Located along the center of North Tryon, there's definitely some retail and strip malls here next…read moreto Tom Hunter Station. There is zero parking. The station is an island platform, so the doors of the train will open on the left. There are automated ticket vending kiosks on both ends of the platform as well as visual and audible announcements of the next train in either direction. Some benches for waiting have some overhead cover from rain but probably not much good if it's windy. Tom Hunter Station is between Old Concord Road (inbound towards Uptown) and University City Blvd (outbound towards University). [Review 10245 overall, 8 of 2019.]

On the surface it doesn't look like this station has a lot going on for it. There are not a ton of…read moreattractions around it like the CTC, JW Clay, 36th Street, or Bland St. The businesses around here are older than ones around other stations. For those in the local neighborhoods, this light rail is a lifeline. Beyond Tryon and Tom Hunter, there is a ton of urban-light residential within a couple of miles from the station. The crosswalks on either end of here are surface level and you can cross from either side of Tryon. I know quite a few people from this area that are very optimistic for the doors the Blue Line Extension is opening up for them. Better access to North End, better access to UNCC, and more time for their families with less bus routes to take. While this station doesn't do much for me personally, it's an important one that will continuously improve the community and the lives of local Charlotteans. I can dig it!

The Mint Street stop on Charlotte's Gold Line is a compact, street-level station that serves as a…read moreconvenient entry point to the western edge of Uptown. The platform is slightly elevated for easier boarding and includes ramps for wheelchair access. Shelter is minimal - just a small canopy that offers limited protection from the elements. Its location is practical for reaching nearby civic buildings, sports venues, and local eateries, but the station itself is fairly barebones. It's functional and accessible, but not a place to linger. Think of it as a straightforward landing for exploring the surrounding blocks. Nearby are Romare Bearden Park and the Mint Museum Uptown. The station is between Charlotte Gateway Station (towards French Street) and Tryon Street (towards Sunnyside). It is an island platform in the middle of Trade Street making for a convenient switching point. Doors will open on the left. There are no automated signs indicating how long until the next train and there are no audible announcements. Like I said, barebones. [Round number review 4500 in North Carolina - 1429 of 2025 - 24980 overall]

Not too far from Asian Corner Mall, Sugar Creek Station is one of the stations on the expanded Blue…read moreLine as it goes north from Uptown to University. The station is very accessible by road, as opposed to some of the ones closer to the city. The platform does have some covered waiting area and a full parking deck that contains a few hundred parking spaces. It is an island platform so the doors on the train will open on the left. There are audible and visual announcements of the next train in both directions. Automated ticket vending machines exist. Note that the Lynx system requires that you have a ticket in your possession - ticket inspectors do patrol the trains randomly and they do not accept "Oops." Sugar Creek Station is between 36th Street (towards Uptown) and Old Concord Road (towards University). [Review 10242 overall, 5 of 2019.]

This station on the north arm of the LYNX line sits in the middle of an up-and-coming residential…read moreneighborhood. Lots of construction here of condos and apartments and townhouses, but very few commercial businesses. There isn't a coffee shop or a restaurant very near to the station. The platforms for this station are fully handicapped accessible. There are some benches with a small amount of cover available. The platforms are on opposite sides of the tracks, so the doors of the train will open on the right side. There is no parking here other than some street parking, which for the moment isn't metered or marked very well. Parkwood is between 9th Street (towards uptown) and 25th Street (towards University). [Review 10239 overall, 2 of 2019.]

I still remember when there was literally nothing that existed here. The construction in this area…read morein the past few years have been intense (and for the better in my opinion). Extending the Blue Line all the way to UNCC might have seemed excessive, but the success of the first segment really warrants the growing city's demand for public transportation. This station has some new neighbors! Most notably Optimist Hall. The way the track curves (you do go past it) but its a smart 1-2 minute walk. With the ongoing construction, it's probably not the most glamorous walk to get there, but the new apartments and other improvements will surely make the area a bustling hub of activity. Just like the other Lynx stations, the themes were designed by local artists. Plenty of bike rack locations (to encourage multi-modal forms of getting around). With everyone moving to Charlotte, it's actually really refreshing to not have to get in a car to get somewhere.

The station was clean, well lit and clean. I loved the views from the platform as we were waiting…read morefor the train. My husband and I stood there planning a date night in Charlotte just from seeing the interesting places that are built near the rail station. Being from NY, it is weird that there is no access point. Growing up in NY we have turnstiles and there is no honor system. I like it though. So many people get caught in a turnstile and miss there train. I brought our passes and just tucked them away.

