Charlotte Observer----
Streetcar's fate put to vote tonight
A proposed streetcar through central Charlotte faces a crucial test tonight.
Charlotte City Council Democrats will attempt to override Republican Mayor Pat McCrory's veto of a $4.5 million design contract for the streetcar, which would run from Beatties Ford Road to Eastland Mall, via uptown.
McCrory said he vetoed the contract because the city hasn't yet found the money to build the 10-mile streetcar line, which could cost $450 million. Because of the recession, he said it's not smart to spend the money when there's no guarantee the line can be funded.
The Democrats have said it's important to begin design work to put the city in better position for possible federal funds.
Democrats appeared to have the seven votes needed to override the veto. But Tuesday, council member Warren Turner said he was conflicted. Turner had already voted for the streetcar funding as part of the city's overall budget, but said last week he was concerned about the economy. A primer on what's at stake:
What is the streetcar?
The project is different from the Lynx Blue Line. While the Lynx, a light-rail train,operates in its own right-of-way, the streetcar would run in the middle of the streets. It would stop at red lights, and be subject to congestion like cars. It would likely have dedicated stops. Proponents say the streetcar would attract new transit riders. They also say it would spark economic development because people would want to live near a stop.
The streetcar wasn't part of the transit plan laid out in 1998, when Mecklenburg voters approved the half-cent sales tax for mass transit. But former Charlotte Area Transit System executive director Ron Tober added the streetcar to the plan earlier this decade, believing it would provide a needed east-west transit link.
The 2006 transit plan called for the first phase of the streetcar to open in 2018. In the run-up to the 2007 vote on whether to keep or repeal the half-cent sales tax, some streetcar supporters – including council member James Mitchell – said construction could begin early next decade. That pledge helped secure some African-American support for keeping the tax.
After the 2007 vote, the city of Charlotte took the lead in designing the streetcar. In taking responsibility from CATS, the city said it was doing so to speed the project up. But as the economy has weakened – and sales-tax revenue has declined – it's unlikely that CATS would have enough money to build the streetcar in 2018.
What about engineering?
The $4.5 million for URS Corp. would include locating utilities under the street. Laying the rails is relatively simple, but the city wants to make sure it wouldn't have to tear up new track to fix a broken pipe.
The $4.5 million won't pay for the line's entire design. But it will give the city a better look at how much the line will cost. City Manager Curt Walton set aside $8 million for the streetcar engineering work in the current budget.
How will the city pay for it?
CATS already faces a challenge to pay for its share of the 11-mile light-rail extension from uptown northeast to the UNCC area, so it's unlikely to have much, if any, money to pay for streetcar construction.
A city study found that new property taxes from development along the streetcar line could pay for 25 percent of construction costs. Some council members are concerned that might be too optimistic. If the city were able to use the so-called tax-increment financing, that would leave a shortfall of about $330 million.
The Federal Transit Administration, which helped pay for the Lynx Blue Line, is unlikely to pay for the streetcar under its current guidelines. The FTA today places a premium on time savings when evaluating rail projects; because the streetcar is similar to a bus, it would struggle to qualify for funding.
But the Obama administration has signaled it wants to loosen that criteria, and possibly place more emphasis on economic development and improving mobility.
Democrats argue that's important to begin engineering work now, to get in the front of the line. At least a dozen cities that have discussed streetcars.
Must it be built all at once?
The plan calls for the streetcar to begin at the Rosa Parks Transit Center on Beatties Ford Road and end at Eastland Mall.
But the city could choose a less ambitious project, and build a shorter line from Presbyterian Hospital to just north of Johnson C. Smith University.
Council member and mayoral candidate Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, has talked about breaking the streetcar into segments, though he hasn't offered any specifics. Foxx held a press conference Friday, urging his colleagues to support the contract.
The streetcar is one of the few issues in which Foxx differs from Republican mayoral candidate John Lassiter, who is likely to win Tuesday's Republican primary. Lassiter supports building the streetcar, but is against spending the $4.5 million.
Foxx blasts critics of streetcar
Democratic Mayoral candidate Anthony Foxx on Friday defended a controversial measure to spend $4.5 million to design a streetcar, saying critics have distorted the cost of the project.
In a speech from a proposed streetcar stop at Eastland Mall, Foxx laid out arguments for Charlotte City Council to override Mayor Pat McCrory's recent veto and tried to reassure wavering Democrats.
The issue has emerged in the mayoral campaign as one of the most distinct differences between Foxx and City Councilman John Lassiter, his chief election rival. Lassiter and other Republicans have said they do not want to spend the money now because there is no plan for how to pay to build a streetcar line from Beatties Ford in west Charlotte to Eastland Mall.
In perhaps his sharpest criticism, Foxx said opponents have not been honest about the project's price tag. The 9.6-mile line has been estimated to cost $450 million, but Foxx said no one is certain about the final tab.
“They're just throwing a number out there,” said Foxx, who is also a council member.
He said building the streetcar line in phases and engineering adjustments could help reduce the overall cost and buy time for the city to lure more federal and state money.
A 2006 transit plan calls for the first phase of the streetcar to open in 2018. Prior to a 2007 vote on whether to keep or repeal the half-cent sales transit tax, some streetcar supporters said construction could begin early next decade. The promise helped secure African American support to keep the tax, which remains in place.
City Manager Curt Walton included $8 million in the budget to design the streetcar and the council has voted to pay URS. corp. $4.5 million to help with the work. But last month McCrory vetoed the measure.
Council members will decide Monday whether to override the veto. Democrats have a seven to four majority – enough to override the veto – but councilman Warren Turner said this week he is unsure about spending the money during an economic downturn.
Democratic Councilman Michael Barnes also said this week he is uncertain.
In what was designed as a show of support for the streetcar project, about 20 elected officials, council candidates and party loyalists gathered in front of Eastland Mall on Friday.
Foxx noted that much of the roughly 1 million-square-foot shopping center is vacant. He argued that the streetcar could lift Eastland Mall and other areas with economic development, expand the city's tax base, bolster and help the environment by reducing reliance on buses.
Foxx warned supporters building the streetcar line would be difficult, but said “it is worth it.”
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Sources: Charlotte Observer, Charmeck.org, Wikipedia, Google Maps
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