Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association

1.5 miles of Streetcar Project Grant Approved

 CITY OF CHARLOTTE AWARDED URBAN CIRCULATOR GRANT FOR CHARLOTTE STREETCAR PROJECT CHARLOTTE, NC – The City of Charlotte has been approved to receive a $24.99 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the completion of a 1.5 mile starter segment of the Charlotte Streetcar Project.  The funds are in response to an Urban Circulator Grant application submitted by the streetcar project team in February 2010. City Council must vote to approve the receipt of funds from the Urban Circulator Grant and allocate a $12 million match as required by the FTA.  If approved, the grant stipulates that construction must begin within 18 months of receipt of the funds.  The federal funds can only be used for vehicle, real estate and construction costs.  “I am delighted that we can take the first steps in bringing the Streetcar back, connecting East and West Charlotte to the larger rail transit system and creating an infrastructure catalyst for revitalization,” Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said.  “This investment will trigger hundreds of millions in new private investment and sorely needed jobs for many Charlotteans.” This grant will allow the project team to build the first 1.5 mile starter leg of the proposed 10 mile line that will run along Beatties Ford Road near I-85 through Center City along Trade Street, traveling up Elizabeth Avenue and out Central Avenue to Eastland Mall.  This starter leg will connect to the Charlotte Transportation Center, Presbyterian Hospital, Time Warner Cable Arena, University of North Carolina at Charlotte uptown campus, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government District and the shops and restaurants along Elizabeth Avenue. In order for projects to be considered for the Urban Circulator Grant, the request for federal funds must be no greater than $25 million.  In order to be selected for the grant, the FTA assessed projects on one or more of the following outcomes: livability, sustainability, economic development and leveraging of public and private investments.   Sixty five projects applied for funds under the Urban Circulator Grant program and six projects were selected for funding. Other communities who received funding as part of the grant program include Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Cincinnati, Ohio. To learn more about the Charlotte Streetcar Project, please visit www.charlottefuture.com.