The CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar opened for passenger service on Monday, August 30, 2021. The 4-mile-long streetcar line has 17 stops and connects the Historic West End through Center City Charlotte to the Elizabeth neighborhood. The stops are: French St. Johnson C. Smith Bruns Ave. Wesley Heights Irwin Ave. Johnson & Wales University Charlotte Gateway Station Mint St. Tryon St. CTC/Arena (Charlotte Transportation Center) Davidson St. McDowell St. CPCC Elizabeth & Hawthorne Hawthorne & 5th st. 8th st. Sunnyside Ave. The CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar operates 7 days-a-week from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. CATS is continually monitoring ridership and will make adjustments to service levels as needed. The CityLynx Gold Line is a streetcar line in Charlotte, North Carolina. A component of the Charlotte Area Transportation System's Lynx rail system, it follows a primarily east-west path along Beatties Ford Road, Trade Street and Central Avenue through central Charlotte. The initial 1.5-mile (2.4 km), six-stop segment (Phase 1) between Time Warner Cable Arena (now Spectrum Center) and Presbyterian Hospital opened for service on July 14, 2015. A further 2.5-mile (4.0 km) segment (Phase 2) from the Charlotte Transportation Center to French Street, and from Hawthorne & 5th to Sunnyside Avenue, opened for service on August 30, 2021. The third and final phase, comprising extensions between Hawthorne Lane and Eastland CTC, and from French Street to Rosa Parks CTC, has been planned, but lacks funding. Originally projected to be 10 miles (16 km) long with 35 stops, the Gold Line when fully completed is intended to connect the University Park area of west Charlotte with Eastland Community Transit Center in east Charlotte via Uptown Charlotte. I also suggested the Charlotte Light Rail in another post. It would be cool if the two lines were linked (both lines on one world with AI trains on both lines) because the depot for the trams are on the light rail line so you could bring a service from the 2nd depot on the line extension to UNC Charlotte and run all services the return back to the depot. You could also make it so you can walk through the Transportation Center or past the Spectrum Center to get to CTC/Arena station on the light rail or the tram.
I personally think having Light Rail would be an awesome addition into TSW3. Would add variety of rolling stock into the game and a different type of running.
