LTE in today’s Journal, from Robert Faulwetter of Pfafftown:
My family recently traveled to downtown Charlotte to attend a show at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. What truly made the trip memorable was our ride on the new light-rail system known as Lynx Blue Line. We parked our car at a free lot at the New Bern station and for $2.60 round trip came within two blocks of the center. Those who live and work in the area are well aware of the traffic and the need to rent a permanent parking space in a local garage. The Seventh Street stop is directly across from the Bobcats Arena.
The bottom line is the ease and convenience to get into and out of a highly congested area. I do hope the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation takes a close look at this operation as it plans for light rail here in the Piedmont.
Bonus observation: I seem to remember at last year’s unveiling of the HOT plan (latest here) talk about running a rail line to PTIA. Haven’t heard much since, which gives me cause to think the idea’s on the back burner for now. But, with that in mind, the Antiplanner notes that a D.C. rail line extension to Dulles Airport will not be financed by the federal government. Here’s the interesting PART (pun intended):
To provide local matching funds, northern Virginia counties recently created a huge transportation authority that would tax home sales, hotel rooms, rental cars, and auto repairs to pay for local road and transit projects. It was generally understood that a large share of the authority’s money would go to Dulles rail, but local officials were counting on federal funding for at least half the cost of the project.
To be fair, I seem to remember PART director Brent McKinney and candidates for the recent Greensboro city council elections say that funding for light rail was problematic. But that hasn’t stopped PART from convincing governments to sign off on taxes at the local level. The bottom line, though, is the funding’s not there from the federal government. Guess what — it’s not there in Charlotte, either. Hence the problem down Interstate 85.
