Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina. This service started on 24 November 2007 as the first rail line from the Charlotte Area Transit System. The 9.6 mile (15.4 km) line marches from the northern end of Uptown, across the South End and across South Boulevard to the south end north of Interstate 485 at the border of Pineville. This is the first major fast rail service in North Carolina, and began operating seventy years after the previous Charlotte tram system was disbanded in 1938, supporting motorized bus transportation. The system was officially opened for service on November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration ticket was not collected. Regular service with tariff collection starts on November 26, 2007. There are 20 stations in the system, light rail section that carries an average of over 16,400 passenger trips daily.
The Blue Line extension to University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was built, following the northeastern path along the South Norfolk road along North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street. The extension opened on March 16, 2018.
Video Lynx Blue Line
History
In the mid-1980s, urban and district planners were evaluating strategies to control and focus the region's growing population and expand development. One strategy to consider is the construction of light rail to encourage new businesses and housing along the corridor. In 1984, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission made its first recommendation for the light rail line that links Uptown Charlotte with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) as part of the Community Vision Plan 2005. In response to this recommendation, mayor Harvey Gantt asked $ 50,000 from the city council for a feasibility study, only to cancel the request due to lack of board support.
After staying inactive for nearly three years, the light railway debate once again emerged as a mass rail/bulk freight task force established by then mayor Sue Myrick in early 1988. The Task Force received $ 185,000 from a combination of local, state and federal. funding for a preliminary study of a system consisting of three lines radiating out from Uptown Charlotte. One line connected with UNCC to the northeast; the second is to connect to Pineville, with future expansions envisioned to Fort Mill and Rock Hill to the south; and the third is connected with Matthews, with anticipated future expansion into Monroe to the southeast.
In September 1988, the results of a preliminary study conducted by Barton-Aschman Associates was a 77-mile (123.9 km) system that included a loop around Uptown Charlotte and eight separate corridors radiating out of the city center, for a total cost of $ 467 million. The imagined corridor includes a route along Albemarle Road to the east, connecting with both SouthPark and Matthews to the southeast, Pineville to the south, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport to the west, UNCC to the northeast, along Brookshire Boulevard to the northwest, and Davidson to the north. The cost of the plan is significantly more than $ 101 million in bonds issued by the city council that will be used to start the project. The cost factor, combined with the inability to get the right path needed for the path, led to project delays.
In March 1990, CATS only allocated $ 14 million for the development of light rail for a decade. Again, construction costs cited in delaying system development. In addition, Charlotte's proposal at the time did not anticipate enough riders from the system to obtain Federal Transit Administration (FTA) aid money to develop the system. $ 14 million will be used for abandoned left-of-way purchases as they become available for future light rail development as well as money to study the proposed line connecting the Wilgrove area east of Mecklenburg County to Tyvola Road south of Uptown Charlotte. After nearly fifteen years of debate, in 1998, Mecklenburg County voters approved a one and a half cent sales tax for use in the implementation of the Integrated 2025 Transit/Land Use Plan, which included the development of a light rail network. Once taxes are approved, Charlotte's ability to have funds suitable for an FTA grant comes true in financing development, and planning for the South Corridor to Pineville begins.
Planning and construction
Although light railways had been planned to connect Charlotte to Rock Hill in previous years, the official planning for the corridor, which later became the Blue Line, did not start until 1999. The starting line was a 13.5 mile (21.73 km) route serving as connections between Uptown Charlotte and Pineville along the South Norfolk rail line are parallel to South Boulevard at a cost of $ 225 million. In February 2000, the Metropolitan Transit Commission unanimously approved the corridors for the first light rail line in the region, and in April, $ 8.2 million was allocated for the initial purchase of materials for its construction. In September Parsons Transportation Group was hired by CATS to complete engineering and environmental studies for the corridor, and currently the cost estimate for the completed line increased to $ 331 million.
