Charlotte transit agency breaks ground on streetcar extension

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) broke ground Jan. 15 for the 2.5-mile CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar extension.

The expansion will extend the current system west 2 miles from the Charlotte Transportation Center and east one-half mile along Hawthorne Lane in Charlotte, N.C.

The project includes 11 new stops, modifications to six existing stops and the purchase of six modern streetcars, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) officials said in a press release.

The project is expected to cost $150 million, with the Federal Transit Administration contributing $75 million through its capital investment grant program. The remaining costs are being covered by the city.

The extension is slated to be completed by summer 2020. The first 1.5-mile segment of the streetcar system opened in July 2015.

"The Charlotte Streetcar investment comes at a critical time for Charlotte," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who served as Charlotte's mayor prior to his appointment to President Obama's cabinet. "As the community seeks to reconnect areas of the city, expand job creation into historically underserved areas and bring the entire city together, this project has the potential to do so."