Mobility
Mobility is essential in every part of the city and all Place Types, providing a foundation for equitable, safe, and convenient movement between destinations (Charlotte Future 2040 Goal 5). Charlotte has three key mobility partners that play a role in achieving this goal:
- Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT)
- Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
- Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRPTO)
CDOT is responsible for planning, designing, operating, and maintaining Charlotte’s transportation infrastructure to ensure that it is safe and equitable for all modes of travel, working alongside public and private partners. The Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) lays out guidance for this important responsibility in alignment with Charlotte Future 2040, including 50-50 Mode Share and Vision Zero aspirations. The Charlotte Future 2040 Street Map is also an important policy guidance tool for implementing the City’s mobility vision, defining three different street classifications with specific multimodal expectations to ensure that our streets continue evolving to meet goals and needs.
To advance and implement the guidance in these policy tools, we must consider and prioritize specific investments and programs that will influence how people move throughout the city in alignment with local and citywide priorities, needs, and land use policies (Place Types), including roadway improvements, pedestrian infrastructure enhancements, bike and micromobility projects, innovation and technology upgrades, support for transit capacity and access, and curbside management interventions. To streamline implementation efficiency for these investments, CDOT is instituting a new mobility strategy by defining Strategic Investment Areas (SIAs) across the city, established through a data-driven process to align priorities and needs. Each of the 22 SIAs includes a range of large and small projects that have a place-based focus.
As mixed-use Places are expected to accommodate the most change and growth, it is important that their mobility networks support higher levels of access and activity, for which specific aspirations are outlined in the Mobility Aspirations Table. While most areas identified for mixed-use Place Types align with the designated SIA—which include identified groups of potential projects intended to help achieve mobility aspirations—there are some that fall outside these areas. The CAP mobility assessment for North Middle & Outer (illustrated in the Mobility Assessment Map and Table) documents how well these mixed-use Place Type geographies (Neighborhood Center, Community Activity Center, Regional Activity Center, and Innovation Mixed-Use) align with their mobility aspirations based on current conditions. This information helps to identify each geography’s greatest mobility needs and will help guide mobility-related decisions as development and redevelopment occur in these places, including through private and public investment.
Mobility Trends
A majority of mixed-use geographies in North Middle & Outer are within a SIA and have improvements identified. The remaining geographies are generally not aligned with the aspirational characteristics.
Table 2: Mobility Aspirations for Mixed Use Places
| Mobility Aspirational Elements | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed-Use Place Type | Pedestrian Network | Bike Network | Crossings | Block Lengths & Street Network | Parking | Access & Internal Connections | Transit Access |
| Neighborhood Center (NC) | The pedestrian network is complete, direct, safe, comfortable, and designed to accommodate significant pedestrian activity. IMU places also need to accommodate truck access in the interim, placing extra emphasis on thoughtful design to reflect these needs while prioritizing the transition to a mixed-use place. | The bike network is complete, well-marked, safe, and easy to use. IMU places also need to accommodate truck access in the interim, placing extra emphasis on thoughtful design to reflect these needs while prioritizing the transition to a mixed-use place. | There are ample opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross busy Arterial streets, allowing for direct and convenient travel between destinations. | The street network is well-connected, supports walkability, and provides easy access to centers from surrounding areas and between destinations. | Parking may be limited and is typically located and provided in ways that encourage a highly walkable environment. IMU places also need to accommodate truck access in the interim, placing extra emphasis on thoughtful design to reflect these needs while prioritizing the transition to a mixed-use place. | It is easy to “park once” and walk or use other mobility options between destinations. | Centers are easily accessible via transit, and transit facilities are located and designed to support that accessibility. |
| Community Activity Center (CAC) | |||||||
| Regional Activity Center (RAC) | |||||||
| Innovation Mixed-Use (IMU) | |||||||
Table 3: Mobility Assessment
| Mobility Characteristics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed-Use Geography | Pedestrian Network | Bike Network | Crossings | Block Length & Street Network | Parking | Access & Internal Connections | Transit Access |
| M1) NC - Eastfield Rd/Prosperity Church Rd |  | | | |  | | |
| M2) CAC - I-485/Prosperity Church Rd | | | | | | | |
| M3) NC - Browne Rd/Dearmon Rd | | | | | | | |
| M4) CAC** - I-485/Old Statesvillte Rd | | | | | | | |
| M5) NC - Browne Rd/WT Harris Blvd | | | | | | | |
| M6) CAC** - Old Statesville Rd/WT Harris Blvd | | | | | | | |
| M7) NC - Statesville Rd/Lake Rd | | | | | | | |
| M8) NC*/** - W Sugar Creek Rd/Derita Ave | | | | | | | |
| M9) CAC** - Mallard Creek Church Rd/I-85 | | | | | | | |
| M10) NC** - Mallard Creek Church Rd/N Tryon St | | | | | | | |
| M11) RAC** - WT Harris Blvd/N Tryon St | | | | | | |  |
| M12) CAC** - I-85/University City/WT Harris | | | | | | | |
| M13) CAC** - N Tryon St | | | | | | | |
| M14) IMU** - I-85/University City | | | | | | | |
*These geographies are within a Corridor of Opportunity
** These geographies are within a Strategic Investment Area
Mobility Recommendations
Building from and aligning with existing adopted plans, below are the Strategic Mobility Plan recommendations that are most relevant to the needs of this CAP area.
SMP-1
Connected 4.11: Transit-Oriented Development – Support CATS and the Planning, Design and Development (PDD) Department in proactive station area planning along new and existing corridors, focusing on identifying the critical mobility infrastructure investment necessary to support transit-oriented development.
SMP-2
Safe 1.11: Street and Pedestrian Lighting – Implement and prioritize new street lighting for the safety of all users; support Duke Energy in the LED conversion of existing street lighting; and ensure that streetlights are located in places that effectively light sidewalks, pathways, and pedestrian crossings.
SMP-3
Connected 1.11: New Streets – New Streets Invest in and protect new future street connections through capital investment and land development projects, prioritizing opportunities to increase network capacity in growing areas, expand our multimodal network, complete critical creek crossings, and partner with new development.
MP-4
New roads constructed in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) that serve more than one development should be designed and constructed to North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) standards so that they may be accepted by NCDOT for maintenance following construction.
Through ongoing collaboration between City staff and community partners, this policy emerged during the CAP process.