The overall cost of completing the line increased to $ 371 million in July 2002 as a result of rising land and construction costs. In addition, the south terminal for the line was moved from downtown Pineville about 1.5 miles (2.41 km) to the north. The station was removed after Mayor George Fowler, and the City Council of Pineville chose not to accept the line. Also, the low projected passenger numbers indicate that the construction was not guaranteed at the time. In March 2004, the cost estimate had risen to $ 398.7 million and was again revised to $ 427 million in January 2005. The increase in forecasts was again attributed to rising land and construction costs. After many delays caused by rising cost estimates, the official breakthrough for the line occurred on February 26, 2005.
As a result of the amount of traffic at a number of stations along the route, CATS determines that a bridge covering the busiest road crossings will be needed to prevent further congestion. Starting January 4, 2006, the installation of concrete blocks from 89 to 119 feet (27 to 36 m) began at Tyvola station and completed in February. After the construction of the overpass on Tyvola, similar flyovers were then installed at the Archdale station from 5 April to 5 May; at Woodlawn station from 10 May to 30 May; and at Arrowood station from 13 July to 23 July.
With one year of on-going construction, in February 2006 CATS launched "Lynx" as the official name of its light rail network. Lynx was selected from a list of over 250 possibilities including City Lynx and Xcel, and was chosen to adhere to the big cat theme in the names of local professional sports teams (Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Bobcats), and also because it is homophonous with "links" (suggesting connectivity). As of September 2006, the estimated cost of completion for the Blue Line is once again upgraded. This time the increase was due to faulty planning and line design from the consultant hired by CATS to design the line, Parsons Transportation Group. A revised estimate in early 2007 called for the project to be completed with a final cost of $ 462.7 million, more than double the original estimate of $ 227 million.
Commencement of service
Nearly three years after construction began, the Lynx Blue Line opened for passenger service on November 24, 2007. On the opening weekend of November 24-25, 2007 all trips were free, resulting in 24,000 riders' travel in the first four hours and 60,000 trips on the first day. This is well above the maximum measurable capacity for Lynx services. The revenue service started with the first train on November 26, 2007. Lynx is the first major fast-train service in North Carolina, and serves as a railroad transit revival in the city since the original tram network was discontinued in 1938 favoring motorized buses.
The original light rail system employs 16 Siemens S70 train cars acquired for $ 50 million. In 2012, after 4 years of operation, trains must be fixed at Siemens facilities in California with an estimated cost of $ 400,000 each.
Extensions
The Blue Line Extension (originally the Northeast Corridor) is an extension of the Blue Line. Connect directly to the Blue Line at 7th Street station in Uptown Charlotte. The line serves University City and the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, following the northeastern path along the South Norfolk road along North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street. The distance is about 9.7 miles (15.6 km) with 11 stations with an estimated cost of $ 1.159 billion ($ 580 million in federal funds $ 299 million in state funds $ 280 million in local funding). This extension was opened on March 16, 2018 to help serve the IAA Division I NCAA Men's 2018 Tournament. The second rail facility is called The North Light Rail Facilities Brevard . & Lt;/ref & gt;
Planning (1985-2011)
The prospect of developing a light rail line between UNC Charlotte and Uptown via Newell was initially evaluated in 1985. The route is proposed for the South Railway line, parallel to North Tryon Street and Old Concord Road, and is scheduled for completion at some point. between 1995-2000. After years of discussion and delays, in June 2006 the proposed route was chosen.
The selected route follows the right-of-way Southern Norfolk from Uptown through approximately Sugar Creek Road where it parallels North Tryon Street to the terminal on the south side of Interstate 485. Along the Norfolk Southern ROW, the light rail line parallels existing trains and lanes Amtrak passenger train service. Routing also includes stations on the UNCC campus. The decision not to cross I-485 to extend the line to Salome Church Road was made on the basis of an estimated $ 30 million cost for a bridge and daily rider projected to a station of only 200 passengers. Estimates for line construction range from $ 928 million to $ 1.12 billion. These include increased class separation from previous estimates and a 300 'long platform to accommodate additional train cars.
