Federal transit authorities, city sign light-rail deal

By Steve Harrison
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012

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TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com
Light-rail cars sit at the end of the line Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 at the 9th Street Trolley stop, which will become the first new station on the Lynx Blue Line extension. The city of Charlotte and the Federal Transit Administration signed a deal Tuesday morning that commits the federal government to paying for half of the construction costs for a $1.16 billion light-rail extension. TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

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TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

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TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com
Light-rail cars sit at the end of the line Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, at the Ninth Street trolley stop, which will become the first new station on the Lynx Blue Line extension. The city of Charlotte and the Federal Transit Administration signed a deal Tuesday morning that commits the federal government to paying for half of the construction costs for a $1.16 billion light-rail extension. TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

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TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com
Mayor Anthony Foxx speaks Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 during a ceremony at the 9th Street Trolley stop, which will become the first new station on the Lynx Blue Line extension. The city of Charlotte and the Federal Transit Administration signed a deal Tuesday morning that commits the federal government to paying for half of the construction costs for a $1.16 billion light-rail extension. TODD SUMLIN - tsumlin@charlotteobserver.com

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Jeff Siner - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Commuters stand on the platform at the Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena stop waiting to board the CATS' LYNX Blue Line light rail on Monday, October 15, 2012. CATS will announce a full-funding grant agreement has been signed with FTA on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. Jeff Siner - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

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More Information

The city of Charlotte and the Federal Transit Administration signed a deal Tuesday that commits the federal government to paying for half the construction costs for a $1.16 billion light-rail extension.

The ceremony was held at the old Ninth Street trolley stop, which will become the first new station on the Lynx extension from uptown to the northeast.

The existing Lynx Blue Line runs between Seventh Street Station uptown and I-485 in south Charlotte.

The contract means the FTA will spend $580 million on the new light-rail line. The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Area Transit System will spend $250 million and the N.C. Department of Transportation will spend $299 million.

The line will connect uptown to UNC Charlotte, with 11 stations.

Construction on the 9.2-mile extension is scheduled to begin in November 2013; it could open as early as 2017.

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