With all the 'good' that CATS has put into the Blue Line Extension, there's a lot of TLC needed at…read moresome of the older stations. The Third Street Station is where they should start. First things first, does it do its job? Sure! The Light Rail Cars show up here just like any other stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It's located in a pretty busy section of Uptown, catering to the Hilton, Convention Center, NASCAR HoF, and both of the main Wells Fargo buildings. Upkeep is where it really suffers now. The colorful shelters that look so cute from afar show their age upon closer inspection, mostly bleached and cracked from the sun. They also do not offer much coverage from the rain. Fortunately, walking south on the platform gives you better coverage under a cut-out of the office building where the light rail tunnels thru. There is an elevator that brings you from street level to the elevated platform, I do not recommend it as it smells like someone has been using it as their personal restroom. I actually walked away from it once due to the smell. Stairs on either side of third street will get you to the tracks. Other than that, just everything around it could be maintained a bit nicer. The underneath of the bridge that supports the tracks is littered with debris and trash on a regular basis. It's not really CATS fault that people litter but the "broken windows" doctrine plays out here: one piece of trash left in view invites more litter around it. So again, it's not the prettiest station when you bring it under the microscope. Use the stairs, bring an umbrella, and be on your way, quickly.

A perfectly adequate light rail station on the extension of the Blue Line that goes up to…read moreUniversity, though McCollough Station does not have parking. The station is at surface level on North Tryon and is in the middle of the street where it crosses with McCollough. There are a number of restaurants and retail very close to the station. There are pedestrian crossing lines here and the lights on North Tryon change often enough that you're not dodging traffic to get across the street. The station is fully handicapped accessible, including audible and visual announcements of the next train in either direction. The platform features an automated ticket vending kiosk, so you have no excuse to not have a ticket. You must keep it with you as ticket inspectors do patrol the line from time to time. McCullough is between University City Blvd station (inbound towards Uptown) and JW Clay Blvd (outbound towards University). [Review 10250 overall, 13 of 2019.]

Another brand new station as part of the Blue Line Extension. This one appears to need to…read more"grow-into" its new position in the neighborhood as I would say it's not quite as walking friendly as some of the other stations. It is however very convenient for the hundreds of folks that work in the rather large business park across the street. With a lot of people who work here (primarily blue collar jobs) living in the south side of Charlotte, this is a very attractive option. Instead of the nightmare that is 8am 77N traffic and parking, you can just ride on the cheap. On the other side is a couple of smaller shopping centers. While again, a bit of a walk, Mccollough Commons has some great eats such as Banh Mi Bros, Tea Fusion Cafe, and Pho Real. The Walgreens here has one of Charlotte's only 24-hour pharmacies. I find myself here at least twice a week. Looking forward to watching the neighborhood grow with the ease of access this station provides.

Closer to Uptown, Carson is the last stop before the line crosses 277 and enters what is considered…read more"Uptown." The station is at ground level, not elevated). There is no 'Park and Ride" here. The station is pretty well lit. It is a block from the wonderful Midnight Diner (reviewed separately) and the Morehead Street Tavern. Looking south, you can see the train coming from as far away as Bland Street Station but from the north, there is a curve where it crosses the highway. There are automated announcements that let you know a train is a few minutes away. There are ticket vending machines on each platform. Note that you must purchase your ticket before boarding the train. The LYNX line does have fare inspectors and they're serious about it.

Not on my usual Lynx ride, but I have passed this station many-a-time while walking the Rail Trail…read moreand now that there are apartments popping up all over the place in SouthEnd, this is becoming a pretty popular stop. The Carson Lynx Station is the "last" stop on the line before the lynx crosses over I-277 and into Uptown. It is also good to note that the trail still continues on under Moorehead, but then diverts you over to Moorehead/College St if you are trying to walk in. No pedestrian traffic allowed on the light rail bridge over 277. A lot of folks get on the train at the other end of the line in Pineville, so by the time the train reaches Carson, it's pretty packed (depending on the time of day... I'm talking rush hour when it is pretty packed). No men employed to squeeze people in the trains yet (like Japan), but if you value your personal space, I would either try to get an earlier train, or just avoid the rush hour altogether. Other than that... pretty standard light rail station. No park and ride here.... but lots of residential places nearby and you've got TWC News 14 building behind the station off of South Blvd and the Midnight Diner about a block away.

I visited many Lynx stations while in Charlotte and this was one of the nicest. Lot of canopies,…read moreclean, all signs clear and announcements audible. I got on the train and off the train here with no issues. Both times I used it, there were lots of people around so it felt safe.

At first, the LYNX Blue Line only went the 9.6 miles from I-485 to 7th Street station. It has since…read morebeen enhanced and now continues northwards. 9th Street is the first of those extensions. The station has been open as part of this network (the historic Charlotte Trolley used to stop here) since March 2018. A street level station like the others inside the I-277 loop, 9th Street has side platforms on either side of the tracks. This means that the doors open on the right side. All ten passenger shelters have white tensile fabric canopies, curved blue glass windscreens, white benches and fixtures, and a blue platform. There is also a bicycle rack here. There is minimal cover from the elements. This is an "interesting" part of Uptown Charlotte. As I was departing the station, a man was relieving himself in full view of the tracks. There was also a dude having a full fledged argument with himself and no, there was no bluetooth earpiece to be seen. Channeling the NYC subway? As with all other stations, there is an automated ticket vending machine on the platform. You must purchase a ticket before boarding the train. [Review 16926 overall - 3249 in North Carolina - 442 of 2022.]