In November 2007, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) granted approval to start initial engineering work for the corridor, and in January 2008, the Charlotte City Council approved funding for this work commencing in March 2008. A $ 30 million engineering study is expected to be completed in 2010, at which point the FTA will determine whether federal funding is available for half of project development.
In July 2010, CATS announced that funding is being sought to extend existing lanes to 9th Street to serve UNC Charlotte Uptown Campus.
Design (2011-2013)
On December 12, 2011, the FTA issued a decision notes for the line, which confirmed that the initial draft fulfilled the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, and allowed the final design work to commence. On the same day, a $ 18 million federal grant for the project was approved.
On April 19, 2012, the US Department of Transportation committed to paying 25 percent ($ 290 million) of the estimated $ 9.16 billion in renewal costs. Construction will begin in 2013. On May 16, the North Carolina Railway Company, CATS and Norfolk Southern signed a lease, construction and operation agreement for the Lynx Blue Line Extension along the North Carolina Railroad Corridor.
In July, the FTA granted approval for CATS to enter the final Design stage for the Blue Line Extension, enabling the project to be developed from the 65-100 percent design level and allowing complete preparation of the final construction plan, right-of-way acquisition, construction cost estimates, bidding documents, and utility relocation. CATS can then plan to enter into a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) with the FTA, under which the FTA phase will commit to 50 percent of funding for the project.
On October 16, CATS signed FFGA with FTA. The FTA is made responsible for $ 580 million of the projected $ 1.16 billion cost. NCDOT will spend $ 299 million and the CATS share is $ 281 million.
In May 2013, several property owners living along the proposed route expressed concern about insufficient compensation for the property that the city would need to build the line.
Construction (2013-2018)
On July 18, 2013, groundbreaking officially took place near 9th Street Station; at the ceremony were the mayors of Charlotte Patsy Kinsey, UNCC chancellor Philip Dubois, federal transit administrator Peter Rogoff and Governor N.C Pat McCrory, former mayor of Charlotte and early proponent of the Lynx project.
By the end of 2013, jobs begin to shift underground utilities, build retaining walls and start grading and drainage work. In January 2014, the final design work for this extension was completed 95 percent, costing nearly $ 80 million out of a total budget of $ 187 million; the city has also acquired 261 of the 312 properties needed to build the line at a cost of $ 69.7 million out of a total budget of $ 121.4 million. The remaining 51 properties will be acquired at the end of January.
Major constructions are scheduled to start from March 2014. Technical challenges include burying St. 36 in NoDa and elevated the railway line in the area to make the intersection safer. City decided to divide the extension into three segments to be shared between different contractors. On January 27, the city awarded a civil construction contract to a joint venture of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure and Blythe Development Co., which will be paid $ 108 million to work on the first segment of the light rail extension, from Uptown Charlotte to Old Concord Road. The joint venture was formed to improve drainage, build bridges, maintain retaining walls, control traffic, and move waterways and sewers. CATS chief executive Carolyn Flowers said it was about $ 9 million more than the city budgeted.
Separate contracts were made for the queue from Old Concord Road to UNC Charlotte; a $ 119 million contract was awarded to Lane Construction on April 14. Separate contracts for installing rails and installing power plants and upper catenary cables were awarded to Balfour Beatty in the same month totaling $ 130.8 million. The contract has a total budget of $ 558 million. After a lower-than-anticipated construction offer, CATS completed several sections previously removed from the cut project in the planning phase, including an additional ticket vending machine, parking deck at Sugar Creek Station and fifth level to J.W. Clay Boulevard Station parking deck; CATS also intends to request additional additions, including the expansion of North Yard maintenance facilities and the construction of pedestrian bridges at Sugar Creek Station. The existing Lynx Blue Line is only designed for two-car trains only, because the extension will use a three-car train, CATS is intended to expand multiple stations on the track to allow them.
