Charlotte Advances Red Line Project With $1.5M Boost for Design Phase

Charlotte City Council gave the green light, approving $1.5 million to push design work on the Red Line commuter rail project to 30% completion. This brings HDR Engineering's total contract value to $43.2 million.

The 25-mile line will connect uptown Charlotte north to Davidson. It might stretch into Iredell County later. A 1% sales tax hike pays for construction — Mecklenburg County voters said yes in November.

Council members made a key point about the PAVE Act. It demands that 50% of the Red Line design gets finished before any other project wraps up.

"The Red Line is so critically important for the rest of the work to get done," said Councilwoman Dante Anderson, according to Queen City News. "I'm excited about this for the community, and excited to advance our mobility plan. This is actually a really, really good step."

Plans call for the rail line to run along the O-line. The city bought it last year from Norfolk Southern. Councilman Ed Driggs had words of praise for City Manager Marcus Jones, who closed the deal ahead of the referendum's passage in November.

"I have to give him credit for brilliance," Driggs said. "Without that, none of the rest of it would've happened."

Crews expect to wrap up the 30% design phase by the end of 2027.

Monday brought other business. The Charlotte Area Transit System will keep running its bus service to Rock Hill. The Rock Hill Express (82X) service from uptown got its start in 2022, but the five-year contract ends in June.

The City of Rock Hill reimburses Charlotte for 50% of net operating expenses, including overhead. That's what the Metropolitan Transit Commission's adopted financial policies require. The service is estimated to cost $330,000 in total operating expenditures.

The route starts at the Charlotte Transportation Center. Two more uptown stops follow. Then it continues outside Carowinds, Baxter Village in Fort Mill, and makes two Rock Hill stops at Manchester Cinemas and near City Hall. City leaders say the service cuts down on single-occupancy vehicles and helps with congestion and air quality.