Jan. 21. If the Red Line becomes a reality, where will the Cornelius commuter station be located? One thing is certain: It won’t be in the original spot south of Catawba Avenue. This fact was revealed at a December Town Board meeting when commissioners and staff discussed the upcoming legislative agenda for 2025.
The original station was planned to be adjacent to the track near the Dunkin and the building to the south, said Deputy Town Mayor Wayne Herron.
The parking lot next to Harris Teeter was approved for a parking deck as well, but the Charlotte Area Transit System has “preliminarily determined” that it’s not big enough.
Either way, a rail station is considered an economic development asset.
Transit-oriented developments like Antiquity were built along Norfolk Southern’s O Line anticipating commuter rail, but no progress was made until the railroad said it was open to negotiations last year and it was acquired by Charlotte.
Herron said that the new Cornelius station likely would be farther north, between Zion Avenue and Railroad Street, near Barley Market.
“At this time, it’s just general exploration of the area and thinking about where people would want to walk and park (Antiquity vs. downtown) and where parking could go,” Herron said.
Background
Beyond the location of the depot, the billion-dollar commuter line itself is an open question. The North Meck towns have requested that the legislature permit a referendum for a 1 cent sales tax to be submitted to voters next November. Some of the proceeds would go toward construction of the new line, some for new roads.
The referendum is expected to be discussed early this year by the GOP caucus. This will determine whether the sales tax referendum will be on the ballot in Mecklenburg County next November.
The concept for mass transit and the road money generated from the tax would be a game changer.
“Without a question, we cannot possibly ever build enough roads fast enough in the years ahead to meet the transit needs of the Lake Norman region and surrounding areas,” said Mayor Woody Washam.
North Mecklenburg has the highest ridership in the county of the current CATS system, Washam said, one indication that they will utilize a good transit system.
All aboard?
Matthews officials have taken issue with the fact that CATS dropped plans for a new rail line in their part of the county in favor of the Red Line up into North Meck. Matthews officially went on record against the referendum this past August.
“I am strongly opposed to the current draft legislation, as it knowingly underfunds the approved transit plan for the region,” said Matthews Mayor John Higdon. “If ultimately approved, it will create drastic inequities by only funding the Silver Line East as Bus Rapid Transit while all other lines are built as rail.”
CT yet again committing journalistic malpractice by parroting talking points from a politician without context. The “highest ridership” in the county? What does that actually equate to? Approx. 654 riders PER DAY on the 3 bus routes that service north Meck and commute to/from Uptown according to MTC’s most recently available numbers from September. Why is anyone advocating a permanent tax increase and billions in spending for a red line that might transport 700 people per day??
Posted by Eric Rowell | January 21, 2025, 1:27 pmCan you imagine how our area would be transformed if we spent our Billions on people rather than stuff. Education, teacher salaries, structured programs for our youth, college or trade scholorships, affordable housing, medical care for the needy and so forth. We need to lift people up and allow them to join a productive society. Our current bus system will meet our needs rather than creating another I-77 mess..
Posted by R. Nibarger | January 21, 2025, 2:23 pmWhy not use the I-77 model, let a private company build the Red Line, and charge commensurately? That way those of us who will never use the thing, will never pay for it. Those who do, will pay for it. Seems fair
Posted by Bucky Dornster | January 21, 2025, 4:22 pmOMG, you are so right. Why should we bother with the whole “tax-funded infrastructure” thing when we can just charge people per mile driven or per stroll in the park? It’s not like basic community infrastructure and services should be accessible to everyone, right? Nothing says “togetherness” like a Cornelius where only the most affluent can afford to enjoy the same park that kids used to play in for free! Hats off to this innovative approach—because nothing says progress like turning our town into a pay-per-use playground for the wealthy!
Posted by TaxiVader | January 22, 2025, 8:49 amWow. Typical hyperbole. BIG difference between a $100k park and $4B train to nowhere.
Posted by Bucky Dornster | January 22, 2025, 9:15 amHey, Woody. No more cutting trees down, not even for this new station. Also, when are you going to at least show a tad of atonement by having a plant a tree day?
Posted by Donn Leppard | January 22, 2025, 8:29 am