Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Charlotte > Light Rail > Groundbreaking and Opening

Charlotte, North Carolina:
LYNX Light Rail

Groundbreaking, 26 February 2005

The groundbreaking ceremony for the line took place in conjunction with the grand opening of the CATS South Tryon Bus Facility which lies on the west side of the line, a short distance north of Clanton Road, and south of the New Bern station.

[picture] CATS chief executive officer Ron Tober gives a speech. Behind him, just to our left, is Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory. The backdrop shows an artist's rendering of one of the light rail train, which will be built by Siemens.

[picture] The ceremonial shovels are about go to to work. Mayor McCrory is third from right, and CEO Tober is three places further to the left.

[picture] A fair-sized crowd attended the ceremony.

[picture] After the groundbreaking, visitors could tour the new bus facility. Here we see the administration building on the left, covered parking spaces for buses on the right, and a parking garage for CATS workers in the background.

[picture] Inside the bus maintainance facility.

[picture] On the upper level of the complex, at the rear, one service bay has tracks in it so that it can be used for servicing light-rail trains.

Opening Day, 24 November 2007

Opening day featured events at four stations. Thanks to the free rides and good weather, large crowds turned out. About 60,000 people rode LYNX on opening day (Saturday). The next day, which also offered free rides, about 40,000 more people rode, many of them to the Carolina Panthers home game that day.

[picture] Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory arrives at the CTC/Arena station to give a speech [picture].

[picture] Then the crowd and the mayor board the a train for a trip over the length of the line to the I-485 station. Of course, Mayor McCrory gets the "railfan window" at the front of the train [picture].

[picture] All the trains were packed like rush hour in New York, at least up until I left in mid-afternoon. Passengers were forced to leave the trains at the ends of the line, to make room for people waiting to board.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] Here are two views of the crowd at the East/West Blvd. station. Note the low-platform sections with signs for the Charlotte Trolley which will share tracks with LYNX between uptown and Tremont Avenue.

[picture] South of the East/West station along Camden Road, South End businesses set up tents with exhibits, samples, etc. There was also a bandstand with live music.

[picture] A long line of people wait for a chance to board a train at the 7th Street terminal. The lines here and at I-485 grew so long that CATS ran special bus service (the "LYNX Bus Bridge") to carry people back to their starting points, so they wouldn't have to wait to finish their round trip.

This page was last updated on 21 February 2010.

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