Planning for Healthy Communities Conference

Centers and Corridors

Project Connect Growth Concept Map

November 2, 2017

City of Charlotte What got us here?

2 City of Charlotte Committee of 100 -1994

Centers and Corridors Strategy

• Long-term growth management strategies for Charlotte- Mecklenburg

• Five primary transportation and development corridors

• Transform unfocused development patterns in corridors and wedges to compact mixed-use development along corridors and in station areas

City of Charlotte 2025 Transit/Land Use Plan

2025 Transit / Land Use Plan

. Vision for a long-term growth management strategy for Charlotte- Mecklenburg . Integrates rapid transit and mixed- used development along 5 transportation corridors . Expands transit system to serve between the rapid transit corridors . Provide more transportation choices to meet mobility needs . Support sustainable growth for region . Updated in 2006 2030 Transit System Plan

City of Charlotte Transit vehicles and services

BUS RAPID COMMUTER STREETCAR TRANSIT RAIL

• Intended for a • Intended for • Intended for a • Intended for variety of trips short-distance variety of trips longer-distance from regional to trips in urban from regional to commute trips local areas local from suburbs into • Operates in a • Typically • Typically a central city variety of ROW operates in mixed operates in • Operates in scenarios traffic dedicated ROW dedicated ROW • Service • Service • Service • Service during throughout the throughout the throughout the peak hours of day and on day and on day and on travel M-F weekends weekends weekends

City of Charlotte Where are we?

6 City of Charlotte Investing in a Vision

City of Charlotte Investment in the System

City of Charlotte 2030 Transit System Plan Status Operating • LYNX Blue Line Light Rail • Airport Enhanced Bus • CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 1 Under Construction • LYNX Blue Line Extension • CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2 Under Design • Charlotte Gateway Station Recently Approved • LYNX Silver Line Light Rail Adopted by MTC in November 2016 Under Study • LYNX Red Line • LYNX West Corridor • LYNX Silver Line Center City • System Integration

City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Success

• Opened November 2007

• Ridership is 5 million annually

• $462.7 million capital investment with funding partnership

10

City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Development

Transit-Oriented Development

• $900 million in private development

• $400 million of development planned or under construction along corridor

City of Charlotte CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 1

• Opened July 2015 • Exceeding ridership projections

12 City of Charlotte More than rail

Over 80% of ridership is generated from non rail vehicles

City of Charlotte Envision My Ride

Envision My Ride is a new initiative to redesign CATS entire current bus system. The study will analyze bus route structure and frequency to determine how to improve the system and better serve the Charlotte region. Below are the overall goals of this study.

• Cross-town and suburb-to-suburb bus service • Connections between different bus routes and between bus and light rail • Frequency of service • More direct services

City of Charlotte What’s Next?

15 City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Extension

LYNX Blue Line Extension Project Overview • 9.3 miles, 11 stations • 4 park and ride facilities • Approximately 3,100 parking spaces • Accommodates 3-car trains • 25,000+ daily riders • Improvements to North Tryon St. • Connects UNC Charlotte campuses • 22 minute commute from Uptown to UNC Charlotte • Initial peak period service 7.5 minute frequency • Connecting bus services

City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Extension

Construction Overview • Sidewalk and curb installation

• Installing electrical and communications at stations

• Art in Transit station finishes

• Landscaping

17 City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Extension

Parking Overview • 3 Parking Decks (Sugar Creek, University City Blvd, JW Clay) • One surface lot (Old Concord Station) • Over 3,200 new parking spaces • Active use space at all vertical parking garages • Bicycle storage space All stations

18 City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Extension

Opens Early 2018

City of Charlotte What’s old is new

Horse-drawn streetcar started in 1887

Streetcar on 100 block of E Trade St in 1920s

• First electrified streetcar started in 1891 • In late 1800s and early 1900s, where streetcar went, development and economic growth followed 20 City of Charlotte 1928 to 2030

21 City of Charlotte CityLYNX Gold Line Phase 2

22 City of Charlotte Siemens Vehicle Phase 2 proposes modern streetcar vehicles • Larger than bus but smaller than light rail • Six Siemens S70 vehicles • Open Interior • Easy boarding

23 City of Charlotte Charlotte Gateway Station

City of Charlotte Charlotte Gateway Station

• 40,000+ SF rail station building (minimum levels are concourse; plaza and mezzanine) • 850,000 SF private development • ~900 parking spaces on four levels of subsurface parking (~200 reserved for rail customers)

•CityGreenway of Charlotte integrated with outdoor plaza space Charlotte Gateway Station

View of Rail Station Building Looking South from Wilkes Place

City of Charlotte Charlotte Gateway Station

View Looking West on Trade Street

City of Charlotte Where do we go from here?

