CHARLOTTE — North Charlotte will see at least one new stop for the Red Line. The MPTA voted to add a Camp North End stop to the Red Line Wednesday night.
There’s still a chance a second north Charlotte stop will be built in the future thanks to community lobbying and a push by the Cornelius representative on the board.
It’s a partial win for community members hoping to bring a train stop to Craighead and Graham. The MPTA is directing staff to study what it would take to add it to the Red Line.
PREVIOUS RED LINE COVERAGE:
- City of Charlotte purchases Red Line rail
- City Council votes to pass Red Line design
- Huntersville approves new development near proposed Red Line stop
- Popular food & entertainment hub could be a stop for proposed rail line
- In debate over Red Line stops, historically Black neighborhoods worry about being excluded
Trustees stopped short of adding a stop to the project because they are worried in part its heavy industrial surroundings could ding them in federal scoring that ultimately determines whether the project is funded.
People who work nearby see their point.
“Back here is kind of an industrial area with trucks and stuff,” one resident said.
The compromise is thanks to the representative from Cornelius on the board, Bob Menzel. Craighead isn’t being added to the line, but his motion made sure the station isn’t dead.
“Folks in this community feel like they have been overlooked,” Menzel said. “I think Mr. Bryant’s comment about thinking outside the box and being transformative in doing things needs to be out in front of us.”
Menzel tells Channel 9 he heard the dozens of people who advocated for the station and wanted to make sure their efforts were recognized.
“The motion was successful because it reflected what most of us were trying to figure out how to do,” he said. “We turned lemons into lemonade. We didn’t get to lemon meringue pie, but the professionals at CATS will help us build a great pie for our neighbors near West Craighead.”
It’s still possible a Craighead station will never be built, but residents are certain that if it is, it will be used
“If you build it, they will come,” one resident said.
There are still lingering questions for the Red Line-- like where will it end? Mooresville and Iredell County haven’t committed to a stop near Lowe’s headquarters and Davidson doesn’t want it to end there.
“Davidson very much wants to not be the terminus,” MPTA Chair David Howard said.