Rendering: CATS

Jan. 23. By Dave Vieser. The new cost estimate for the CATS Red Line is in: $1.38 billion—more than twice the original $640 million estimated pricetag.

Building the Red Line is still considered a top priority among four transit funding options unveiled yesterday by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) for the consideration of legislators in Raleigh.

Quotable

“The Red Line is definitely doable within all four options that were presented by CATS,” said Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam. “I am totally in favor of the approved version of taking these four workable directives of future potential options to the citizens for feedback and input.”

Mayor Washam

Money

Now comes the big question: Where does money for these projects come from.?

A one-penny increase in the sales tax seems to be the most popular solution at the moment. Forty percent of the proceeds would go towards transit, rather than 50 percent, a decrease apparently designed to make a sales tax package more acceptable to a majority of the General Assembly.

It will now be up to legislators to decide if they want to give citizens a vote on increasing the area sales tax.

That decision in Raleigh is no slam dunk, and even if the GOP caucus ultimately says “yes, put it on the November ballot,” will taxpayers go along? Washam hopes so.

“This is critical for the future of transit in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County as well as the Lake Norman Region,” Washam said.