Information Items:
South End Park Avenue Historic Trolley Stop EliminationStaff Resource:
Ron Tober, 704-336-7245 - rtober@ci.charlotte.nc.us
In January 2006, the Park Avenue Trolley Stop in the South End was deleted for two primary reasons: operational efficiency and cost savings on the South Corridor Light Rail Project. This decision has recently become controversial with South End stakeholders. The close proximity of the East/West and Bland Street light rail/trolley stations minimized the need for a trolley stop in this location.
Having stops too close together causes potential train "back-ups" for not only the trolley but also light rail. Furthermore, frequent stops lead to lower speeds and longer travel times, making both services less attractive to the rapid transit customer. Also, deleting the stop will reduce operating and maintenance costs over time.
In addition to operational improvements, cost savings were realized from the deletion of the Park Avenue trolley stop. In late 2005/early 2006, every opportunity to save money on the light rail project was explored due to the over-budget bid received on the Station Finishes construction contract in September 2005, following Hurricane Katrina. Construction of the southbound station platform would have cost around $200,000 and would have removed several parking stalls along Camden Road.
By removing the platform, CATS did not have to upgrade the former trolley shelter with a ticket vending machine, public address system, service phone and cameras, saving around $50,000 per platform. The total savings was around $250,000. CATS was able to salvage pavers, the roof canopy and the ADA bridge plate mechanism for use at other stops and for spares. The few items CATS could not reuse have been sold as scrap.
It is important to note that in order to leverage trolley and light rail infrastructure, most of the elements installed with the trolley are being reused in the light rail line. Several elements of the trolley project were upgraded when it was constructed knowing these could be incorporated in the final LYNX Blue Line. These upgrades made it feasible for both projects to progress.
Unfortunately, communication about and explanation of the Park Avenue decision on our part was not good. Reducing costs and improving efficiencies of the light rail line were our focus at that time. We regret the communication process issue and will continue to share the reasons behind the decision making process with South End stakeholders.
Attached is a memo from Jim Humphrey in response to David Hartgen's recent report on "Traffic Congestion in North Carolina".
Due to lack of a quorum, the March 29 Budget Retreat scheduled in Room 267 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm has been cancelled. Staff will discuss process options for rescheduling the budget retreat or moving the topics to other meetings at the next available opportunity.
