Transit
Silver Line Minimum Operable Segment – Airport to Coliseum/Ovens
Location not confirmed
Verified Project Information
Summary
The Charlotte Area Transit System's Silver Line Minimum Operable Segment is a planned light-rail project between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the Coliseum/Ovens area. CATS describes the segment as approximately 10 miles with 16 stations. The FY 2027 adopted budget advances the Silver Line through 30% design and environmental review.
Current stage: Preliminary design or environmental review.
Current condition: Active.
Key Facts
Estimated Cost
$3.30 billion
as of 2024
Latest Progress
2026-06-11: The adopted FY 2027 budget identifies advancement of the Silver Line through 30% design and environmental review. CATS continues to list the Airport-to-Coliseum/Ovens MOS at 10 miles and 16 stations, with a $3.3 billion capital cost estimate in 2024 base-year dollars.
Project Leaders
City of Charlotte
Project owner, Project sponsor
Project Funding
Funding type: Public · Status: Allocated
No individual funding contributions are published.
Timeline
FY 2027 budget advances design and review
The adopted FY 2027 budget identifies advancement of the Silver Line through 30% design and environmental review. CATS continues to list the Airport-to-Coliseum/Ovens MOS at 10 miles and 16 stations, with a $3.3 billion capital cost estimate in 2024 base-year dollars.
Stage after event: Preliminary design or environmental reviewValue-engineering options presented
CATS presented potential Silver Line alignment, station, and design changes through its P.A.V.E. Act study. The presentation calls for further public and stakeholder input on options affecting project definition; it does not establish those options as adopted changes to the MOS.
Adopted plan retains Airport-to-Coliseum MOS
CATS's adopted 2055 Transit System Plan identifies the Silver Line MOS from Airport to Coliseum/Ovens and includes it in the fiscally constrained plan. The larger Belmont-to-Indian Trail LPA and future extensions are outside this project's scope.
CATS begins 30% design development
CATS reported that 30% design development began in July 2022 and that all four infrastructure design plan sets were received in 2024. Its March 2025 quarterly report said disposition of design comments remained underway; this does not establish completion of final design or environmental review.
Stage after event: Preliminary design or environmental reviewFederal early scoping begins
FTA and CATS issued an early-scoping notice to explore proposed light rail in Charlotte's West and Southeast corridors under the LYNX Silver Line name. This was early scoping, not a later formal environmental decision.
Stage after event: Planning or feasibility
Geography
Project site / location
No site geography relationship is published.
Affected / impact geography
No separate impact geography is published.
Map
No physical geometry is currently eligible for public mapping.
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Government Sources
- Primary
- Primary
- Primary
- Primary
- Federal Highway AdministrationEarly Scoping Notice for Charlotte Area Transit System Proposed LYNX Silver Line Project2020-08-31Primary
- Charlotte Area Transit SystemLYNX Silver Line Route - ProposedPrimary
- Charlotte Area Transit SystemLYNX Silver Line Stations - ProposedSupporting
- Charlotte Area Transit SystemSilver Line - CATS Project PagePrimary
Media Coverage
WFAE · 2026-08-13
Airport gives details about proposed seven-minute people mover from light rail to terminal (opens original source in a new tab)
WFAE reports the proposed Silver Line airport station location on Wilkinson Boulevard about one mile from the terminal and describes the airport's separate, still-undetermined terminal connection.