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Ally BushPollakCommunication Research3 December 2018The History of Public Transportation in CharlotteThe public transportation system that Charlotteans know today has experienced a significant evolution in the past century. As a growing metropolitan city, residents of Charlotte, North Carolina, are realizing more and more how important public transportation is to a city’s business, tourism, and standard of living. From streetcars to Charlotte Area Transit System and from buses to light rails, Charlotte’s growing need for effective public transportation does not seem to be slowing down. The history of public transportation in Charlotte reflects the city’s dedication to progress and places it among other U.S. cities known for their urbanism, modernity, and potential. According to section 15-270 of Charlotte’s official Code of Ordinances, “Public transportation system means any property, real or personal, owned, leased, or controlled by the city and used to operate, maintain or provide public transportation services by rail, motor vehicle, or any other means of conveyance” (Charlotte Department of Transportation, 2007). Based upon this definition, public transportation in North Carolina began in 1881 when the North Carolina General Assembly first chartered street railways companies. The first streetcars appeared in Raleigh and Asheville, but by 1887, Charlotte had its own fully-operational streetcar system. According to Bryan Mims, a reporter for WRAL News, the Charlotte trolley system “had three cars, each carrying a dozen passengers and drawn by two horses” (Mims, 2015). Soon, the city phased out the horse-drawn streetcars and switched to electric trolleys. A man named Edward Dilworth Latta, a business man in Charlotte, saw an opportunity in the transportation industry. In 1890, he “purchased Charlotte's horse-drawn streetcar system, completely rebuilt it, and extended the lines to the outskirts of the city to Dilworth, creating the state's first major streetcar development” (Turner, 2002). For a mere five cents, the early Charlotteans could travel around the city at 30 miles per hour. In the 1910’s, Latta sold his electric streetcar company to Southern Power, a business that would soon become Duke Power and eventually Duke Energy. The popularity of streetcar travel in the U.S. hit an all-time-high in 1917, but as automobiles and buses started gaining traction, the streetcar craze soon faded away. The first motor buses in Charlotte appeared on the streets in 1934. By 1938, Charlotte had moved on from streetcars and it public transportation system relied entirely on buses (Turner, 2002). It was one of the last North Carolina cities to end streetcar services. As Duke Power Company competed with automobile industries for business, World War II began. While interest in public transportation had been decreasing in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, the war ushered in a new age of mass transit. With rising costs of gasoline and other automobile-related prices, people began to turn back from their dependence on personal cars to the buses of the Charlotte public transit system (Mayer, 2013). Especially for lower-income citizens, buses were the main form of transportation for many people. However, in post-war America, governments started trying to boost automobile industries by building new roads and infrastructure. As Charlotte city planners began thinking of ways to expand the city, they did so with automobile transit in mind. Therefore, Charlotte, as many other American cities, is fundamentally designed and built for cars rather than for pedestrians as many European urban areas are. In Mayer’s video, “From Rails to Roads: Public Transportation in Charlotte, North Carolina, 1890-1960,” she agrees, stating that “even neighborhood and residential design placed emphasis upon the automobile. With homes spaced along wide, curving streets, and the garage door prominently out front, people were secondary, at least those using their own two feet” (Mayer, 2013). In 1954, Duke sold their bus company to City Coach Lines.From the mid-1900s until the early 2000s, Charlotte’s citizens relied on buses to get around the city. In 1999, Charlotte Transit became Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), the public transportation system that Charlotteans know today (City of Charlotte, 2018). Operating the largest transit system between Atlanta and Washington, D.C., “CATS serves 86,200 weekday daily trips” (City of Charlotte, 2018). Consisting of both a bus system and the LYNX Light Rail, CATS provides essential transport Charlotteans. The bus system in Charlotte has greatly improved since the mid-1950s. Now with 72 routes and three transportation center hubs, the buses in Charlotte completed over five million trips in 2017 (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2017). In 2016, the CATS bus system began a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the transportation. At that time, the buses operated on a hub-and-spoke model, in which buses report to one of the three transit centers in the city and then head back out on a second route (Dunn, 2016). The revamping of the system would allow for more direct connections between locations around Charlotte. Indeed, on March 19, 2018, CATS new initiative, “Envision My Ride,” has made traveling by bus easier and faster. CATS has discontinued five bus routes but added nine more and made improvements to the service of eight others (CATS, 2018). The program was strategically unveiled around the same time as the LYNX Blue Line extension to UNCC in hopes that Charlotte citizens would increase their use on public transportation. In the early 2000s, CATS first proposed a light-rail transit in Charlotte for commuters and other travelers between Pineville and Uptown Charlotte to decrease congestion on certain Charlotte roads during peak hours (Charlotte Area Transit System, 2003). In this official report, they also listed positive and negative impacts of building a light-rail system. Positive effects included improved mobility for Charlotteans on the light-rail’s path, decreased vehicular traffic, improved air quality, and job growth. Negative effects included displacement of homes and businesses, loss of vegetation and