Charlotte Transportation Center / Arena (LYNX station)

Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena LYNX light rail station
A southbound train prepares to depart
Station statistics
Address	310 East Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202
Coordinates	35°13′30″N 80°50′29″W / 35.225°N 80.84139°W / 35.225; -80.84139
Lines	LYNX Blue Line   Charlotte Trolley
Structure	At-grade
Platforms	2 side platforms[1]
Tracks	2[1]
Bicycle facilities	Racks available
Other information
Opened	December 11, 1995 (bus only)
Rebuilt	24 November 2007 (light rail addition)
Accessible
Owned by	Charlotte Area Transit Systems
Services
Preceding station   CATS   Following station 3rd Street toward I-485/South Boulevard LYNX Blue Line 7th Street Terminus 3rd Street toward Atherton Mill Charlotte Trolley 7th Street toward 9th Street

The Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena station or CTC/Arena station is a light rail station for both the LYNX Blue Line and the historic Charlotte Trolley in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected.^[2] Regular service with fare collection commenced on Monday, November 26, 2007.^[2]

The station is located at East Trade Street between Brevard Street and College Street. It has side platforms, which sit on either side of the tracks. Additionally, the station has an entrance from the platform into the neighboring Charlotte Transportation Center.

The station is unique to the LYNX system in that the entire platform is covered by a roof made of synthetic materials and supported by curved steel.^[3] The present design was originally scrapped due to high costs, but was later brought back and constructed after multiple Uptown businesses donated money to make up the difference in construction costs.^[3]

Notable places nearby

• ImaginOn
• Bank of America Corporate Center
• EpiCentre retail/entertainment complex
• Johnson and Wales University
• Mint Museum of Craft + Design
• North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
• Time Warner Cable Arena
• Trade and Tryon
• Main Library

Public art

As part of the CATS Art in Transit program, the CTC/Arena features several pieces intended to provide a better overall aesthetic for the station. The works include bas-reliefs entitled Gingko by Alice Adams, drinking fountain basins designed to look like dogwoods, the North Carolina state flower, by Nancy Blum, the Trade Street bridge supports entitled Bobbins pays hommage to Charlotte's textile industry was created by Andrew Leicester, Bobbins and track fencing featuring cottonwood leaves by Shaun Cassidy.^[4]

Charlotte Transportation Center

Celebrating its grand opening on December 11, 1995, through a partnership with then-NationsBank, the CTC is served by most local and express CATS routes that lead from outlying areas destined for Uptown.^[5] Its opening moved the central transfer point for all CATS buses from The Square two blocks to the west in an effort to improve traffic congestion along Tryon Street and provide transit riders a more efficient centralized transfer point.^[5] Additionally, a Greyhound bus station is located not far from here, as well as the downtown Gold Rush trolley service. The Amtrak station is approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the LYNX line.

Beyond just being the flagship transfer center in the system, the Charlotte Transportation Center has a rare distinction of having businesses located here for people's personal conveniences. Among these are a Bank of America branch, Postal Plus mailing service, a Plaza Sundries food store and a Char-Meck police unit; it also houses four restaurants: Bojangles', Burger King, Lil Orbits and a Subway.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} CTC/Arena station site plan
2. ^ ^{a b} Harrison, Steve; Kristen Valle (November 25, 2007). "Light rail, heavy traffic - Thousands wait in lines for a free ride on 1st day". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1A. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Harrison, Steve (June 17, 2007). "Rail's early opening hinges on one station - Uptown stop must be complete before any part of line can open". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1B. 
4. ^ "CTC/Arena Station: Art in Transit". Charlotte Area Transit System. Archived from the original on 2008-03-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20080323061912/http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/LYNX/CTC+Station.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Powell, Dannye Romine (December 12, 1995). "Checked out the Transit Center". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1C. 

External links

• CTC/Arena Street station site plan from CATS
• CTC Customer Service
• CTC Bus Bay Maps
• CTC Station (LYNX)
• Station from Google Maps Street View

Coordinates: 35°13′30″N 80°50′29″W / 35.225°N 80.84139°W / 35.225; -80.84139