Byzantine is a good word to describe the City of Charlotte's decades-long quest to build an all-points mass transit system. Every manner of start and stop has been the rule. Yet there is glowing light in the tunnel. The Charlotte City Council will soon vote on purchasing the O-Line, railroad tracks that are currently part of Norfolk Southern's national freight network, to get one step closer to building the Red Line commuter train that would connect Charlotte with its northern suburbs and Lake Norman. In 2004, we published 'The Multimodal Station and the North Rail Line' by David Carol, then Senior Project Manager for the North Corridor Commuter Rail Project for the Charlotte Area Transit System. Carol reported that a multimodal station on Trade Street designed by "world-class architects" was imminent and the Norfolk line would soon "offer efficient connections, an improved commute and an exciting new focus for the region." Twenty years on, we wait for the light to glow brighter.
As we get closer to Election Day, candidates are sharing prescriptions about the American Dream. How do we create greater opportunity for all? What is the role of government? Should we liberate or intervene in markets? In 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession, we published 'The New Myth of the New Deal' by Bobby Davis, adjunct professor of history at Rollins College. Davis offers a compelling take on how the New Deal is remembered and understood.
Don's miss the 2016 review of Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars, West Africa's top touring and recording band, by Nicole Fisher; a short story about family wounds by D.A. Spruzen; and the artist gallery by Kelly Keith.
You'll also see links to two of our PDF magazines, one from 2010 and one from 2006, respectively, with lead columns from John Kreighbaum on community banking, and Rick Smyre on community transformation.
To what's around the bend,
Mark Peres
Charlotte Viewpoint Founder
The Charlotte Center Founder & Executive Director
