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Yesterday, Federal Transit Administration Administrator Peter Rogoff joined Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), North Carolina and city of Charlotte officials to mark the receipt of a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the LYNX Blue Line light-rail extension.

The FFGA will cover 50 half of the project's $1.16 billion cost. The project will be one of a few to advance in the New Starts process for federal funding in fiscal-year 2013, CATS officials said in a prepared statement.

The 9.3-mile LYNX Blue Line extension will run from 7th Street in Uptown Charlotte to the University of North Carolina-Charlotte campus. It will include 11 light-rail stations and four parking facilities.

"Once completed in 2017, the LYNX Blue Line will provide the region with a congestion-free, consistent travel time from south Charlotte to northeast Charlotte," said CATS Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Flowers.

In addition to federal dollars, the project will be funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and a local half-cent sales tax dedicated to public transit.