Charlotte Area Transit »
The news in Charlotte has been buzzing lately. It seems that the eagerly anticipated transit system is edging ever closer to reality, with the City Council recently agreeing to spend slightly more than $50 million for 16 new light-rail cars. I'll give them this: The picture of the rail cars makes them look rather nice. And shiny.
In case you didn't know, the Charlotte voters passed a half-cent sales tax a few years ago to pay for rapid transit, which was supposed to cost $1 billion. Recent estimates peg the total cost at closer to $6 billion. When first estimated, the initial rail line was slated to cost $227 million. Recent estimates put that at just shy of $400 million. Much of the work hasn't even started and the first of the shiny new rail cars hasn't even been to the city yet. Does anyone else see a problem developing?