28 City of Charlotte Regional Transit Plan

City of Charlotte City of Charlotte What Did We Learn?

City of Charlotte Regional Transit Engagement Series Themes

• Global Competitiveness and Job Retention • Mobility Options and Meeting Needs of Changing Population • Upward Social Mobility and Access • Transit Supportive Messaging Needed • Mobility Options and Connections

City of Charlotte What will your county/community be able to do because of a Regional Transit Plan that you are not able to do now?

Provides unified vision and shared decision making among local governments • Provides a “larger voice” for jurisdictions that may not normally be heard • More competitive for outside funding • Coordination now can save time and money later • Supports the reservation of ROW that will be needed for transit Supports us all being economically competitive • Predictability for economic development and business investment decisions • Unified message to businesses and residents

City of Charlotte LYNX Silver Line

• MTC approved recommendation of light rail LPA in November 2016

• 13-15 miles long

• 13 stations with 8-10 park and ride locations

• Center City alignments to be considered as part of LYNX System Update

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City of Charlotte Independence Blvd. East of Wendover Road

City of Charlotte Evaluation Process

1 2 3 4 5

Identification of Goals Identification and Screening of Initial Corridor Segments

Identification and Evaluation of Corridor Options

Refinement of Leading Corridor Options

Selection of Preferred Alignment

City of Charlotte Alignment Evaluation

Corridor Vision Rail Goals Evaluation Criteria Reliable and efficient Efficiency (speed and Establish high-quality connections reliability) transit to connect and strengthen activity centers Go where the activity is Population and and where it will be employment density

Traffic impacts Create more Balance mobility needs of transportation options in all users corridor Physical constraints

Property impacts

Use transit to focus and Neighborhood impacts shape growth while Preserve and strengthen preserving existing existing neighborhoods neighborhoods Environmental considerations

Constructability

City of Charlotte Vision Drove the Process

Establish high-quality transit to connect and strengthen existing, emerging, and future activity centers

Create more transit options for the large number of people already living in, working in, or visiting the corridor

Use transit to help focus and shape growth at key nodes along the corridor, while preserving existing neighborhoods

City of Charlotte LYNX System Update North Corridor, West Corridor, System Integration

City of Charlotte LYNX System Update

• Public Engagement begins in October 2017 • Complete with updated rapid transit staff recommendations to the MTC by December 2018

City of Charlotte Charlotte’s Growth From 1990 to 2014 380,000 new residents From 2015 to 2040 400,000 new residents 44 new residents per day!

City of Charlotte Rapid Population Growth

In 1998 the Charlotte Mecklenburg population was projected to grow by about 385,000 people over the next 30 years a 66% increase.

1995 2025 Mecklenburg County projected population 580,000 965,000 growth in 1998

In 2014 the US Census Bureau estimated Mecklenburg County’s population is already over a million people at 1,012,539. That is a 75% increase from 1995. We have reached our projections a full 10 years early.

City of Charlotte The Destination for Jobs

Mecklenburg County is the major employment destination in the region.

• Over 150,000 people commute to work each day to Mecklenburg County.

• 20% of the region outside of Mecklenburg County work within Mecklenburg County.

• Areas such as SouthPark, Ballantyne and the Airport have become large employment centers

City of Charlotte What Has Changed Since the Plan Was Adopted?

Population Growth New Destinations Land Use

2000 2016 Continued downtown growth Davidson 120% Northlake Mall opened in 2005 7,139 12,452 increase and brought more than 1 million square feet of retail space to the area of I-77 and Harris Boulevard, including Cornelius 150 stores and restaurants. 140% 11,969 28,515 increase Pedestrian-oriented growth

Huntersville 75% Lowes Headquarters relocated to Mooresville in 2003 bringing 24,960 54,839 increase approximately 3,000+ employees.

