LYNX Silver Line

The online open house is available now through November 28, 2021! Learn about a LYNX Silver Line light rail status update, proposed alignment and station refinements, and information about implementation and phasing. Your input is critical! Provide your input by November 28 in the online survey or by texting "Silver Line" to 704.461.4441.

CATS will host two live virtual public meetings and an online open house to provide an update on the LYNX Silver Line light rail. The live virtual meeting information can be found on the right side of this webpage. The online open house link will be available on this page October 19 – November 3.

LYNX Silver Line Locally Preferred Alternative

The LYNX Silver Line is a planned 29-mile, 31 station light rail alignment from the City of Belmont in Gaston County, through Center City Charlotte and the Town of Matthews, into Union County. Key connections include:

Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Bank of America Stadium
Truist Field
Charlotte Gateway District
CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar
LYNX Blue Line Light Rail

Bojangles Coliseum
Ovens Auditorium
Novant Uptown and Matthews hospitals
Town of Matthews
Sportsplex
CPCC Central and Levine campuses

Over the last several years, and most recently in January 2023, the CATS' policy board, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), approved a refined Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) phasing strategy for implementation of the LYNX Silver Line.

Directions for viewing the map on a mobile device

To change the basemap, click on the box in the top right of the map for options.
To zoom in and out, use the “+” and “-“ icons at the top left of the map or drag two fingers on the screen in and out.
To return to the original view, click the house icon at the top left of the map.
To search for an address, click the magnifying glass icon on the top left of the map.

Directions for viewing the map on a laptop or desktop

To view the legend, click on the Details button in the top left of the screen and then select the far right Legend button.
To change the basemap, click Basemap in the top left of the screen for options.
To zoom in and out, use the “+” and “-“ icons at the top left of the map or use your center mouse button.
To return to the original view, click the house icon at the top left of the map.
To search for an address, type an address in the Find address or place search bar next to the magnifying glass icon on the top right of the screen.
To measure distances, click the Measure button in the top right of the screen. Select the ruler icon and use the drop-down list to select measurement units. Then click on the map to create a starting point, draw a line, and double click on the end point for your measurement result.

Directions for viewing the map on a mobile device

To change the basemap, click on the box in the top right of the map for options.
To zoom in and out, use the “+” and “-“ icons at the top left of the map or drag two fingers on the screen in and out.
To return to the original view, click the house icon at the top left of the map.
To search for an address, click the magnifying glass icon on the top left of the map.

Directions for viewing the map on a laptop or desktop

To view the legend, click on the Details button in the top left of the screen and then select the far right Legend button.
To change the basemap, click Basemap in the top left of the screen for options.
To zoom in and out, use the “+” and “-“ icons at the top left of the map or use your center mouse button.
To return to the original view, click the house icon at the top left of the map.
To search for an address, type an address in the Find address or place search bar next to the magnifying glass icon on the top right of the screen.
To measure distances, click the Measure button in the top right of the screen. Select the ruler icon and use the drop-down list to select measurement units. Then click on the map to create a starting point, draw a line, and double click on the end point for your measurement result.

Phase A, which would be implemented first, would start at Charlotte Gateway Station (CGS) and extend eastward to the Town of Matthews; Phase B would extend westward from CGS to I-485 in western Mecklenburg County. Subsequent phases would extend farther in each direction into Gaston and Union Counties. In the near term, CATS anticipates taking the Phase A segment into design and environmental review, along with a potential terminus option at Morehead Station in Center City.

Project Life Cycle

Public Engagement

CATS has conducted extensive public engagement, including several online open houses, live virtual public meetings, neighborhood meetings, and surveys. To view previous project materials and watch meeting recordings, click on the LYNX Silver Line Project Library.

Related Efforts

Charlotte Planning, Design + Development partnered with CATS and other municipalities along the LYNX Silver Line corridor to develop station area plans which prioritize connected neighborhoods with a mix of uses that are consistent with local goals and policies. Visit the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Studypage to learn more.

Silver Line Project Library

Download the LYNX Silver Line toolkit with shareable project materials.

Current Project Materials:

LYNX Silver Line Frequently Asked Questions Spring 2021 (Coming Soon)

Early Scoping Fall 2020 Online Open House

Archived Project Materials:

Winter/Spring 2021 Toolkit
Early Scoping (Fall 2020) Toolkit
Early Scoping (Fall 2020) LYNX Silver Line Frequently Asked Questions
Early Scoping (Fall 2020) Live Virtual Public Meeting Questions
Southeast Corridor Transit Study
LYNX System Update

Public Meetings:

Winter/Spring 2021

Winter/Spring 2021 Online Open House

Focus Area 1: Wilkinson Boulevard (City of Belmont to I-485): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv87wznhqHs&t=37s

Focus Area 2: Wilkinson Boulevard (I-485 to West Morehead Street)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q07Q9kQd2II&t=7s
Focus Area 3: Center City (West Morehead Street to Charlottetowne Avenue)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0AL0Xfk7PE
Focus Area 4: Independence Boulevard (Charlottetowne Avenue to Idlewild Road)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ta1xE-BQaw
Focus Area 5: Independence Boulevard (Idlewild Road to just south of I-485 at CPCC Levine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92dRwwf_60c
Focus Area 6: Union County Extension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1kVg-t2gvU