Not really sure how much this will change life at UNCC but I would think it would make it a bit more attractive to attend UNCC. Besides night-life this will be a good selling point to students desiring internships in downtown Charlotte.

Then again, I just love things that move on two or more rails, as many know on this board.

I still curse the Flood of 1940 and the effects it had on the ETWNC between Cranberry and Boone, and I am cursing something that happened 29 years before I was born.

Light Rail to UNCC

Makes it easier to commute to moms.

I suggest an umbrella.

AppinVA wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:41 am

I suggest an umbrella.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

(Actually it took me a few minutes of being away from YC reading about neutron decay and then it hit me what you were getting at. Stupid keyboard!)

It’s fun to rag on UNCC, but the light rail is a HUGE win for that campus.

App and Charlotte share little culturally. A student seeking an urban environment won’t settle in Boone and a student seeking a cozy college town won’t find their way to UNCC.

What the rail does for Charlotte is amplify how urban it is. There is definitely an appeal to being in a dorm, hopping on the train to head uptown to bars, Hornets games, etc. It’s undeniable. Likewise, a student can now live in SouthEnd or NODA and easily attend classes. It’s a great perk for them. Their football team is still trash though.

We still got Tweetsie.

TheMoody1 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:10 pm

We still got Tweetsie.

And it's pure steam baby!

TheMoody1 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:10 pm

We still got Tweetsie.

And unc-harrisburg light rail dang sure doesn't look as cool as this...

I was going to make a statement earlier today along the lines of "I'm sure there will be more shootouts on the charlotte rail than at tweetsie." But, I decided to be a better man and not do it. Then, I decided I'm good enough.

Looking forward to taking it from my hood to our home game next year. Those coming into town can stay uptown Charlotte and take it to UNCC as well. It will be Tweetsie II for the day.

The latest stats I've seen suggested only approximately half of UNCC's students live on or near campus. Will the lightrail attract more student to live in the area, or will they live in Noda or Southend and take the rail to class? Rent might be too high in these areas. Time will tell.

This is huge for areas between uptown and UNCC. I'm in real estate in Charlotte, and we've seen development skyrocket with new apartments and condos along the new extension, as well as neighborhood revitalization too.

I will say there seems to be an element of crime on and around UNCC's campus. It will be interesting to see if easy public transit access to campus will have an effect on crime rates. It seems that easier access to a campus from the surrounding public could be problematic.

I have to ride the new line periodically now. Students don’t have to buy a ticket it’s part of their tuition now. What I see happening is groups of criminals riding the train up to campus and then committing crime on campus. I hope I am wrong.

Here is one study though not conclusive suggests public transit did not have an effect on crime rates.

https://sites.duke.edu/urbaneconomics/?p=1215

There are some other studies online but that is all I have time for at the present. Other studies may tell a different story.

ASUchipman wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:24 pm

I have to ride the new line periodically now. Students don’t have to buy a ticket it’s part of their tuition now. What I see happening is groups of criminals riding the train up to campus and then committing crime on campus. I hope I am wrong.

Can you elaborate on these alleged groups of criminals and where they would be coming from? I'm more worried about the criminals on campus taking the lightrail to my area.

The pearl-clutching going on in this thread is something else, man. I ride the light rail and have never seen these groups of criminals.

This reminds me of the Nextdoor posts in my neighborhood.

Scary brown people, aahhh!!!

Ranking of dangerous areas in Charlotte

West
North
Central
East
South

Saint3333 wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:13 am

Ranking of dangerous areas in Charlotte

West
North
Central
East
South

I would move East above Central. You should probably move South from the list completely.

Appftw wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:06 am

The pearl-clutching going on in this thread is something else, man. I ride the light rail and have never seen these groups of criminals.

Yeah, I don't know about groups of criminals on the lightrail. Been on it many times with no issue. However, crime on and around UNCC's campus is very real and well documented.

Like I said before, it will been interesting to see the effects of easier access from the outside on UNCC's crime. Not suggesting crime is an issue on the lightrail, just suggesting criminals might take advantage of easy access to a campus.

The fear of increased crime and other issues have kept MARTA out of Cobb County for 50 over years.