CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Area Transit System announced on Wednesday four scenarios for a 30-year transit plan, which include the Red Line being built.
Mecklenburg County is weighing a 1% sales tax increase to pay for an expansion to transit.
Even if Mecklenburg County gets approval for a sales tax increase, CATS said there’s not enough money to fund all of the rail projects the county wants.
Instead, some of those projects will have to get shorter or be replaced entirely.
To get a potential one percent sales tax increase on the ballot, Mecklenburg County needs approval from a statehouse that’s been skeptical of overinvestment in rail.
Interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle said the county’s compromise is to split tax money:
- 40% rail
- 40% roads
- 20% buses
“That creates tradeoffs from day one, may not be able to will not be able to serve the entire identified corridor,” Cagle said.
CATS has four proposed scenarios that can be completed within 30 years of passing the sales tax while remaining on budget. All scenarios include fully building the Red Line and the Gold Line extension.
Scenario 1: All projects will have rail but the Silver Line and the Blue Line extension plans will be greatly shortened. The Silver Line would run from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to the BoPlex, the planned route to Matthews and Interstate 485 would be delegated to a future extension. The Blue Line extension into Pineville would be built and the extension to Ballantyne would be delegated to a future extension.
CATS is presenting plans for how Meck County would use the funds from a 1% sales tax increase to improve transit. The bottom line, with the constraints in the proposed legislation, we cannot build all these planned rail lines. pic.twitter.com/oX7vM8QOrD
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) January 22, 2025
Scenario 2: Silver Line West would be built from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to 11th Street, the east section would be from Gateway Station to CPCC Levine, Matthews for a Bus Rapid Transit. The Blue Line from I-485 to Pineville to be built. Ballantyne would be delegated to a future extension.
Scenario 3: Silver line route built in full as a BRT. Both the Pineville and Ballantyne extensions of the Blue Line would be built in full.
Scenario 4: Both Silver Line and Blue Line extension plans would be built in full as a BRT.
“I don’t know why we’re advocating for a model in Raleigh that doesn’t fund what we want,” said Matthews Mayor John Higdon
Higdon said he is disappointed none of the scenarios included a rail to Matthews and he believes the county should push back against state plans to limit what they can fund.
Meanwhile, Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam said it’s now or never.
“To me, this ship has sailed,” Washam said. “It’s either go in this direction or forget it, none of this going to happen.”
Transportation leaders will get public input before making a final decision in the spring.
VIDEO: Charlotte City Council approves purchase necessary for Red Line rail
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