Transit board to take over Charlotte Trolley

Transit officials in Charlotte, N.C., will take over Charlotte Trolley operations, buy new streetcars and remodel a maintenance garage for an expanded trolley fleet, reported the Charlotte Observer. A decision was postponed on whether the maintenance building will be the historic Bland Street garage, the center of the city's original streetcar system more than 80 years ago. The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners will soon vote on spending $1.5 million in land bond money to buy the building, and the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) will decide next month if it will spend $5.2 million to remodel it, reported the Observer. Supporters of the trolley are attempting to raise $500,000 to help convince the county commissioners to purchase the building. The money would cover the gap between what the county commissioners and the MTC may be willing to spend to buy and remodel the garage, said the Obeserver.