The Charlotte City Council Monday night voted 8-1 to spend $5 million on designing the proposed Red Line, a commuter train from uptown to Lake Norman.
The vote comes even though the city doesn’t have money to build the train — or a firm commitment as to where it will go.
Charlotte has been trying to build the Red Line for about 25 years, but the biggest hurdle is that Charlotte has nowhere to build it.
The plan is to use existing freight tracks, but Norfolk Southern, which owns the tracks, has refused to share them. Without the railroad’s approval, the Red Line is blocked.
The other hurdle is that the Charlotte Area Transit System doesn’t have the money to build the Red Line, which will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The city is trying to build support for a $13.5 billion transit plan, which would require a one-penny sales tax increase in Mecklenburg County. That plan would also build another light rail line, as well as expand the bus system and build roads, sidewalks, bike lanes and greenways.
Republican council member Tariq Bokhari was the one vote against the design contract with HDR Engineering.
Council members didn’t discuss the issue before voting.
The city said this contract will “focus on public outreach; updating the grade crossings and track design; examining options for a new vehicle maintenance facility; reevaluating vehicle technologies and service levels; confirming station locations, and analyzing new alignment options into Center City Charlotte.”
The city received two proposals for the work.
