Charlotte, NC — Construction Rebid

August 2016

Charlotte Area Transit System [CATS] will re-bid the city's proposed expansion of the 1.5-mile starter Uptown Gold Line streetcar, extending it the east-west line to a total of four miles, to keep it within a $150 million construction budget, Charlotte Business Journal reports in a story updated on August 23. 

The starter line will be closed for six to nine months in 2020 to raise platforms for the modern streetcars to be bought to replace Gomaco-built double truck replica Birneys. In its first year since July 2015, the Gold Line has averaged 1,600 riders who paid no fare. When the line is extended, the fare will be $2.20, the same as light rail and buses. Six or seven modern streetcars are to be bought for $41 million.

The lowest construction bid for the 2.5-mile expansion was $9.2 million higher than expected, or 6.6% over-budget. 

Re-bidding is estimated to take two months, but should not affect the planned groundbreaking in early 2017, according to CATS.

The starter streetcar line, named CityLynx Gold Line, is exceeding expectations. Original estimates called for 900 passengers per day but over the first year the daily average is 1,600.