By the end of 2014, only 20 percent of the $ 228 million project contingency fund has been spent. CATS reported it was facing difficulties with the transfer of underground utilities, but said the project remained on schedule. In the uptown area, the initial ground leveling has begun, as well as the removal of the above power lines originally built for trolleys in the 1990s. In the second phase of the project, from the city center to the Old Concord Road, the city has begun building up retaining walls and laying the foundations for the Old Concord Road station. Some temporary road closures are required, including 16th Street (reopened in February 2015) and 36th Street in NoDa, to be closed until 2017. CATS also collaborates with the NC Department of Transportation to replace the Roadard Bridge Mall Mall North Mall on Tryon Street; much of the utility relocation still needs to be completed in this project area.
On June 8, 2015, the Charlotte city council approved the change order to raise three contracts of $ 19.5 million and keep the project on schedule; the city council reported still has $ 170 million in contingency funds. In September 2015, the US Transportation Department announced that it has issued a $ 180 million loan through the Transportation and Innovation Infrastructure Act for the construction of the Blue Line.
By the end of 2015, most tracking has been laid and the foundation for J.W. Clay Boulevard and UNC Charlotte stations have been completed, according to a December construction report from CATS. Work continued at University City Boulevard and Tom Hunter stations, while assessment for foundation work was under way for McCullough Station. In January 2016, new rail cars have begun shipping from Siemens in California, with four cars undergoing testing during the month.
By early 2017, stations have been completed along the extension and most of the tracks are tracked. Citing delays in testing new light rail vehicles and completing the remaining electrical work, on 27 February John Lewis, CEO of CATS, said the extension would not open until March 16, 2018.
Maps Lynx Blue Line
Ridership
Prior to the opening of the track in November 2007, CATS projected riders for the completed Blue Line to 9,100 on average business day in its first year of operation, gradually increasing to 18,100 by 2025. In the first few months of operation, Blue Line saw average daily passenger days of 8,700 passengers. At the end of the first quarter of 2008, the number of passengers on weekdays has increased to 18,600, the first-year projection doubled, and ahead of the projection of 2025. In March 2008, the single rail line accounted for 19.5% of the total rider system - 402,600 from 2,061,700 monthly passenger trips from all lines including bus, dial-a-ride, and vanpool. Daily riders continued to climb throughout the fall of 2008 due to rising gasoline prices, reaching 22,300 in the third quarter.
In the summer of 2009, the CATS survey showed that 72 percent of Lynx riders did not use public transportation before completion. On 11 December 2009, Lynx celebrated its 10 million passenger journey since it opened in November 2007. For 2009, Lynx saw a daily passenger drop from 19,700 to 19,500 passengers per day. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the American Public Transport Association (APTA) has a daily rider Lynx at 16,400, making Lynx the fourth largest light rail system in South America by motorists, and the 24th largest light rail system in the United States. Country in terms of passengers.
Overall, Charlotte has lost its transit riders in 2017-2018 faster than other US cities, with steadily decreasing passengers (-20% Feb 2018 vs Feb 2017). Over the past six months, the number of passengers decreased by 19%.
After the opening of the Blue Line Extension, the entire Blue Line averaged 26,064 trips on average business days in March. In April, the entire Blue Line averaged 24,333 weekday trips on a typical day (-7% from the previous month or -27% of the projected passengers). The original Lynx line averaged about 15,500 passenger journey before the extension opened. The Charlotte Area Transit System projected an extension will add nearly 18,000 passenger trips in the first year, totaling approximately 33,500 trips.
