What Charlotte airport travelers will get instead of a direct light rail stop
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An early design for the Destination District, which will include hotel, retail and office. Credit: CLT Airport public record
Instead of a much-desired direct light rail stop, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is planning to build a "people mover" that will be a roughly seven-minute ride between the future multibillion-dollar Silver Line and the terminal.
Why it matters: Many outspoken transit advocates and residents have made clear they'd much prefer the light rail extend to the main terminal. But CLT officials say they do not support a direct stop "as it impedes future terminal expansion plans," according to a Wednesday presentation to the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority.
There are also spacing constraints, and the tracks would need to be elevated, per the presentation. So instead, the Charlotte Area Transit System is planning to put the station about a mile away, near Wilkinson Boulevard and at the future Destination District, a massive mixed-use development in the making.
- "To pursue advanced engineering or design on something that is not supported through the airport ... that becomes a fatal flaw," CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle said.
So, how will airport-bound light rail riders make the roughly 1-mile trip to the terminal?
- A people mover would travel at an average speed of 20 miles per hour, stopping at parking garages and a future rental car facility.
- It's not yet known what kind of vehicle the mover would be. It could be an automated people mover or self-driving bus, but it will have a dedicated lane.
- Early designs show riders may have to take an elevator or escalator from the light rail stop up to a people mover station over Wilkinson Boulevard.
- "The passenger hopefully won't know the difference between the two. They will make that transition, but we really want that to be a seamless transition," said Jennifer Williams, CLT planning director.
The airport considered putting the people mover underground, but that would be "more expensive and a lot more intrusive" than building an elevated route over the parking facilities, which would not impact revenue as much, officials explained.
The intrigue: Even if the light rail went directly to the terminal, airport officials say they would still want the people mover for the Destination District, parking and a new rental car facility opening in 2032.
- "The goal is actually not just to connect with light rail but to connect with parking," MPTA chair David Howard said. "That's why the people mover is important."
- The people mover could be built between 2030 and 2032, well before the estimated 13 years it may take to execute the Silver Line.
- No cost estimates for the people mover were shared during the meeting.
Zoom out: Phoenix and San Francisco are examples of other airports with automated people movers.
- Dallas-Fort Worth, another major American Airlines hub, uses a people mover to reach three of its five terminals.
Also at the meeting, CLT shared some amenities it could incorporate at the Silver Line station that would differ from a standard CATS station, including check-in kiosks, concessions, heated and cooled areas, luggage carts and flight information boards.
