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North Carolina
Charlotte Seeks Federal Grant for Streetcar System Construction
With the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) listing a 10-mile Charlotte streetcar line among key priorities in its 2025 plan, the City Council voted 7-4 to seek a $25-million federal grant to build the line’s initial 1.5-mile uptown segment. The request is opposed by one Democrat and all three Republicans on the Council.
The Obama administration has recently let the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provide matching funds for streetcar projects, capping such grants at $25 million per city, reports the Charlotte Observer. The uptown segment of the streetcar line is expected to cost some $37 million, which means Charlotte would have to spend at least $12 million or more if it got a smaller grant. To be on safe ground, City Manager Curt Walton has identified $24 million the city could use – $2.5 million set aside for streetcar design and engineering, $10.5 million from the economic development budget, $7 million from a business corridor revitalization fund, and $4 million in “smart growth” funds.
Democratic Mayor Anthony Foxx, a former two-term council member and vocal streetcar advocate, is hoping for the best. “For every local dollar that goes into the grant, we get two federal dollars back,” he said, with CATS officials estimating ridership for the 1.5-mile uptown segment – which would tie into LYNX light-rail tracks – at 950 daily trips in the first year, and for the whole 10-mile line at 16,000 by 2030.
“Implementing the Charlotte Streetcar Project will spur economic development along a key Charlotte corridor, supporting local neighborhoods and connecting diverse areas of the city with the downtown business center,” points out CATS on its web site, calling the project an economic engine. “It will enhance connectivity between regional transit corridors, connect Charlotte’s two downtown transportation hubs, and reduce short inner-city auto trips, parking demand and vehicle emissions.”
On the day of the council’s vote, a Charlotte Observer editorial noted that Democrats, some from neighborhoods on the streetcar route, stress its potential to attract development. It also cautioned against missing the opportunity for federal aid. “Some people don’t think the streetcar is a good idea to start with. Some people think any transit spending is wasteful. We disagree,” the editorial said. “The need for good public transit will only grow stronger as the city grows, traffic worsens, gas prices rise and the city struggles to escape its auto-generated ozone pollution problem.”
Learn more about the streetcar and other CATS plans at www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/Rapid+Transit+Planning/Center+City/Home.htm. 1/25/2010
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