Charlotte City Leaders have just approved a new plan to significantly expanded the new Lynx ‘Silver Line’, extending it from Matthews into Gaston County.
The Metropolitan Transit Commission voted unanimously last night to move forward with plans to merge the West Corridor with the Lynx Silver Line.
The new Silver Line is now proposed to run from the intersection of Park Street and Highway 75 in Belmont to the CPCC Levine in Matthews with 26 stops along the way;
According to Belmont city manager Adrian Miller, there are now 65,000 vehicles traveling between Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties every day, which often results in traffic backups on I-85.
Jason Lawrence, a project manager with CATS said the entire Silver Line from Matthews to Gaston County would likely take 10 to 12 years to build. He also noted that financing hasn’t yet been identified. The several billions of dollars in funding would likely come from a combination of local, state and federal taxes.
In addition to the updated plans for the Silver Line, the MTC also approved studies into extending the Blue Line south into Pineville and Ballantyne, as well as the possibility of moving the Silver Line further west toward Gastonia.
What are your thoughts about a light rail line plans?
