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While the Catawba's putting funds towards the light rail would be helpful, the high end estimate of their investment in the casino is around $600 million, which would only be 25% of the rough cost of extending rail to Kings Mountain. I wouldn't imagine they would contribute much more than $60 million (if any) to rail which would not make much of a dent in the ~$2.2 billion cost of light rail. Without a decent sized tax increase in Gaston County on sales and property, I don't see it making it beyond Belmont. It sounds like the county barely has a funding plan to get the rail over the river to just one stop in Belmont. In perspective, Gaston County's total annual operating budget is only ~$317 million.
Gaston County would also need to become a funding partner with CATS in order to receive a station. Will be interesting to see how residents feel about the train if it means a tax increase.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by CLT4
While the Catawba's putting funds towards the light rail would be helpful, the high end estimate of their investment in the casino is around $600 million, which would only be 25% of the rough cost of extending rail to Kings Mountain. I wouldn't imagine they would contribute much more than $60 million (if any) to rail which would not make much of a dent in the ~$2.2 billion cost of light rail. Without a decent sized tax increase in Gaston County on sales and property, I don't see it making it beyond Belmont. It sounds like the county barely has a funding plan to get the rail over the river to just one stop in Belmont. In perspective, Gaston County's total annual operating budget is only ~$317 million.
Gaston County would also need to become a funding partner with CATS in order to receive a station. Will be interesting to see how residents feel about the train if it means a tax increase.
They could have done the 1/4 cent increase if there was any sign of this happening before a couple of years ago.
The governor can sign permission for the casino. If that were to happen, the tribe would have to pay the state, annually. Without a signature from the governor, if it gets approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, they owe the state nothing. The tribe has said that if they don't pay the state, that money will go to the counties. Prior to their 2nd casino opening, the state's cut from the Cherokee was $1 - 2 million annually.
i'd be shocked if Cats is successful in pushing the blue line further south through Old Pineville to the state line. Pineville YEARS AGO torpedoed that segment when they first built the blue line because town "didn't want it." I don't know if they still have the view but i'd be shocked if they are receptive to it now despite the growth it would bring to the downtown strip their.
Many of Pineville's shopping centers have some big vacancies and they may finally realize that the light rail could improve their downtown area and sales tax revenue.
A pretty sizeable sales tax would have to be implemented in Gaston to contribute significant funding for light rail. Mecklenburg County has 4x the population of Gaston and has a half cent sales tax that is not adequate to support the existing system and expansion just in Meck County. I'd expect a least a full cent tax in Gaston.
Light rail is not practical for Kings Mountain - too far out for light rail, which typically runs about 10 miles at most. Light rail is typified by many stops and frequent trains (headways), so it is distance limited. Light rail to Kings Mountain, at 20+ miles from Charlotte, is not feasible. Commuter rail may be a possibility but those trains typically run about once an hour or so, and only during morning and evening commute times, which wouldn't be of much help to the casino.
Last edited by Comfort Food; 01-29-2019 at 09:40 AM..
My suggestion was to forgo the line in Gaston County, and instead build it in west Charlotte.
The economic argument for a line into Gaston County is sound, and I realize that mine is more of an emotional argument.
Right now, we have little rush hour traffic in Gaston; generally speaking, people are polite, friendly, and take the time to stop and smell the roses.
A light rail will grow the population in Gaston; change the economic character in many areas, and the virtues that I cherish will be gone.
Mine is largely an emotional argument, and I am aware of that.
I'd want to know how many people in Ballantyne live in the surrounding areas, before arguing further. Anecdotally, many people who work in Ballantyne live in Fort Mill, Indian Land, Waxhaw, Matthews, areas along Pineville Matthews Road, Carmel, Rea Rd, etc.
How would these people catch the line to Ballantyne, and what would be their incentive to?
I suppose that myself and others don't have much choice in the matter .
