Information Items:
To accommodate emergency utility repairs, the left two lanes of South Church Street will be closed between Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Stonewall Street beginning today, October 26, 2007 at 7:00 pm and will be suspended no later than 6:00 am on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
If additional repairs are necessary, construction will continue on Monday, October 29, 2007, from
7:00 am until 4:00 pm If additional time is required to make repairs, an update will be sent out.
On October 25th we received a call from Wilson Stroud, Project Planning Engineer for NCDOT. Mr. Wilson called to invite the Mayor and City Council members to a meeting for local officials regarding the proposed I-85 improvement project. The project (TIP Project I-3803 B) calls for improvements to I-85 from I-485 to NC 73 in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.
The meeting for local officials will be held from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm next Tuesday, October 30, 2007, in the Family Life Center of Concord Christian Church. The church is located at 3101 Davidson Highway, Concord, 28027. NCDOT representatives will begin the meeting with a description of the project, followed by a question and answer and general discussion period.
Following the local officials' meeting, an informational workshop for citizens will be held at the same location (Concord Christian Church) from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. There will be no formal presentation at the workshop. NCDOT representatives will be present to discuss the project with residents, answer questions, and receive comments. Interested individuals may attend the workshop at their convenience during the above hours. A copy of the notice is attached.
The following sidewalk public meeting will be held next week.
Markland and Wedgefield Drive Public Meeting
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursday, November 1, 2007
West Boulevard Library
2157 West Boulevard
In May of 2005, Charlotte City Council adopted a new policy to prioritize and evaluate sidewalk projects. In accordance with that policy, sidewalks have been requested by residents through the submittal of a nomination form which contains the signatures of at least 25% of the property owners or tenants on both sides of street.
Approximately two weeks after the public meeting, the City team reviews input and distributes the official City Sidewalk Request Petition to the original requestor. This petition will contain key information about the project as determined through the resident input and design considerations identified by staff. The petition is required to be signed by at least 60% of the property owners on both sides of the street and submitted to the City. When a valid petition is submitted, the sidewalk will then be placed on the Sidewalk Priority List. The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) builds sidewalks along street sections with the highest rating as funding becomes available.
We are approximately 30 days away from the opening of the LYNX Blue Line in the South Corridor. Here is an update on the events planned for the opening and start of light rail service in the Corridor:
Monday, November 19th Grand Opening Ceremony
9:00 am Light breakfast reception for elected officials and federal and state officials at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena
10:00 am Speeches, ribbon-cutting and ceremonial first train ride at the Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena Station in Uptown
11:30 am (approx.) Return to CTC/Arena Station from first train ride
Saturday November 24th
LYNX Blue Line opens at 10 am for community inspection with
free rides and celebrations at 3 stations along the Line (7th St.,
CTC/Arena and Bland St.); service to Charlotte Bobcats game that
evening
Sunday November 25th
LYNX Blue Line open for community inspection with free rides;
service to the Panthers - New Orleans game
Monday November 26th
Start of regular passenger service with fares paid and proof of payment required.
Council members will be receiving formal invitations to the November 19th Grand Opening. The Mayor has invited the FTA Administrator, Congressional delegation members, Governor Easley and the entire General Assembly to attend the Grand Opening event. In addition, invitations are being sent to past City Council members; the MTC; BOCC; NCDOT Board members and staff; and a long list of business and community representatives.
Staff will provide another update on the opening events for the LYNX Blue Line in roughly two weeks.
The final public meeting of the South End Pedestrian/Bicycle Connections Study is scheduled for October 30, 2007 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm in Room 267 of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center at 600 E. Fourth Street. At that time, the City of Charlotte will present recommendations for new and/or enhanced connections for pedestrians and bicyclists between South End and Uptown.
Staff from the Charlotte Department of Transportation, other City Departments, and a consultant evaluated five types of connections:
1) Improved sidewalks and bicycle lanes
2) Wide Trail/Path on one side and sidewalk on the other
3) Cantilevered Trail/Path
4) Separate, stand-alone pedestrian bridge
5) Freeway cap or park
The recommendations include:
- Supplement the pedestrian and bicycle path to be built on the I-277/Caldwell Street Bridge currently with other connections between South End and Uptown.
- In the short-term (next one to two years): Implement additional pedestrian and bicycle connections on I-277 overpasses at College Street, Tryon Street and Church Street, as well as connections via the Mint Street underpass. These improvements require approval by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
- In the long-term (more than five years): Consider more pedestrian/bicycle improvements, either as a new free-standing bridge and/or as part of an I-277 cap, as originally envisioned in the Second Ward Master Plan.
The construction manager for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Turner-BE&K-Davis, has entered into a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Labor and OSHA to promote safety for the Hall of Fame project. This partnership will be formalized in a ceremony at the job site on November 1st at 1:00 pm. The North Carolina Commissioner of Labor and OSHA representatives will be speaking at the ceremony. Representatives from the City and CRVA will be at the ceremony for a symbolic signing to support the partnership.
The purpose of this partnership is an effort to promote a proactive, best-in-class safety program at the NASCAR Hall of Fame project. The partnership will directly benefit the thousands of workers who will eventually take part in this work. It will guarantee quarterly visits from OSHA, quick regulatory interpretations as may be needed, as well as provide ample training opportunities for every employee on site. We will work cooperatively with OSHA to eliminate hazards and we will be exempt from programmed compliance inspections. There are currently only two (2) other construction partnership agreements in the State of North Carolina. Clearly the NCDOL has set the selection criteria extremely high for these partnerships and we are proud to have the NASCAR Hall of Fame project included in this select company.
This is the first time a City project has been selected for this program.
