Committee approves plan to move uptown Charlotte transportation hub underground

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte’s Metropolitan Transit Commission has voted in favor of a plan to move the transportation center underground.

This plan was one of three options being considered for the Charlotte Area Transit System’s uptown Charlotte bus hub.

Related: CATS hears what riders want in new transit center

While Tuesday night’s vote was unanimous, it wasn’t without some concerns.

County and city leaders agreed an underground design for the transportation center, known as the “concourse,” would fit passengers’ needs best because it would be more secure for ticket holders, more flexible for buses to get in and out, and easier to maximize space.

Some, however, were also worried about the downsides of going underground, like the lack of natural lighting and air quality control.

“We’ve all been to cities throughout the country and the world, where you’ve been in a stuffy garage with diesel fuel spewing in your face and it’s a pretty miserable experience,” Matthews Mayor John Higdon said.

“The other piece, not only the air quality, but the lighting,” Huntersville Mayor Melinda Bales added.

After the committee voted to pass the underground design, the group Sustain Charlotte said it was “deeply concerned about the safety, equity and cost of moving the transit center underground.”

The group’s members want to hear more answers from the committee, including what safety features will be put in place for workers and riders.

Although the committee approved the design, it will still face many more votes by city and county leaders before dirt is ever moved on the project.

The committee says construction may not start until 2025 and it could be 2029 before it ever opens.

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