Operation
Lynx operates seven days a week. It runs from 5:30 am to 1:30 pm to Monday through Saturday, and from 6:15 am to midnight Sunday. On weekdays, the frequencies range from 10 minutes during peak hours to 20 minutes at night, with weekend walking service running every 15 minutes on Saturdays and 20 minutes on Sundays, with night service of 20-30 minutes.
Rolling stock
The line operates using the Siemens S70 light rail vehicle. When not in use, vehicles are housed at South Boulevard Light Rail Facility, located along South Boulevard, between New Bern station and Scaleybark in Sedgefield neighborhood. The facility is approximately 92,000 square feet (8,547.1m 2 ), and the home maintenance staff of Lynx rails, operating staff and the Railway Operations Control Center. Officially dedicated on June 23, 2007, this facility contains 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of track and 5,200 bonds.
In January 2004, CATS began the process of receiving bids for the construction of vehicle systems. Initial estimates for the vehicle are $ 3.5 million per car with Bombardier, Siemens and Kinki Sharyo bidding companies for final contracts. The $ 52 million contract for 16 Avanto S70 vehicles was awarded to Siemens on February 25, 2004. Original orders were delivered between 2006 and 2007, and these cars were numbered 101-116. Car 101 arrived through a pickup truck on Friday, June 23, 2006, from Siemens facility in Florin, California. Vehicle testing began in August 2006 along the 2.1 mile (2.1 km) trajectory between Tremont Avenue and the light rail maintenance facility on South Boulevard. During the testing phase, each car records 1,000 miles (1,600 km) to test acceleration, braking and overall performance for each vehicle. With the option to purchase up to 25 additional vehicles, and better than expected, in May 2008 CATS announced the purchase of four additional Avanto vehicles to add capacity to 16 operating vehicles. This tram spends $ 3.8 million each and is sent by Siemens between January-March 2010.
The Lynx fleet originally comprised sixteen, 91.3-foot (27.828 m), 97.470-pound (44,211.6 kg) Siemens-built Avanto S70 vehicles, similar to those operating for METRORail in Houston, Texas. Each vehicle contains 68 seats and has a maximum capacity of 236 passengers complete with four bike racks. Each car has a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), but the maximum speed is limited to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). Power comes from a 750-volt overhead wire.
In January 2014, CATS announced it would purchase 22 new Siemens S70 light-rail vehicles for the Blue Line Extension at a cost of $ 96.2 million. Four of them are scheduled to be sent to CATS in November. This will allow CATS to have more trains of three cars on the existing Blue Line.
Rates
Tickets for the Blue Line are purchased on all-station platforms from self-service ticket vending machines that accept cash, coins, debits and credit cards. Transfers from buses, weekly and monthly tickets are also accepted. Tariffs, similar to the existing bus network, are as follows: $ 2.20 for one-way trips, $ 4.40 for round-trip tickets, $ 6.60 for one-day passes with unlimited ride, $ 22 for graduation weekly, and $ 88 ($ 44 for seniors and ADA) for monthly tickets. There is no tariff for children under 6 years with riders paying the rate (limit 3).
Lynx uses a payment proof system, since there is no turnstile at the entrance to train the platform. Instead, tariffs are enforced by random sweeping through trains and occasionally check rates as passengers enter and leave trains by the CATS Tariff Inspector. If a passenger is arrested without proof of proper fare, a $ 50 excerpt is excluded in addition to potentially facing Class 3 violation charges. The CATS forecast of between 4 and 5 percent of total tariff revenue is lost from passengers rising without pay.
Following the initial "grace period" between the opening of November 2007 and February 2008, CATS performed more actions related to the issuance of quotations for tariff jumper. This is the case because many ticketing machines do not work well in all stations. As part of Lynx's initial "early flash enforcement" during the first week of February 2008, 41 citations were issued with one arrest on the first day of enhanced law enforcement. Due to its success, CATS officials announced that future "blitz" would target individual stations and not be published. As of June 2010, CATS estimates 0.5 percent of daily riders are tariff jumper with a daily loss of $ 300 in revenue.
