Last night, the Charlotte City Council voted to approved a new $5 million contract for architecture firm HDR Engineering, Inc., worth $5,000,000 to redesign plans for the proposed extension of the LYNX Red Line Commuter Rail up to Lake Norman.
According to Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) website, “The LYNX Red Line will connect the towns of Davidson, Cornelius, Mooresville and Huntersville to Center City Charlotte at the proposed multimodal station in Charlotte Gateway District. During extensive public outreach, communities in the Northern towns indicated a desire for more frequent service, like light rail or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The LYNX Red Line Commuter Rail is the current North Corridor Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).”
Since the initial design was completed back in 2009, the surrounding area has undergone significant transformations, and the city has been in stalemate with Norfolk Southern, who currently owns the tracks the Red Line would use to go north. The company has historically been resistant to the Red Line, but now, they might finally be changing their tune.
A Norfolk Southern spokesperson just told WCNC Charlotte the following in a statement:
“Though this line remains a strategic part of our network, we have always valued our relationship with Charlotte and the surrounding communities. Wherever we can, we will continue to work with them on projects that intersect with our network and the needs of our customers.”
A proposal to build a new LYNX Light Rail line from Uptown Charlotte to Mooresville is coming back to life after stalling out in previous years. @JuliaKauffmanTV takes a closer look. https://t.co/Xyrd47G9Zh
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) September 12, 2023
Do you think Charlotte will ever end up building the Red Line?
