Tagged: transit

Transportation is a big issue in Charlotte - so is funding it. Officials are exploring financing options for the really big, really expensive 2030 Transit Plan. As a result of the recession, there is a $3 billion gap in funding for the long-term plan that has left some, like Charlotte City Council member David Howard to claim "if we don’t do something different, this 2030 or 2035 Plan is going to be more like a 2080 Plan." He is Committee Co-Chair, along with Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain of a 30-member transit funding working group formed at the behest of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx (who has been nominated as Transportation Secretary) to explore possible options to help fund $4 billion worth of projects. They join us to share their findings. The future and funding challenges of Charlotte's transit plan, when Charlotte Talks.

April 1 marked the beginning of Ron Carlee's tenure as Charlotte City Manager, the first person from out of town to hold the position in more than 30 years. Mr. Carlee brings experience both as a former county manager (Arlington Co., Virginia) and as the COO of the International City/ County Management Association, where he was able to see the operations of cities all over the world. We'll sit down with Mr. Carlee and Mayor Anthony Foxx to talk about how he plans to tackle the city budget, transit and the streetcar debate, the airport situation, and the day-to-day operations of the city, when Charlotte Talks.

Charlotte officials say this gift from the Federal Transit Administration is the single largest federal grant the city's ever received: $580 million.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff traveled from D.C. to bring news of what city leaders have expected for several months now.

That hasn't always been the case, though.

"This project was on life support back in 2009," says Mayor Anthony Foxx.

If you ride the bus in Concord and Kannapolis, you’ll soon be seeing some big changes. The cities’ joint bus system called Rider Transit will be getting eight new hybrid-electric buses with free WiFi hotspots. There will also be service on Sundays starting in October 2013 and several improvements to bus stops, including a doubling of the number of shelters, solar-powered street lights and improved security system.

Extending the light rail from Uptown to UNC Charlotte will cost just over $1 billion. That price tag has contributed to the project's sometimes on-again-off-again status as local, state and federal funds tighten.

But Danny Rogers - the Blue Line Extension's project manager for the city - says all the funding is nearly in place.

"Right now we're just waiting on the full-funding grant agreement - FTA recommended and has approved it, pending the congressional review," says Rogers.