Blue Line Pineville-Ballantyne Extension

The Blue Line Extension to Pineville and Ballantyne is a proposed extension of light rail service from the existing terminus of the Blue Line at I-485/South Boulevard.

As part of the System Update in 2019, CATS evaluated rapid transit opportunities to serve Pineville and Ballantyne. This study evaluated both light rail options (as an extension of the Blue Line) and bus-based options (using the future express lanes on I-485).

Study Area

Map of proposed blue line pineville extension. Description below:

A map depicts the proposed Pineville/Ballentyne study area, as well at the area where the current end of the Blue Line light rail alignment at I-485/South Boulevard meetings the study area. The area is highlighted in green and covers major portions of Pineville and Ballantyne. The boundaries are approximately north of Lancaster Highway, west of 521, and the study area oval is intercepted by I-485.

One of the most unique characteristics of the study area is the presence of two major activity centers (Carolina Place Mall and Ballantyne Corporate Park) that provide the opportunity for large-scale transit-supportive land use.

Corridor Goals

Corridor goal number one for blue line extension. Description below
Corridor goal number one is to connect major employment and commercial areas in Pineville and Ballantyne to the CATS System with high quality transit to increase access to opportunities for residents living elsewhere in the region.

Corridor goal number two for blue line extension. Description below
Corridor goal number two is to use transit as a catalyst to promote urban and mixed-use development at major opportunity areas in Pineville and Ballantyne, specifically including Carolina Place Mall and Ballantyne Corporate Park.

Corridor goal number three for blue line extension. Description below
Corridor goal number three is to increase overall corridor capacity by providing additional access points to the transit system in congested corridors such as I-485 and Johnston road.

Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) alignment adoption

Beginning in April 2019, CATS initiated a study to evaluate potential extensions of the Blue Line to the Town of Pineville and the Ballantyne community in Charlotte. Following a public process and technical evaluation, in August 2019, CATS staff recommended a 5.5-mile extension of the Blue Line with five stations to serve Pineville and Ballantyne to MTC. Additional recommendations included a Bus Rapid Transit service connecting the existing Blue Line to the Ballantyne area upon completion of the I-485 express lanes. The MTC adopted the recommendations at their September 2019 meeting.

Adopted Locally Preferred Alternative

Map of Pineville and Charlotte boundary

This map shows the adopted locally preferred alternative option for the Blue Line light rail to extend into Pineville/Ballentyne. The map depicts the existing Blue Line alignment and the staff recommendation of a dark blue line, meant to represent the light rail extension, and a red line, meant to represent the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) extension. Both of these alignments are similar, traveling down South Boulevard, past Carolina place, onto (or parallel to) I-485 into Ballantyne Commons Parkway. There is also a red dotted line meant to represent an area that is recommended for further analysis. This line travels from Ballantyne Commons Parkway, past Providence Road west, past Marvin Road and all the way to the southeastern side of Lancaster Highway.

Express bus service

As an initial step toward more intensive transit investments in this area, CATS intends to begin express bus service connecting Ballantyne to the Blue Line Sharon Road West station using the new I-485 Express Lanes upon their completion.

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