CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte city leaders discussed plans for the Silver Line, a light rail running from Gaston County to Union County, as well as the potential design alternatives for Charlotte's Transportation Center in Uptown.
These discussions happened during Tuesday's Charlotte Transportation Committee Meeting. Charlotte leaders are making mobility a top priority as the city grows.
"How do we move, how do you get from work to home, how do you get to the daily needs you have, to school?" said Ed McKinney, Deputy Director for Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT).
For quite some time now, the city has debated the route of the silver line. The options at play have been for it to run alongside I-277 north of Uptown or share tracks with the Blue Line and Gold Line.
On Tuesday, the committee says they prefer the original northern route, despite survey results showing some opposition.
They say it captures more existing residents and households, and it's on Uptown's perimeter, with a goal to continue better ridership, which has seen an increase since the pandemic.
Also, in Uptown, over time, the area will look different, but for now, it's just the beginning of a long journey.
There have also been several different options on how the transportation center in Uptown should look.
The committee said they should move forward with the 'concourse' design due to safety and efficiency.
“The opportunity is to really create a destination for the community, not just a bus facility or transit facility," Assistant City Manager, Tracy Dodson said.
During the presentation, Dodson and other city leaders said to improve the bus experience, they need to improve the passenger experience. They believe this is the first step.
As for the Silver Line, funding is still a big question and the Metropolitan Transit Commission will have the final vote on the project.