CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte leaders will consider spending $91 million to purchase the O-Line tracks, what could turn into the long-awaited Red Line commuter train to communities north of the city.
City leaders announced this at a presentation to City Council on Monday ahead of next week's vote to finalize the purchase from Norfolk Southern.
As part of the plan, $74 million would go to 22 miles of rail corridor that goes north from Uptown Charlotte to the Mecklenburg County line, and $17 million would be used to buy 1.6 acres of land along Graham Street, adjacent to the Gateway Station.
Next week, Council will vote both on this purchase and on a resolution to support the one cent sales tax increase for transit projects like this.
In order to get the sales tax on the ballot in November 2025, they would need approval from the state legislature. However, the O-Line purchase must be approved before any of that happens, with Norfolk Southern's deadline of Sept. 9.
Some councilmembers were wary of these tight deadlines at Monday's meeting.
"Once we move forward on this tight timeline, we'll be holding the bag at that point," said Councilman Tariq Bokhari. "There's a lot of possible pros in that, but I have a lot of negatives and cons in my mind on how that could end up being a debacle."
The original Red Line plans included a stop in Mount Mourne. However, without the support of both Iredell County and Mooresville, the city cannot move forward with that part of the purchase. The proposed agreement between Norfolk Southern and Charlotte preserves the future ability to acquire this part of the line. It would cost an additional $17.75 million.
The transit plan itself has been a source of debate. The town of Matthews voted to oppose the sales tax, after it was announced the Silver Line train through east Charlotte would be cut back from a light rail to a bus rapid transit system due to budget constraints.
"There's not enough money to pay for the plan and that’s been true for many, many years,” said Brent Cagle, interim CATS CEO.
If all passes through the legislature, the city will open up the plan to input from the community and stakeholders as early as this fall. The goal is to come up with an updated plan in line with their official spending capabilities before it ends up on the ballot. However, there's no guarantee this will change anything for Matthews.
"It won’t change until the MTC (Metropolitan Transit Commission) votes to change it. What we’re going to do though in the meantime is come up with a proposed modified plan," Councilman Ed Driggs said.
The council is expected to vote on both items Sept. 3 and close on the O-Line before Sept. 9.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.