Residents want better access to businesses via CATS gate

CHARLOTTE — Residents and commuters are calling on CATS to open a gate that would provide better access to neighboring businesses from the Sugar Creek Station.

A gate sits feet away from the light rail platform and directly in front of the highly anticipated Soul Gastrolounge restaurant. The restaurant is set to reopen in the coming weeks and is part of a surge of development next to this station.

Despite the proximity to the Sugar Creek Station, as it stands right now, light rail commuters have to take a lengthy trip around the station to access Soul and other businesses.

There is no direct access or walking path. Patrons will have to walk through grass and a parking lot to access the businesses.

The businesses are effectively blocked off from the transit despite being right next to each other.

CATS says despite the gate’s existence, there are no plans to open it to the public in the immediate future.

A spokesperson cited safety reasons. There is a pedestrian bridge next to the station that impacts the visibility of oncoming light rail vehicles.

“The pedestrian gate at Sugar Creek Station remains closed for safety reasons,” a spokesperson for CATS said. “There are required safety features for a pedestrian crossing that need to be installed. CATS is continuing to work with the developer to open this crossing in the future.”

With this area about to boom and this section of the light rail having been open for several years, Channel 9 asked why this wasn’t addressed a while ago.

CATS said additional pedestrian crossings weren’t needed when it was being built.

“During construction for the Blue Line Extension, Sugar Creek Station was an industrial area, not needing additional pedestrian crossings,” a spokesperson said. “With the current development in the area, we are in discussions with the developers about the requirements needed to safely open the north end of the station.”

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