A community push for a West Craighead station on the long-planned Red Line commuter rail has prompted Charlotte officials to advocate for better policies in making major transportation decisions moving forward.

The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority’s Executive Committee voted at its recent meeting to recommend the proposed 10 locations, with the addition of a stop in Camp North End, to the authority’s Board of Trustees.

But much of the discussion devolved into where members fell on the idea of also adding a stop at the intersection of North Graham and West Craighead Road.

“I do believe that a path forward — and we’ve been talking about it — is setting a very standard policy so that the board can review these types of requests,” committee member Alysia Davis Steadman said at the Wednesday meeting.

Sugar Creek residents have said a West Craighead stop could be transformative for the area. The neighborhood sits just four miles north of uptown, and some residents have long felt neglected by the city. The proposed station is at the centerpiece of a community plan to attract greener jobs to the area without putting existing jobs at risk.

But after residents asked for the stop, a different transportation committee earlier this month voted 5-4 against recommending it, with members opposed citing the possible impact on land use policies and federal funding. The push isn’t dead yet, though. The authority’s full board will make its own decision in August.

The regional authority was established after the voter passage of last year’s transit sales tax. The board is responsible for overseeing an estimated $19.4 billion in sales tax revenue over the next 30 years.

The Red Line project is one leg of the city’s larger transit system plan to provide access to jobs, education and entertainment while also supporting and driving the region’s economy.

According to a presentation by Charlotte Area Transit System staff, the addition of the West Craighead stop could affect scheduling and costs. But officials and advocates in favor have pointed to the Lynx Blue Line and the investment brought along its stops as an example of how transformative a transportation project can be for neighborhoods.

More than 600 people have signed an online and printed petition calling for the West Craighead station to be added to the Red Line.

Improving the process for decisions

Several MPTA Executive Committee members questioned the measurements used to determine what makes an area suitable for a commuter rail stop.

Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant, who’s a committee member, said at the meeting he was still sorting out where he will land on the additional station. He said it was “the first critical decision” the authority was making.

Some residents were reluctant to support the Mecklenburg County transit sales tax last year because they felt they wouldn’t receive any benefits promised, he added.

“Some are going to connect this decision to that perspective, rightfully or wrongfully,” Bryant said. “When you think about some of the comments that’s been made and some of the emails, it’s aligned with that reluctance we heard publicly about whether-or-not the voters should support this transit tax.”

He said it’s hard to look past residents’ concerns when looking at how economic prosperity was brought to places like South End by the light rail.

“These folks are saying they want the same thing,” Bryant said.

MPTA Executive Committee Vice Chair Frank Emory said the tough choice is revealing opportunities on how to improve the process. He added he’s currently comfortable with the decision to not recommend the West Craighead Station.

“It’s unfortunate that some see this as an avatar for the fact that the people who made the decision don’t care about the community,” he said.

MPTA Executive Committee Chair David Howard said he suspects there will be a motion at a future board meeting to reopen the discussion and possibly add the stop. He currently supports the previous committee’s decision to not recommend the stop out of concern it’ll impact the area’s zoning, he said.

A commuter rail stop could serve as a catalyst for a zoning change, but changes are not automatic and still require a formal rezoning process. The area is currently zoned light industrial and the city has made a big effort to protect that type of land use, according to Howard.

He said it’s also important to note that the community asked for two additional stations, and the board is supportive of at least one — adding a stop in Camp North End.

“I tried to get a station there 25 years ago, it was a land use issue there, and it was just a dream,” he said. “Now, it makes sense to put one there because the density and the ridership supports it.”

Similarly, the prospects for a West Craighead Station could change, he said. Once a formal policy is in place on how to approach future stops he would be more open to reconsidering it, Howard said.

He added that he plans to privately meet with Sugar Creek residents to discuss the reason behind his decision.

The MPTA Board of Trustees will vote on which stations will be included on the Red Line at its meeting on Aug. 12.

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