Proposed light rail with Charlotte airport stop wouldn’t drop off at a terminal

CHARLOTTE — If Charlotte City Council is going to spend billions to bring light rail to the airport, why not have it stop directly at the airport instead of this intersection a mile away? It’s a question that Councilmembers LaWana Slack Mayfield, Dimple Ajmera and Renee Johnson asked.

CATS CEO Brent Cagle says Charlotte’s runway configuration combined with its cul-de-sac traffic pattern makes direct terminal access a challenge.

“Because of how runways are arranged, this is how other airports have solved that problem in cities,” he said.

He says the solution is a people-mover that takes folks to and from the light rail station from the terminal. The light rail stop will be at the intersection of Josh Birmingham Parkway and Wilkinson Boulevard, about a mile away from the terminal. He says the closest a station can get to the terminal is ¾ to ½ mile away. Cagle told Charlotte City Council the people-mover will be a train. A spokesperson for the airport said the type of people mover hasn’t been decided.

Cagle says Sky Train in Phoenix is a great example of a people mover that Charlotte can follow. It’s unclear who would pay for this at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

“There are many folks that utilize a connecting system like we are talking about,” Cagle said. “It is a very high level of service.”

Passenger Nyasia Rooks says it’s a tough sell for her

“I like being on my time,” she said. “I just don’t like that I would have to wait for something to come at a scheduled time if I don’t have to.”

The airport says they have been involved with the planning of this station from the beginning and support its location on Wilkinson Boulevard.

The airport stop is part of the Silver Line West. Funding for the west portion of the Silver Line is included in the sales tax increase referendum being considered by the legislature.

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