Charlotte leaders approve Red Line train tracks purchase, support sales tax increase



The city of Charlotte voted Tuesday to acquire the railroad tracks needed for the city’s future Red Line commuter rail service and support a sales tax to fund the purchase for the project.

Only one member of the Charlotte City Council – Tariq Bokhari – voted against the two resolutions. One of the measures was in support of the sales tax while the other approved the actual purchase of the necessary O-Line tracks from Southern Norfolk.

More from Julie Kay: https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/charlotte-vote-red-line-norfolk-southern-railroad-tracks/275-4c85e767-a16b-4053-92d3-0a55312f859f

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23 thoughts on “Charlotte leaders approve Red Line train tracks purchase, support sales tax increase”

  1. Good news! This has been a long time coming! 👏
    But seriously now, quit whining about the costs. I didn't hear a single one of ya'll complain about blindly sending David Tepper 7 times the amount of money for a stadium renovation that absolutely NOBODY asked for. Man, fiscal pearl clutchers are weird.

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  2. The news is great and the coverage is even better! I've hardly ever seen a local news station end a segment with a comprehensive look-back at the development of policy and transportation plans to provide clear context about the plan being presented.

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  3. This is a very good first step, in order to let this be successful is to actually develop neighborhoods to livable without automobiles so that the metro isn’t just for commuters but also for leisure

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  4. What happens to the businesses along the line? Specifically, those that rely on railroad service to transport their goods. If Norfolk Southern doesn't continue to serve this line, it could put them out of business, and they might even sue the city. Does Norfolk Southern plan on continuing service on the line? Can the line support Norfolk Southern and commuter rail operating on the same tracks without building additional sidings and other infrastructure?

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  5. Raising taxes is so ridiculous. Remember when we rebelled against a empire for very small tax raises? These governments, local, state, and federal need to get the balance sheets in order. They have plenty of money.

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  6. If Charlotte were in Germany or France they would have had a fairly large light rail system with multiple lines and at least 50 stations or more or even a small subway system but with meaningful connections and important transit centers.

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  7. They raise taxes to overbuild hwys and roads without a peep. When it comes to rail they want to act conscious of price. At least with rail/public transit you dont have to pay taxes on filling up a car several times a week, or the insurance, or the loan with interest, the inspections , maintenance etc! Those things add up more than a simple tax raise to fund projects. I love driving but people that dont should have alternatives so they’re not clogging up my lanes. 😅

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