A line connecting to Ballantyne I assume would branch off from Pineville, creating a connection that basically follows along the 77/485 corridor between Uptown and Ballantyne which is currently the biggest traffic issue in the region. When commuting during the week I notice that both sides of 77 are congested rather than just the side that’s going towards job centers in Uptown. This shows that there is a decent amount of commuting into Ballantyne for work as well (also some commuting into York County). For areas like Indian Land, Waxhaw and such, those are primarily residential suburbs with few jobs so I don’t think it’s feasible to consider light rail into this areas right now. In the case of waxhaw specifically, it’s way too far out and there’s a lot of undeveloped land between it and Charlotte. Matthews will eventually get light rail down Independence connecting it to Uptown.
It looks like York County is also realizing that they’re going to need mass transit soon. Most likely any light rail into SC would follow along the 77 corridor through Ft Mill and into Rock Hill.
- The way in which the Garden Parkway was routed, was done in areas where density is low, if next to non
existent. If rail was run through here, creative, rail supporting, "village" developments could be
constructed, which could keep the character of the "mill villages" that are throughout the area. The density would support rail.
- Terminate the rail at the FUSE district.
***
Most of the area where the Garden Parkway was to traverse, is now slated for single family homes on 1/4-1/2 acre lots. What will likely happen is that building will take place in the future, and everyone will bemoan the traffic that the new developments will bring. And then in 50 or so years, they will hold a conference somewhere highlighting the need to get people off of our "traffic clogged roads."
Again too much undeveloped land. Who would ride it? The Garden Parkway proposed route is meant to bypass population centers. With mass transit you want to go through areas where it will be used immediately. I really don’t see them routing a rail line west of Charlotte that does not follow the 85/74 corridor through Gaston.
i'd be shocked if Cats is successful in pushing the blue line further south through Old Pineville to the state line. Pineville YEARS AGO torpedoed that segment when they first built the blue line because town "didn't want it." I don't know if they still have the view but i'd be shocked if they are receptive to it now despite the growth it would bring to the downtown strip their.
So glad to hear the Red Line is on life support at best!!!
Hopefully NS Rail will stick to their guns on this topic and not allow another transportation travesty to hit the northern end of the county and into Iredell.
Why are you glad about the failure of this commuter rail project? Hasn't the stubbornness of private freight carriers seriously harmed the expansion of passenger and HSR in the United States to make us the laughing stock of the industrialized free world? I don't know what "travesty" you are referring to.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Comfort Food
Several thoughts:
A pretty sizeable sales tax would have to be implemented in Gaston to contribute significant funding for light rail. Mecklenburg County has 4x the population of Gaston and has a half cent sales tax that is not adequate to support the existing system and expansion just in Meck County. I'd expect a least a full cent tax in Gaston.
Light rail is not practical for Kings Mountain - too far out for light rail, which typically runs about 10 miles at most. Light rail is typified by many stops and frequent trains (headways), so it is distance limited. Light rail to Kings Mountain, at 20+ miles from Charlotte, is not feasible. Commuter rail may be a possibility but those trains typically run about once an hour or so, and only during morning and evening commute times, which wouldn't be of much help to the casino.
All I can tell you is that the mayor of Kings Mountain has been talking light rail for at least 2 years. Keep in mind that Kings Mountain is in Gaston as well as Cleveland County. The city is roughly the size of Cherryville and Bessemer City combined.
Kings Mountain is in a place to serve as a catch-all, for multiple other places which was recognized by NCDOT, as their commuter rail plan had it designated as a park and ride, unlike Shelby and Boiling Springs, that would have been stations only.
Under no circumstances would the rest of Cleveland County support light rail to Kings Mountain, but they would use it. The mayor is not a fool. The only way to get light rail extended to Kings Mountain would be financial help from the casino. More than likely, he and some of the Gaston County officials have had talks with the Catawbas. Neither he nor any Gaston officials have brought up the casino, but there's also been no mention of raising taxes, either.
ETA: Since CATS was salivating to run the Red Line to Mooresville, the distance to Kings Mountain is a moot point.
Last edited by southbound_295; 01-29-2019 at 05:34 PM..
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