City of Charlotte What has changed in the West Corridor?

Fresh Ideas Airport Strategy River District

New Mixed-Use Identified as a possible Airport Commercial Development transforming extension of the Development Strategy 1,400 acres west of LYNX Silver Line River District Charlotte Douglas International Airport

There is a wiliness to explore new right-of-way concepts

Gaston County stakeholders have expressed interest

City of Charlotte LYNX Red Line Plan Current Plan • Current proposal: LYNX Red Line o Utilizes existing tracks owned by Norfolk Southern (NS) from south of Mooresville to o Strong downtown land use connection in Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville o Takes advantage of existing infrastructure to manage costs o Intended to terminate at multimodal Charlotte Gateway Station • Current Status o NS remains opposed to passenger rail on their tracks o Peak and limited midday service only

City of Charlotte LYNX West Corridor Background What has changed in the West Corridor? – Airport Commercial Development Strategy – River District – Willingness to explore new ROW concepts – Identified as extension of Silver Line – Gaston County stakeholders have expressed interest

City of Charlotte Center City System Integration

• What specific destinations to serve; Charlotte Gateway Station, CPCC, Arena/ Convention Center, Stonewall Corridor? • How to integrate with LYNX Blue Line? • How to integrate West Corridor and North Corridor? • Development projects need uptown alignment defined.

City of Charlotte This Study is…

• Public engagement to • Intended to identify a reach consensus on “shovel ready” rail updated rapid transit project” vision for LYNX Red Line/West Study Areas • A fully detailed and designed rail project • Intended to define a project to move forward • Information to be considered in future system timing and

This Study Is: Is: Study This implementation This Study Is NOT: Is Study This

City of Charlotte This Study Will Determine…

• Who will use rapid transit in Markets the corridor and why?

• Where are the activity Place centers where rapid transit is critical?

• Where will passengers interface Stations with the rail line? • What type of station?

City of Charlotte What are the Outcomes?

Conduct land use, To update the transportation 2030 Transit analyses, and System Plan by public determining how engagement to Define strategies the corridors are support the to move forward integrated and selection by the with provide MTC of updated implementation information for Locally Preferred system timing Alternatives for and the LYNX Red implementation Line and West Corridors

City of Charlotte Public Workshops

Tuesday, Thursday, Thursday, Tuesday, October 24 October 19 November 2 October 17 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Lee S. Dukes Water Camp North End, Clanton Park Cornelius Town Hall Treatment Plant Charlotte Charlotte Huntersville

Thursday, Tuesday, November 14: Wednesday, November 9 Monday, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm November 8 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm November 13 Goodwill 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Charles Mack 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Opportunity Campus Davidson Town Hall Citizen Center Huntersville Town Hall Charlotte Mooresville

Thursday, Wednesday, November 16 November 15 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Mecklenburg County CharMeck Library Bar Association Uptown Charlotte Charlotte

City of Charlotte Trade Off Exercises

SPEED VS. ACCESS

I want a fast trip, I want more station even if it means locations, even if it fewer places for means a slower trip. people to board.

VERY STRONG VERY STRONG

PEAK DEMAND VS. ALL-DAY SERVICE

Service should focus Service should on commuters – provide a moderate frequent trips during level of service rush hours. throughout the day.

VERY STRONG VERY STRONG

RELIABILITY

Minimize property Build a new corridor to impacts even if it provide more reliable means less reliable service. service.

VERY STRONG VERY STRONG

City of Charlotte Trade Off Exercises

MIXED-USE VS. STAND-ALONE STATION

I prefer a station I prefer a stand-alone that is part of a station more focused mixed-use and on parking. walkable area.

VERY STRONG VERY STRONG

DRIVING VS. OTHER

I want to drive and I want to walk, bike or park my own car. take the bus to the station.

VERY STRONG VERY STRONG

City of Charlotte Public Survey

https://lynxredline.metroquest.com/ https://lynxwestcorridor.metroquest.com/

City of Charlotte What is possible?

City of Charlotte Thank You

City of Charlotte