CHARLOTTE, N.C. — By next fall, work is expected to begin on expanding Charlotte's streetcar line.
On Tuesday night, residents got their first update in a year about what's called Phase 2 of the LYNX Gold Line.
The extension will cost $150 million and the city has planned to split the cost with the Federal Transportation Administration, but the FTA has not committed itself to giving the project a grant yet.
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CATS officials said Tuesday they expect that answer to come by the end of the year or early next year.
Despite the unknown outcome of an application for federal funding, city transit leaders are moving forward with plans to extending the current 1.5-mile track to become 4 miles, stretching it from Johnson C. Smith University to Sunnyside Avenue at Hawthrone Lane in east Charlotte.
The next phase of the Gold Line will also include newer, modern cars to replace current trolleys. The current nine stops on the first part of the line will have to be retrofitted for the new cars.
The plan is to start construction next October on with a completion date of summer 2019 and that timeline is dependent on federal funding.
The city dodged a bullet last week when Congress decided against eliminating funding for streetcar projects.
Federal money failing to come has always been a top concern of critics of this project on council, fearing it would lead to large tax hikes or mammoth debt to pay for it. A backup plan for funding hasn't been decided yet.
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