7th Street station (Charlotte)

7th Street station is a light rail station for the LYNX Blue Line in Center City Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located between 6th and 7th Streets; several privately operated parking decks and lots surround the station.[1] Notable places nearby include Discovery Place, Hearst Tower, ImaginOn, Levine Museum of the New South, Main Public Library and the McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square.

7th Street
LYNX light rail station
General information
Location260 East Seventh Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
United States
Coordinates35°13′38″N 80°50′17″W
Owned byCharlotte Area Transit System
Line(s)
  Lynx Blue Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBicycle facilities Uptown Cycle Track
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Bicycle facilitiesBicycle racks
AccessibleYes
ArchitectRalph Whitehead Associates
Architectural styleModern
History
OpenedJune 28, 2004
RebuiltNovember 24, 2007
Previous names6th Street
Services
Preceding station CATS Following station
Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena
towards I-485/South Boulevard
 Lynx Blue Line 9th Street
towards UNC Charlotte–Main
Former services
Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena
towards Atherton Mill
 Charlotte Trolley 9th Street
Terminus

History

The station, originally known as 6th Street, first opened for service on June 28, 2004, for the historic Charlotte Trolley, with one track and one platform, located north adjacent to Bland Street. Originally with one track active and one platform, it operated for a little over 19 months, before closing on February 6, 2006, to be reconstructed for the LYNX Blue Line. To put some distance from the new CTC/Arena Station, the newly renamed 7th Street Station was moved further north onto adjacent 7th Street. The original side platform and structure, located at the southeast corner of 6th Street, was razed; Center City Green, a parking deck, is located at the former location. During the early planning phase of the Blue Line, in February 2002, it was decided that 7th Street would be the northern terminus of the line, while 9th Street would continue to be the northern terminus for the Charlotte Trolley.[2] The station officially reopened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected.[3] Regular service with fare collection commenced on Monday, November 26, 2007.[3] By 2017, the side platforms were lengthened, extending towards 6th Street, which will allow three-car trains at the station.[4]

The station served as the Blue Line's northern terminus until the extension to UNC Charlotte opened on March 16, 2018.

Public art

As part of the CATS Art in Transit program, 7th Street features several pieces intended to provide a better overall aesthetic for the station. The works include bas-reliefs entitled Gingko by Alice Adams, drinking fountain basins designed to look like dogwoods, the North Carolina state flower, by Nancy Blum, river stone benches by Hoss Haley and finishes on the track fencing, shelter windscreens and column cladding featuring a leaf motif of species of tree found in the station by Shaun Cassidy.[5]

References
  1. "7th Street Station". Charlotte Area Transit System. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  2. "Updated Station Locations" (PDF). South Transitions. Charlotte Area Transit System. February 2002. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  3. Harrison, Steve; Valle, Kristen (November 25, 2007). "Light rail, heavy traffic: Thousands wait in lines for a free ride on 1st day". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1A.
  4. Harrison, Steve (March 17, 2017). "CATS hoped to ease crowds on light rail trains. Those plans will wait eight years". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  5. "7th Street Station: Art in Transit". Charlotte Area Transit System. Archived from the original on 2008-01-04. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
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