Calendar:
Tuesday, November 14
12:00 pm - Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting, Room CH-14. AGENDA: Housing Charlotte 2007;
Johnston and
Mecklenburg Mills RFP; Neighborhood Policy
2:00 pm - Transportation Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: CATS Governance and MTC Vote; Discussion of new roles and responsibilities with NCDOT
Wednesday, November 15
3:30 pm - Economic Development and Planning Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Business Investment Grant Program Review; Update on Scaleybark Transit-Oriented Development
5:00 pm - Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting, Meeting Chamber
7:00 pm - MUMPO Meeting, Room 267
Thursday, November 16
12:00 pm - Restructuring Government Committee Meeting, Room CH-14. AGENDA: Budget Process; Format for the New Government Channel Program
Information Item:
"Get Motivated" Event/Bobcats Arena
Staff Resource: Joe Yanicak, 704-336-5531 - jyanicak@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Monday, November 13, will be a busy day Uptown. The Get Motivated business seminar is scheduled from 8:00 am - 4:45 pm at the Bobcats Arena. This all-day event features a well-known group of speakers who are expected to attract a full house. The morning commute will be busier than normal. We expect that some attendees may be unfamiliar with Uptown and will be challenged to find parking. The event sponsor has secured parking at the Verizon Amphitheatre and the old coliseum and will operate shuttles that should reduce the number of vehicles entering the Uptown. The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) will activate its traffic management plan for major arena events.
The Performing Arts Center will also be holding an event that afternoon and the Panthers will be hosting Monday Night Football at the stadium. CDOT will monitor traffic operations throughout the day and adjust the traffic management plan and signal system as necessary. We are coordinating with Charlotte Center City Partners to provide information to Uptown employers and property managers.
CATS Service Change Proposal Involving Route 15 Randolph and Route 28 McAlway
Staff Resource: Larry Kopf, 704-432-0497 - lkopf@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Background
The Charlotte Area Transit System initiated a review of routes 15 and 28 after receiving citizen input. In the Elizabeth area, where ridership is lower, residents requested that CATS review its operation and investigate the prospect of rerouting 28 McAlway onto Randolph instead of 5th Street. Subsequently, the Charlotte Housing Authority requested that CATS review service to determine if route 15 could be extended to McAlpine Terrace near Thermal and Pineburr. The Housing Authority provided a petition promoting their cause. The petition had 160 signatures of residents of McAlpine Terrace, a senior complex, and two adjacent complexes where lower income individuals reside.
Service Proposal
After reviewing the ridership data provided by CATS Automatic Passenger Counting system, it was determined that route 28 could operate on Randolph instead of 5th Street without causing inconvenience to many riders. It was further determined that if route 28 was to operate on Randolph, it made sense to coordinate service with route 15 (already on Randolph) and to combine the services into one route that also traveled into Grier Heights. The combined service, in fact, would result in improved service for Grier Heights, an area where ridership is strong. Service in Grier Heights could be improved to a bus every fifteen minutes if the two routes are combined.
CATS Service Development also investigated an extension of service to McAlpine Terrace. The proposal was to extend service on an hourly basis beyond Sharon Amity to the current terminus near Rama and Lynbrook and to continue new service to Thermal and Pineburr. The proposed extension called for new service in the Stonehaven neighborhood. Service was proposed to continue the existing route in Stonehaven via Gatepost, Braeburn and Rocky Falls, but if adopted would result in extended service via Rocky Falls to Charter Place, ultimately terminating at Thermal near Pineburr.
Public Participation
To obtain public input, CATS staff attended a community meeting in Grier Heights and then subsequently held a separate public meeting to obtain feedback from the community at large. That public meeting was held on Thursday, November 2, 2006 in the Grier Heights community.
Four major interests were represented at this meeting. Elizabeth and Grier Heights residents generally supported the plan calling for more frequent service in Grier Heights while removing the bus from 5th Street.
Representatives from the Housing Authority also supported the plan to extend service to Thermal and Pineburr. Vocal opposition came from residents of Stonehaven who felt strongly that the bus would not enhance their neighborhood if it was extended on Rocky Falls and Charter Place. Stonehaven residents requested that CATS drop the proposal to operate bus service on Rocky Falls and Charter Place.
Outcome
As a result of this process, CATS intends to adjust the original proposal in the following manner:
- 1) Routes 15 Randolph and 28 McAlway will be combined into one route, operating every fifteen minutes from Sharon Amity to Uptown. The result will be improved service to residents of Grier Heights. Service will be provided to the Elizabeth neighborhood from Randolph (or Monroe Rd.) instead of 5th Street
- 2)From Sharon Amity to Rama Road, CATS will operate a reduced level of service, approximately every 30 minutes to an hour. Service will continue to operate only on streets where the service is provided today. These streets include Redcoat, Lynbrook, Doncaster, Shady Bluff, Longbow, Robinwood, Addison and Lyncrest in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. This list represents streets where bus stops already exist and service is already provided.
- 3) CATS will continue to work with the Charlotte Housing Authority to investigate the prospect of providing service to McAlpine Terrace. CATS Service Development is currently investigating the feasibility of extending a small bus shuttle route that might be able to connect to McAlpine Terrace off of Monroe Road.
