City Council approves Charlotte B-cycle expansion, intelligent uptown traffic signals and pedestrian improvements

With the new year, Charlotte City Council made several moves related to the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Charlotte B-cycle Bike-Sharing System Expanded

Council members voted to accept nearly $1.7 million in funding to nearly double the size of Charlotte’s B-cycle bike-sharing program. The awarded grants include $1 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding and $675,000 in Federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding.

Charlotte B-cycle plans to add approximately 25 stations. It is currently one of the largest bike-sharing systems in the Southeast, operating 26 stations with 214 blue bikes.

The City of Charlotte will provide staff support for the expansion and work with Charlotte B-cycle to decide on future station locations.

Charlotte B-cycle was launched in 2012 by Charlotte Center City Partners with support from the City of Charlotte and private sponsors. Ridership has grown from almost 34,000 trips in 2013 to more than 56,000 trips in 2016.

The CMAQ grant requires a 22 percent local match and the TAP grant requires a 20 percent local match. Charlotte B-cycle will pay the $450,801 in matching funds, while operating and maintaining all B-cycle stations at no cost to the city.

Intelligent Transportation System Upgrades Approved

The City Council has moved forward with a construction contract to connect the Central Business District to the city’s fiber optic communications network.

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project will allow the city to monitor and remotely adjust traffic signals to improve traffic flow. It can be used to manage traffic during sporting events, public gatherings and city parades.

Currently, this portion of the traffic signal system is decades old with failing copper wire. The upgrades will cost the city $999,605.48.

The ITS project extends communications into the uptown area and includes:

• Installation of approximately 5.78 miles of fiber optic cable.
• Connections to 27 existing traffic signals.
• Addition of 20 traffic management cameras.

The uptown traffic light ITS connectivity project is set for completion during the second quarter of 2018.

West Morehead and I-77 Pedestrian Improvement Project Moves Forward

The city has addressed concerns of public safety by approving a series of enhancements to approximately .2 miles of sidewalk at West Morehead Street and I-77.

Council members voted to install new curb and gutter additions, wider sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, pedestrian lighting and street resurfacing. The improvements have a price tag of $319,541.75.

The city identified this location as a priority for improvements due to high traffic volume in the area. This sidewalk is heavily traveled as a connecting walkway to Center City.

The project should be finished by the second quarter of 2018.