Charlotte’s Red Line Project Sparks Enthusiasm and Skepticism Amid Funding Concerns

Charlotte’s Red Line: Excitement and Concerns Loom Over Project

Charlotte is buzzing with talk about the Red Line commuter rail stretching from the heart of the city to Mooresville. After a long wait, a major breakthrough has been made—Norfolk Southern is finally open to negotiating the sale of their tracks! This has paved the way for a series of town hall meetings organized by the Charlotte Area Transportation System (CATS), and the city is also pushing for a county-wide sales tax increase of 1 percent to fund this ambitious project.

Now, it’s an exciting time for everyone involved. All the Lake Norman towns, along with the Charlotte and Mecklenburg County boards, are on board with these plans. But amid all of this enthusiasm, there are some important questions that still need to be asked.

The Details Behind the Tax

To give a bit of background, local support is crucial because the state legislature has to grant taxing authority. If they do, the proposal will be placed on the ballot as a county referendum—likely in 2025. Drafted legislation stipulates that revenue from the new sales tax will be split evenly between road improvements and public transportation.

However, here’s where things get tricky. For the road funding, rather than pooling tax money and ranking projects county-wide, the plan divides it among towns based on how many roads they own. This means Charlotte gets the lion’s share, snagging around 80 percent of the road funding, which amounts to over $100 million annually! In contrast, the town of Cornelius will receive a minuscule 2 percent, translating to just over $5 million for roads. Ouch!

This disparity raises eyebrows. Sure, if a property tax were raised to match this funding, Cornelius would be looking at a whopping 56 percent increase in property taxes. Yikes—certainly not an easy pill to swallow. Plus, this legislation reinforces a system that’s already prioritized Charlotte, making fair funding for Lake Norman towns feel even more like a distant dream.

Costs Come into Question

When discussing the Red Line, the question of funding won’t be the only concern. Right now, there’s no current cost estimate for the project, but looking at a recent railway project—a nine-mile Blue Line extension that cost around $1.2 billion—the 23-mile Red Line could easily top $2 billion or more. With CATS managing public transport on their watch, ridership has halved since its peak in 2010, even though the budget has doubled. This presents a significant risk when taxpayers are being asked to fork over more money.

Now, looking at the feasibility of ridership for the Red Line—it’s essential to consider that around 100,000 vehicles use I-77 daily in Lake Norman. For the Red Line to be a competitive alternative, it would have to accommodate around 50,000 trips per day. That averages out to about 5,000 people per stop! Where will all these commuters park? Back in 2012, the ridership projections were so low that the Red Line couldn’t even qualify for federal funding. The radio silence on current ridership estimates is definitely raising some eyebrows.

Commuter Concerns

From a commuter’s perspective, it also raises serious doubts. A one-way trip on the Red Line is projected to take around 45 minutes, with trains operating every half-hour during peak times. So, realistically, commuters need to consider the drive to the station, wait times, train travel, and more. If you miss a train, it’s another 30 minutes gone. With private toll lanes allowing for near-constant traffic flow on I-77, many might find that sticking to their cars is still the faster and more convenient option, despite the headaches that come with it.

A Long-Term Tax Without End

Finally, another red flag is what is *not* included in the legislation—a sunset provision. This means the sales tax could stick around forever unless repealed by another county-wide vote. What aren’t residents aware of is whether they’re about to lock themselves into a permanent tax to fund a project that lacks accountability in terms of cost and feasibility.

Some speculate that this project’s push may be fueled by the hope of high-density development along the Red Line route, much like what happened in South End with the Blue Line. So the question remains: Do we really want to see high-rise apartments sprouting up in communities like Cornelius? Do we actually need to provide more incentives for developers to come in?

In light of all these factors, it seems prudent to pause and reflect. While there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Red Line, a thorough reassessment is warranted to ensure the investment will benefit all communities fairly. Right now, it feels like we’re being asked to place a bet on a grand gamble without having all the facts at hand.