http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/10/16/3600805/feds-city-sign-light-rail-deal.html (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/10/16/3600805/feds-city-sign-light-rail-deal.html)
The city of Charlotte and the Federal Transit Administration signed a deal Tuesday morning that commits the federal government to paying for half of the construction costs for a $1.16 billion light-rail extension.
(http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2012/10/15/23/46/1hoOfp.Em.138.jpeg)
The contract, known as a Full Funding Grant Agreement, means the FTA will spend $580 million on the line. The city of Charlotte and the Charlotte Area Transit System will spend $250 million and the N.C. Department of Transportation will spend $299 million.
The new extension could open in 2017. It will connect uptown to UNC-Charlotte, adding 11 new stations. Four stations will have park-and-ride lots.
The 9.2-mile extension has long been a dream of UNC-Charlotte, which wants to be better connected to uptown.
(http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/lynx/PublishingImages/LYNXLineMap.jpg)
Apologies if this is a dupe. It appears someone already has a post on this.