The UPoR reports that Charlotte light rail ridership is now back to 2008 levels, when high gas prices pushed people to tack the train to work. That may not be that impressive though. As the story notes:
However, the train’s seven years have shown that it’s been difficult for CATS to get new riders, even as uptown employment has grown significantly and thousands of new apartments have been built along the line in uptown and the South End. Many of the apartments were built because of the proximity to the train.
Former UNC Charlotte transportation consultant David Hartgen, a transportation consultant, said ridership suggests light rail is losing market share in the commuting corridor along South Boulevard, Interstate 77 and Park Road.
“The fundamental assumption is that the Lynx traffic would increase as the region got denser,” he said. “That hasn’t happened.”
