Developers anticipating Charlotte’s new light rail

New line expected in 2015

Steve Hawley, Jul 22, 09.

Developers in Charlotte, NC are getting ready for the city’s next light rail line, according to local TV station WSOCTV. The latest development, which will contain one million square feet of office and medical space less than a quarter-mile from a future light rail station, was approved on Monday.

Charlotte is successfully using transit to spur economic development. According to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the current 10-mile light rail line has generated over $3 billion in economic development since its opening in November 2007. The new light rail line will be 11 miles long and is expected to open in 2015. By 2030, the city aims to create a system of streetcars, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail as well.

Charlotte is also expected to be one of the first stops on the high-speed rail corridor connecting Atlanta to Washington, DC and Jacksonville, Florida.

Houston’s light rail, by comparison, serves twice as many people as Charlotte’s on less than eight miles, but has had mixed success in generating significant investments due to intense land speculation, as noted in a recent Reconnecting America report.