MTC also declined to take action on staff recommendations for adoption of a multi-phased approach as noted below for the Southeast Corridor's LPA:
1. Select Bus Rapid Transit from Center City Charlotte to the CPCC Levine Campus in Matthews as the LPA.
2. Construction should be phased to be consistent with the State highway project. In association with the next scheduled/funded phase of Independence Blvd from Sharon Amity Rd to Conference Dr, the first phase of the Southeast BRT would be from Center City Charlotte to Conference Dr.
3. The BRT project would be designed to allow for the option of managed lanes along Independence Blvd to be considered in the future.
4. Construction of BRT, not falling within the Independence Blvd right-of-way, from Sam Newell Rd to the CPCC Levine Campus, may proceed independently of the highway schedule.
The MTC opted to continue to consider this matter for an additional 30 days after having received comments from the several citizens as well as Councilmember Nancy Carter, Mayor ProTem Susan Burgess and NC Congressman Robin Hayes, each of whom expressed their strong support for light rail as the locally preferred alternative. Staff was asked to meet with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials to further review technical issues as well as provide answers to questions regarding the FTA process, specifically to ascertain how the FTA might handle a New Starts request for light rail. Staff is scheduled to report back to the MTC the results of those meetings at their September 27, 2006 meeting.
The MTC also received information briefings on the following:
CEO's Report: Under the CEO's report, it was reported that:
1. Ridership for the month of July 2006 increased 4.9% across all services compared to July 2005. Regular bus services had a ridership increase of 6.4%, while Regional Express services and Community Circulators exhibited 32.7% and 10.8% increases, respectively. Activity Center Circulators also showed a double-digit increase of 10.1%. STS increased 3.0%, while Vanpool services started FY 2007 with a 27.0% increase. The Beatties Ford Village Rider and DSS experienced decreases for the month.
2. The Art-In-Transit program during FY2006 continued to incorporate art into CATS' transit centers and park and rides and was recognized nationally by the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network for art at the South Tryon Bus Facility. A detailed report is available for review.
The next MTC meeting will be held September 27, 2006, wherein the MTC will again consider making a decision on the refined final preferred alternative for the Southeast Corridor. Initial information will also be presented on the Revised Transit Corridor System Plan, which the MTC will be voting on later this fall.