wildlife, noise pollution during construction, and the possibility of hazardous materials on building sites. The city of Charlotte began construction on the light rail in 2005 (Whitacre, 2005). After two years of work, the LYNX Blue Line opened on November 24, 2007. The Charlotte Observer featured the inaugural day on their front page, reporting that on opening weekend, all trips were free and that over 84,000 passengers took advantage of the new transportation system (Harrison, 2007). On that following Monday, regular fares took effect. Today, it costs $2.20 for an adult one-way ticket, $4.40 for a round-trip ticket, $6.60 for an all-day unlimited travel pass, $30.80 for a week of unlimited rides, and $88.00 for one month of unlimited rides (City of Charlotte, 2018). For many Charlotteans without a car, CATS is their best option. However, in recent years, the LYNX light rail and bus systems have seen less travelers. According to the official Charlotte Area Transit System 2017 Annual Agency Profile report, last year, the city’s buses gained $18,377,084 in fare revenue and the LYNX light rail gained $3,599,048 (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2017). However, on the same report that came out in 2013, the bus system reported $21,568,146 in revenue while LYNX reported $4,358,896 (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). In just four years, the fare revenue from bus rides has dropped over three million dollars and fare revenue from the light rail has dropped around $750,000. The reports from 2014, 2015, and 2016 suggest a downward trend in public transportation use. Similarly, the passenger miles have also fallen. Ignoring fare rates or even any slight inflation, in 2013, the annual passenger miles for all forms of public transportation operated by CATS was 146,394,758 and in 2017 it has dropped to 119,582,030 for a difference of almost 27 million miles (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013; 2017). However, in March of this year, construction was completed on the long-awaited extension of the light rail (Funderburk, 2018). In hopes of decreasing congestion on I-77 and I-85, the LYNX Blue Line now extends all the way to UNC Charlotte and may be integral to increasing ridership in 2018 and moving forward to the future. In 2015, Charlotte returned to its streetcar roots with the unveiling of the new Gold Line: a trolley that runs from the center of Uptown Charlotte to CPCC. It is currently 1.5 miles long and has “six stops, including a connection to the LYNX Blue Line” (City of Charlotte, 2018). Phase 2 of the Gold Line project will hopefully be completed by 2019 and will include 27 stops, extending to the Eastland Community Transit Center. The current streetcar system and the proposed projects mean more for the city than additional public transportation options. When Phase 2 of the Gold Line is completed, it will connect parts of the community that previously were separate. In Erin Chanty’s article on Charlotte Agenda, she explains this connection by saying “The streetcar is that catalyst that creates an East-West axis that will integrate and celebrate our historically diverse population and their neighborhoods, extending investment in Uptown, Elizabeth, and Plaza Midwood to more neglected parts of the city. Even beyond encouraging redevelopment, the streetcar line is…bringing us and our city together” (Chanty, 2015). Public transportation in Charlotte has come a long way since the first streetcars rolled into the center of the city. From the bus system to the light rail, it is easier than ever to travel around the city without a car. Indeed, for many riders on CATS vehicles, it is their only form of transportation. As Charlotte continues to grow, the light rail and buses will only further connect parts of the city which will likely increase tourism, business, and the cultural diversity of the city. Because Charlotte was designed specifically for cars, current city planners have had to overcome some obstacles in building effective transit infrastructure. As CATS increases their reach and ridership, public transportation in Charlotte will only improve. Hopefully, Charlotte will become as accessible as cities such as London or New York City. With greater access to different parts of the city, its citizens will be able to enjoy business opportunities, educational experiences, and Charlotte’s entertainment industry. ReferencesCATS. (2018). Bus/Light Rail Integration. Charlotte, NC. Charlotte Area Transit System. South Corridor Light Rail Project, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Light Rail System, City Of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.?(2003). Retrieved from Agricultural & Environmental Science Database.Charlotte Department of Transportation. (2007). Article XII. - Public Transportation System. (Ord. No. 3655, § 9, 7-23-2007)). Charlotte, NC. City of Charlotte. (2018). CATS Fares. Retrieved from of Charlotte. (2018). Fast Facts. Retrieved from ???????City of Charlotte. (2018). 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan.Retrieved from Dunn, Andrew. (2016). The Charlotte Area Transit System is preparing to launch a comprehensive review of its bus system with the goal of cutting down on ride times. Charlotte Agenda. Retrieved from Funderburk, Sally. (March 15, 2018). “The Charlotte light rail drinking trail: 32 spots to stop and sip along the new extension.” CharlotteFive. Retrieved from Harrison, Steve. (November 24, 2007). "A momentous arrival: After opening-day hoopla, what's ahead for Lynx?".?The Charlotte Observer. Mayer, S. (2013). “From Rails to Roads: Public Transportation in Charlotte, North Carolina, 1890-1960.” YouTube. Retrieved from Mims, B. (2015) When Trolleys Ruled the Roads of North Carolina. Our State. Retrieved from Turner, W. (2002). Development of Streetcar Systems in North Carolina. North Carolina Transportation Museum. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation. (2013). Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Transportation (2017). Charlotte Area Transit System: 2017 Annual Agency Profile. Washington, D.C. Whitacre, Dianne. (February 27, 2005). "Celebration marks start of work on light rail line".?The Charlotte Observer. p.?2B ................
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