The Red Line Has Ten Stations. The Story Is the One That Isn't on the List. | CLT Daily

Description

Charlotte voted to tax itself for transit. This week the new agency spending that money made its first real decision — ten stations for the Red Line, twenty-five miles from uptown to the Lake Norman towns. It added a stop at Camp North End, a food and entertainment destination. And it left a stop requested by Sugar Creek residents, at North Graham and West Craighead, under study. The reasons given are legitimate ones about land use and operating cost. But the first significant decision by a body most people here couldn't name is a choice about what this system is for. Plus: a correction — the city's data center group had already met twice without telling City Council; three years of Charlotte's rewritten zoning rules, by the numbers; and the Hornets return to local TV.

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, Mass Transit, The Charlotte Ledger, Charlotte Observer.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
One good thing, then the headlines. The biggest weekend uptown gets all-year start Saturday, and it's free. Details at the end. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Thursday, August 13th, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, the red line has its stations, ten of them, and the most revealing thing about that decision is the stop that didn't make the list. The very first episode of this show, back in July, was about Charlotte agreeing to tax itself to build a transit system. This is the first real thing that money has decided. The board of the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority, the agency created out of last year's transit sales tax referendum, voted Wednesday on 10 recommended stations for the red line, 25 miles of commuter rail uptown out to the Lake Norman towns. Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant framed it plainly, quote, This is arguably the first critical decision that we're making that will have this level of impact on a community. He's right, so look at what it decided. Residents in the Sugar Creek area have pushed for a station at North Graham and West Craighead Road. It failed in committee last month 5-4. As of this morning, it's still under study. Not rejected outright, but not on the list. The reasons given are real. and I'll state them fairly. A transportation committee raised concerns about what a station there does to land use policy in an industrial corridor. Transit staff said an extra stop affects scheduling and operating costs. Those aren't excuses. That's what running a railroad involves. But here's the other half. At that same meeting, the board did add a stop at Camp North End, a redeveloped industrial site that's now a food and entertainment destination. I'm not telling you one is right and the other wrong. Camp North End draws real crowds, and ridership is how transit survives. What I'm telling you is that the first significant decision by an agency Charlotte voted to fund added a stop at a destination and left one in a transit-dependent neighborhood under study. That's a choice about what this system is for, made in month one by a body most people here couldn't name. Some community members have said exactly that. that the line risks not serving the historically under-invested neighborhoods that need it most. The transit agency's interim chief executive, Brent Cagle, offered the counter-argument, and it's a fair one. Quote, it's not a binary choice that binds you forever. Stations can be added later. That's true. It's also what gets said about a lot of things that never get added later. All right, here's what else you need to know today. First, a correction. Yesterday on this show, I told you the city's data center task force was meeting for the first time today. That was wrong, and the way it was wrong is the story. That group already met, twice, July 9th and July 23rd. Council members were not told it was convening, and staff were still recruiting participants the morning of the first meeting. Robert Dawkins of the non-profit action NC called the process ridiculous, saying the advocacy groups that organized public opposition were left out. Deputy City Manager Allison Craig says it was never meant to replace public engagement, and a community engagement plan launches this month. Some council members want it paused and restarted with proper notice. The moratorium still expires November 5th. Second, three years ago, Charlotte rewrote its zoning to allow duplexes, triplexes, and quads citywide without a rezoning fight. New analysis by Ashley Fahey at the Charlotte Ledger counts 8,000. 537 submitted or approved since, against hundreds before. One honest caveat, submitted or approved isn't the same as built, and nobody has published a count of what's actually standing. And the Hornets are back on local television this season under a new agreement with Cox Media Group. Now, as promised, Charlotte Pride, this weekend, free. Festival at First Ward Park on East 7th. Saturday, noon to 10, Sunday noon to 6, parade Sunday afternoon, 1 to 4, down try-in from 9th. And further out, the Charlotte Asian Film Festival returns August 29th at the Independent Picture House. 30 short films from across the Asian diaspora, with panels on mental health. That's CLT Daily for Thursday, August 13th. I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte. Take care of each other.

Description

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, Mass Transit, The Charlotte Ledger, Charlotte Observer.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
One good thing, then the headlines. The biggest weekend uptown gets all-year start Saturday, and it's free. Details at the end. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Thursday, August 13th, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, the red line has its stations, ten of them, and the most revealing thing about that decision is the stop that didn't make the list. The very first episode of this show, back in July, was about Charlotte agreeing to tax itself to build a transit system. This is the first real thing that money has decided. The board of the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority, the agency created out of last year's transit sales tax referendum, voted Wednesday on 10 recommended stations for the red line, 25 miles of commuter rail uptown out to the Lake Norman towns. Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant framed it plainly, quote, This is arguably the first critical decision that we're making that will have this level of impact on a community. He's right, so look at what it decided. Residents in the Sugar Creek area have pushed for a station at North Graham and West Craighead Road. It failed in committee last month 5-4. As of this morning, it's still under study. Not rejected outright, but not on the list. The reasons given are real. and I'll state them fairly. A transportation committee raised concerns about what a station there does to land use policy in an industrial corridor. Transit staff said an extra stop affects scheduling and operating costs. Those aren't excuses. That's what running a railroad involves. But here's the other half. At that same meeting, the board did add a stop at Camp North End, a redeveloped industrial site that's now a food and entertainment destination. I'm not telling you one is right and the other wrong. Camp North End draws real crowds, and ridership is how transit survives. What I'm telling you is that the first significant decision by an agency Charlotte voted to fund added a stop at a destination and left one in a transit-dependent neighborhood under study. That's a choice about what this system is for, made in month one by a body most people here couldn't name. Some community members have said exactly that. that the line risks not serving the historically under-invested neighborhoods that need it most. The transit agency's interim chief executive, Brent Cagle, offered the counter-argument, and it's a fair one. Quote, it's not a binary choice that binds you forever. Stations can be added later. That's true. It's also what gets said about a lot of things that never get added later. All right, here's what else you need to know today. First, a correction. Yesterday on this show, I told you the city's data center task force was meeting for the first time today. That was wrong, and the way it was wrong is the story. That group already met, twice, July 9th and July 23rd. Council members were not told it was convening, and staff were still recruiting participants the morning of the first meeting. Robert Dawkins of the non-profit action NC called the process ridiculous, saying the advocacy groups that organized public opposition were left out. Deputy City Manager Allison Craig says it was never meant to replace public engagement, and a community engagement plan launches this month. Some council members want it paused and restarted with proper notice. The moratorium still expires November 5th. Second, three years ago, Charlotte rewrote its zoning to allow duplexes, triplexes, and quads citywide without a rezoning fight. New analysis by Ashley Fahey at the Charlotte Ledger counts 8,000. 537 submitted or approved since, against hundreds before. One honest caveat, submitted or approved isn't the same as built, and nobody has published a count of what's actually standing. And the Hornets are back on local television this season under a new agreement with Cox Media Group. Now, as promised, Charlotte Pride, this weekend, free. Festival at First Ward Park on East 7th. Saturday, noon to 10, Sunday noon to 6, parade Sunday afternoon, 1 to 4, down try-in from 9th. And further out, the Charlotte Asian Film Festival returns August 29th at the Independent Picture House. 30 short films from across the Asian diaspora, with panels on mental health. That's CLT Daily for Thursday, August 13th. I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte. Take care of each other.

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