Station
The Blue 9.6 miles (15.45 km) provides service for fifteen stations located within the city limits of Charlotte. The initial CityLynx Gold Line service 1.5 miles (2.4 km) has five additional stations. Stations are all open structures that feature a passenger canopy for protection from adverse weather conditions. Although originally already 300 feet (91 m), all platforms were reduced to 200 feet (61 m) in length to save $ 6 million in construction costs. The design of the station as a whole takes its inspiration from the many oaks that exist throughout the city, and either on the side or the island. All stations between I-485/Boulevard South and Scaleybark have available parking adjacent to the station, with I-485/South Boulevard station having its only parking garage. Additionally, as part of the budget for the Lynx system, a percentage of overall costs is reserved for public display and display art along the route. Through the utilization of about one percent of the overall design and construction budget, 13 artists were selected to design a display for each of the fifteen Blue Line stations.
Controversy
Transit eligibility and taxes
With ongoing construction, the development of light railways and the associated cost swelling pose a major problem between the ruling Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory and Democrat Craig Madans in the 2005 mayoral election. In 2006, following a report by the United States for the Prosperity Foundation, the project it's referred to as an inefficient use of the federal taxpayer dollars, and opponents claim the bulk of $ 8.9 billion is scheduled to transit from a total of $ 12.7 billion for all transport projects in the Charlotte Long Term Regional Plan attributed to trains. In response to this problem, the labeling of the coalition itself Stop the Train launched a petition to lift the revocation of the 1998 transit tax on voting in November 2007, citing cost and worry swings over CATS management. The elected official of Mecklenburg County announced in June 2007 the number of required signatures has been collected and validated, guaranteeing a referendum on transit taxes.
According to David Hartgen, emeritus professor of Transport Policy Studies at UNCC, the transit will provide a decent means of transportation only 2-3% of the travel needs of the Charlotte area, and 1% of regional travel. This is the same proportion for most road segments of the road transport artery Advocate Wendell Cox also cited the same concern about the low cost/benefit ratio of both the southern corridor line and other urban railway projects proposed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In addition, Sam Staley, Director of Urban Policy and Land Use for the Reason Foundation, said Lynx struggled to catch motorists in a large city like Charlotte, where most of the trips were not made to the city center.
By 2015, Lynx ridership returns to early 2008 levels. Over the same period of time, the population in the area increased by 20%. The latest Urban Mobility 2015 scorecard, rated Charlotte First In Worst Traffic In North Carolina.
The reverse report on the impact of light rail in Sacramento, Baltimore, and St. Louis, pointed out that the light rail system has caused traffic congestion to grow more slowly than it was before the system was built (from annual density growth of 2.8% to 1.5%, from 4.5% to 2.2%, and 0.89 % of 0.86% respectively). The pro-rail argument further emphasizes that rail lines are built into areas before construction occurs, as is done with the superhighway construction. When neglecting the life that can be used for repairs, road construction is cheaper than building light rail or subway, excluding land costs, but can contribute to a sprawl upgrade.
Campaigns to maintain transit taxes raised more than $ 650,000, with at least a third coming from local companies including Duke Energy, Wachovia (now Wells Fargo), Bank of America, McDonald Transit Associates, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Siemens. Twenty additional major business contributes, all benefiting from CATS operations according to former Don Reid city council member. Groups working to lift transit taxes see much less support (under $ 13,000) mostly from individuals. Mecklenburg County voters strongly reject tax revocations, 70 percent to 30 percent, on November 6, 2007.
