#ThrowbackThursday: May 4, 2006

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This article was originally published May 4, 2006 and was written by Jane Rosinski.

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Mass Transit/High Density Development: Do they mesh in Matthews?

Balancing a desire for mass transit with its corresponding call for high density development is the dilemma currently facing Matthews Town Commissioners. Mayor Lee Myers questioned the council’s support for transit in Matthews after last months 4-3 vote to deny a high density apartment complex near the Sam Newell park and ride station.

The Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) emphasizes the need for Transit Oriented Development near transit lines, and Myers pointed out that if Matthews wants this technology, supportive action through zoning is essential. “If we don’t get the density to support transit, we might not get any,” he said, reminding the board that neither light rail or bus rapid transit is a ‘done deal,’ with much competition for federal funding.

Discussion about the Southeast Transit Corridor followed a status report from Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) officials. Recommendations to the MTC on alignments, station locations and technology are expected to be made in June, and Myers wanted to clarify the board’s stance.

Commissioner James Taylor acknowledged the board may have sent a mixed signal with its recent zoning decision, but asserted that the question of how high is too high for Matthews remains when it comes to living units per acre. Is 14 units an acceptable standard, or, once approved, would council learn that that still isn’t high enough to meed federal guidelines, asked Taylor. Commissioner Kress Query, while favoring light rail, rejects the higher density requisites. “I don’t think we have enough vacant land in Matthews to provide the density CATS wants,” Query said.

“I am not selling out the town for mass transit,” said Commissioner Paul Bailey, who rejects any apartment plan and urged supporters to use what’s already in place.

Although no action was taken, Myers reminded the council that while transit doesn’t drive everything, traffic continues to be citizens’ top concern.

Morning Minute: Monday, April 29, 2019

News About Town: If you use Weddington Road between Fincher Farm and Winterbrooke regularly, make sure to plan alternate routes for the week. Today through Friday (Monday, April 29th through Friday, May 3rd) Blythe Construction will be working on Weddington from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Through travel will be limited to one lane at times so delays are expected.

News Around Town: The Silver Line often feels like a distant dream, but after last Wednesday’s Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting, the project is a baby step closer to the design process. The MTC voted to approve the 2020 Fiscal Year operating budget, which includes millions in additional funding to advance the Silver Line. The $1.7 billion project will be funded through local, state, and federal dollars. In late 2018 the Federal Transit Authority awarded CATS a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) planning grant for $920,000.

One Fun Thing: Hey naturalists! The Charlotte Metro area (at the time of writing) has 3,547 posts, 741 species, and 184 participants in the City Nature Challenge. According to the app, several participants are in Matthews. The most active areas for reporting are the downtown area and Idlewild Road Park. Today is the last day to participate before the final numbers are tallied.

At the Bus Stop: Waiting on the Bus

As we examine transit in Matthews, there is a lot of overlap with the comprehensive work of Sustain Charlotte. While their focus is on Charlotte itself, Matthews can benefit from some of their approaches.

One Sustain Charlotte activity, Walk2Transit, is a simple bus stop audit. Walk2Transit provides a method of grading bus stops from various perspectives (such as ease of getting to the stop, comfort while waiting on the bus, etc.) aids in better design of future stops. According to Meg Fencil, Sustain Charlotte Program Director, “80% of ‘all-purpose’ riders reach their bus stops on foot. If we want more people to choose to ride transit, they need to feel safe and comfortable walking to and from bus stops.“

Although photos only provide limited information, below are a few of the bus stops in Matthews. How would they score on a Walk2Transit audit? Which stops feel well designed? Which could use improvement? Does a comfortable bus stop encourage greater public transit use?

#FiveForFriday: A Morning Minute News Round Up

This #FiveForFriday Morning Minute News Round Up is for the week of January 13 through 19, 2019.

The Federal Transit Authority awarded The City of Charlotte a $920,000 grant for planning the proposed LYNX Silver Line. The Silver Line, a CATS project, is a light rail extension from Gaston County through Matthews to Union County. The budget for the total project is expected to be $1 billion.

This Saturday, January 19, is Coffee With a Commissioner at the Levine Senior Center, 1050 Devore Ln., from 9 to 10 a.m. Stop by, ask some questions, chat about Matthews, and learn more about the goings on in our town.

If you’re curious about Town Council meetings but have to get dinner on the table and kids in bed, it’s now possible to have your municipal cake and eat it too. The Town has started posting audio to the website. Find the audio file link posted beside the agenda as soon as the file is available, which will usually be a day or two after the meeting. Click audio, close your eyes and feel whisked away to the Council dais. Still want the visuals? Keep an eye on the Town’s YouTube Channel. There will be more videos in the near future.

Thursday morning (January 17) at 7 a.m. the Economic Development Advisory Council will meet. On the agenda: EDAC will discuss open broadband for the town, installing murals with funds from facade grants, and a Matthews-based website built through a partnership with developer Lat Purser, the Matthews Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Matthews.

Although we posted this a few days ago, it’s an event worth repeating and attending. This Sunday, January 20, join Pastor Larry Whitley at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church (381 Crestdale Rd.) at 2:00 p.m. for the Third Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Peaceful March & Commemorative Worship. After a brief presentation about civil rights, attendees will gather outside to walk to Town Hall.

And one to grow on…Not really news, but something not to miss if you can stay awake for it: the Super Blood Wolf Moon.

This Sunday night (well, technically Monday morning) if you stay up late you might see the Super Blood Wolf Moon. The “super” part means the moon will be in relatively close proximity to the earth. A “wolf moon” is the first full moon of the year, and the blood part comes from the color of sun’s rays as they filter through the earth’s atmosphere. For 62 minutes the moon will be in full eclipse and a red hue will bathe the moon, creating both a beautiful sight and perhaps inspiration for an epic metal band name.