Quote:
Originally Posted by lrt's friend
I have never been to Charlotte (other than the airport). Is light rail re-vitalizing the city centre? I notice from the map that downtown has been choked by a ring highway.
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Why having a ring highway ring around a downtown means a decaying downtown to you? Why having a light rail system mean a revitalizing city centre to you? Why do you feel that way?
Some interesting Charlotte statistics through the years.....
City Population (not metro statistics)
1920 44 thousand
1930 82 thousand (186% increase)
1940 101 thousand (23% increase)
1950 134 thousand (33% increase)
1960 201 thousand (150% increase)
1970 241 thousand (20% increase)
1980 315 thousand (31% increase)
1990 396 thousand (26% increase)
2000 540 thousand (36% increase)
2010 731 thousand (35% increase)
Notes
1-85 opened in Mecklenburg County in 1958
I-77 opened in Meckenburg County in 1967
Light rail opened in Charolette in 2007
I would suggest the opening of the first freeways and much earlier paved roads in Charolette accompanied much larger population growths than new transit.