New light rail stop in South End planned to stop illegal crossings
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A sign on Blue Line tracks in front of Sycamore Brewing warns passersby not to cross. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Charlotte Area Transit System is planning a multimillion-dollar light rail station in South End to stop people from dangerously cutting across the tracks.
- The problem area is roughly between Publix and Sycamore Brewing.
- CATS leaders point out there is no crossing in this span for seven blocks, while other South End stops are just one or two blocks apart.
Details: The new light rail station will be built between New Bern and East/West stations.
- CATS engineers are recommending a single crossing between two offset platforms and accompanying rail trail segments.
- The two platforms won’t be directly across from each other. Instead, one platform is planned in front of Publix and the other is offset farther north, in front of Sycamore, connecting to a sidewalk on Hawkins Street.
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The cost: It’s unclear how much it will cost. Currently, CATS has a $1.9-million contract with Kimley-Horn & Associates for the planning and design. It will estimate the full price in the next phase of the project, according to CATS.
- The money will come from unspent reserves from the Blue Line Extension, supplemented by private contributions.
Zoom out: When the Lynx Blue Line was constructed between 2005 and 2007, this part of South End was more industrial than the bustling apartment and brewery neighborhood it is today. “It really didn’t make sense to have a station in the area,” CATS senior engineer Todd Thorne said in a virtual public information meeting Tuesday.
- Since 2010, 7 million square feet of residences, 2.5 million square feet of offices, 300,000 square feet of retail and 70,000 square feet of hotel space have popped up, according to CATS.
Timeline: CATS is in the early stages of planning the new station and crossing.
- Environmental studies will continue in the fall, a step needed to use federal funding.
- Designs will take approximate 1.5 years.
- Construction is expected to start by late 2024. Two factors will prolong the project: working around the operating Blue Line and minimizing disruptions to nearby businesses.
- The station should open by the end of 2026.
Of note: The extra stop will slow down a one-way trip on the train, from I-485 station to Uptown, by about 90 seconds or less.
- During construction, there may be modified schedules, but the trains will continue running in both directions.