The resulting development level
Within a few months after opening, the line averaged 80% of the rider's initial projection, leading Light Rail Now to proclaim a "great success" line. Jim Puckett, former Mecklenburg County Commissioner and leader of the campaign to revoke the transit tax, said at the Charlotte Observer: "I have to admit, they are doing better than I expected... Our concern is whether we will have white elephant, and we do not seem to do it. "
In August 2008, John Locke Foundation the Carolina Journal reported that taxpayers subsidize over 90% of riders' travel on so-called "lightly used line journals", and that estimates of low passengers do not take taking into account the increase in gasoline costs resulting in higher transit passengers. The subsidy analysis is flawed by the report's dependence on a 7% discount rate for capital expenditure on the project, since no money is borrowed for the project (at the local and state level) no interest is paid on capital costs, so report the exorbitant cost by the difference which is quite large. Transit criticism on a subsidized basis also ignores the fact that all other modes of transport are subsidized by non-user charges. For example, the Pew Charitable Trust found that road and maintenance construction required a 49% subsidy in 2007. UNCC transport studies professor David Hartgen stated that the channel did not move vehicle traffic significantly because about half the passengers consisted of previous bus drivers. Also, Hartgen rejected the city report's claim of increased land use as a result, stating: "In short, the big winners are about 4,000 previous bus drivers, 4,000 commuters living near the line, and 400 South Carolina drivers." Hartgen's claim of limited benefits contradicts the March 2011 report of the Transit-Oriented Development Center which finds that the Blue Line generates nearly 10,000,000 square feet (930,000m 2 ) of new commercial and residential developments along the route, over the line which is comparable in Denver and Minneapolis.
Responsibility for alleged corruption
In March 2014, Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested by the FBI for alleged corruption. According to the statement, he agreed to help agents disguised as developers for "time of purchase of real property on the Golden Path," as well as discuss development opportunities along the Blue Line Extension. He is allegedly proud of having political influence in Washington, which he says will be used to gain further funding for the Golden Line.
Further allegations filed in a federal corruption investigation reveal Cannon has received payment from local strip club owner, David Baucom, from at least 2009; The Baucom business is on the path of rail-extension and is scheduled for demolition as a result. Both Baucom and Cannon are members of the City Council for Hospitality and Tourism. According to federal billing information outlining the allegations against Cannon, Cannon, then a city councilman, used his position to influence Charlotte's penzance, planning and transportation officials to allow the club to be rebuilt on the remaining properties after the original building had been destroyed. and the land required for expansion is adjusted. In January 2013, the Baucom club received a zoning variant to allow its continuing operations at the same site, as the church and residential area were within 1000 feet of the adult's place. Cannon has also consulted Baucom with a councilman for Baucom district, Michael Barnes, who later became the pro-titan mayor of Charlotte. While Barnes said he had contacted CATS chief executive on behalf of Baucom to see if his efforts could remain open longer, extension requests had been rejected, as the club had accepted an extension to remain open. Barnes said he "made the same investigation as I would for any citizen," and despite the 500 dollar donation campaign from Baucom in October 2012, there was no other contact with him.
Baucom says he does not know Cannon well and refuses to ask him for help with permission; he declined to comment on federal allegations and was not prosecuted or named in court documents. On June 3, 2014, Cannon pleaded guilty to one count of an honest service wire scam, an indictment commonly used when public officials take bribes or bribes. The allegations mention the $ 2,000 bribes Cannon received from Baucom in January 2013, according to prosecutors. After learning about new federal allegations relating to Cannon and railroad extensions, several business owners who were also forced to hand over property along the extension roads said they were shocked. Some expressed frustration with the disruption of construction and with compensation for their property; they also say corruption investigations deepen their doubts about the fairness of the construction process. Other business owners feel temporary disruptions will be worth it, as new light rail lines will improve their business.
In a statement issued after the new allegations were uncovered, Ryan Daniels, a spokesman for the US Department of Transportation, said a corruption inquiry would not affect federal funding for the extension of the light rail. "The decision to fund major transit projects is part of a multi-stage and multistake process, and funding decisions are based solely on project benefits, which, in this case, are determined long before these allegations arise."
References
External links
- Media associated with Lynx light rails on Wikimedia Commons
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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