It’s true that the gasoline prices drove many people to the bus and light rail, but there was an interesting side effect. People discovered that a monthly unlimited pass, which is good on both buses and the light rail costs less that it costs to rent a parking space in city center for a month, and even if you are standing, the trip on the light rail is more pleasant than driving in the stop and go morning and evening rush hour traffic. Result…many of them have stayed with LYNX even after the gasoline prices went down.
Now, you don’t really think the gasoline prices are going to stay down long term, do you?
Just a few days ago, one of the big developers in town asked Huntersville for a zoning variance so he can build a transit oriented mixed use development along the LYNX Purple Line, which isn’t even funded yet. The Feds have declined to participate in the Purple Line, but CATS is planning to build it anyway.
The huge spike in gas prices in 2008 was responsible for big increases on many transit systems, so it’s an open question in many cities what will happen now that prices have eased. I don’t expect gas prices to stay down long term, because the current level seems to be the result of the bursting of the price “bubble” we saw mid-year, and may be an overcorrection. But it’s anyone’s guess how high they will go again. It’s possible that the bubble we saw last year was abnormal, and the recent correction will impose some discipline on prices for the foreseeable future. Then again, there could be any number of things that push prices up, including the current international situation. If I could accurately predict future energy prices, I could afford to hire an army of clerks to type my E-Mails.
That said, I really know next to nothing about the Charlotte system, and my prior
I did not take anything you said personally, or as a critique of the Charlotte system.
I tend to agree with you about systems that run in the street, and thus conflict with automobile traffic, but sometimes that comes from political pressure. Merchants know how popular the rail systems will be, and they fight tooth and nail against any plan that doesn’t pass near their establishment.
Our Blue Line runs on NS right of way, but on it’s own track. The Blue Line extension is going to run in a busy street for the reason I just stated. I don’t know if it will work as well as the first phase, but time will tell. The Silver Line looks like it is going to be a busway, though the residents along it’s planned route are still demanding it be light rail. If the residents prevail they will run the rails in the busway. The Purple Line is going to be commuter rail, with an engine pulling cars, also runing on NS Right of way and track.
Unfortunately it will be hard to gauge that. The western terminus of the system is on 19th avenue and the UoP Stadium is on 99th avenue, 10 miles to the west.