Hurray! Today was media day for the $463 million South line — question for the media, anybody ask if it still costs $463 million? — so expect a flood of stories tonite and tomorrow.

Tommy Tomlinson at least points out the good and the bad of this morning’s junket here and asks when readers think they might ride the train:

1. Ride a lot to commute to work
2. Ride a lot for pleasure (Panthers games, etc.)
3. Ride sometimes
4. Ride occasionally
5. Never ride because you don’t need it
6. Never ride out of principle (we’re spending too much money on it, etc.)

Hmmm, I know we’re spending too much money on the thing, money that could be better spent on actual congestion solutions, but that does not mean I’ll never ride it. Similarly, I know that the Uptown Arena was a mistake — especially ignoring voters’ wishes on the subject — but now that it is a reality, I have no qualms with using it. Further afield, I know that Social Security, as it currently exists, is an abomination but that does not in any way bind me to send the checks back — if any — when I can collect. Tommy, like many folks, can’t seem to tell the difference between principle and martyrdom.

Having said that, I cannot come up with a plausible scenario in which I’ll ever ride the South line. I have no reason to drive to Pineville — or worse, start up South Blvd. — in order to get Uptown. Panthers games are a straight shot down Providence and besides, if you are not tailgaiting, what is the point? (This sounds like another mancation thread.)

Bobcats Arena? Went there last nite going again tonite for The Police, won’t miss a train. In fact, from buzzer to a lot two blocks away to home was a 25 minute operation for four people last nite. And I know from years of Metro riding in DC that before or after a big event can bring such a crush of people and delays that a traffic jam can seem like relative peace and quiet.

The thing that I cannot get over, though, is how the Uptown paper of record is totally on board with the notion that the train running is some sort of transformative event for Charlotte. As we’ve tried to make clear these many months, the transformative stuff is in the land use around the train stations. Getting the train up and running is incidental to that, it certainly will not carry enough people to make a dent in congestion in the corridor.

Will we see the same sort of coverage and boosterism when the Beltway finally gets done? If not, why not?