New Study Sheds Light on How to Improve SouthPark Congestion

If you ride through SouthPark you’ll see new apartments, future businesses, and plenty of traffic.

Andrew Short works in SouthPark and says, “I guess it’s very annoying, if you’re trying to leave the mall you’ll be waiting 10, 15, 20 minutes.”

Kenny Smith represents SouthPark on the Charlotte City Council and says his district will continue to grow.

“It’s not fun we are going through some growing pains, but at the rate we are growing by 2040 we will be north of 1.3 million people,” says Councilman Smith.

And with the addition of more people, and less space, I asked if the city would consider a building moratorium, to stop the growth.

“It is not an option for the city of Charlotte. We are adding too many people, we are in the process of a boom cycle if you miss it, consequences could be devastating,” says Smith.

Consequences like missing out on millions in investments. A study by the Urban Land Institute found that SouthPark needs a plan.

Smith says that plan includes even more construction. “A large suggestion was to try and make SouthPark more compact try to limit more internal trips,” says Smith.

Smith says they can’t widen the roads so they want to make everything within walking distance.

“If they can avoid getting in the car, that in of itself would be a success,” says Smith.

That includes adding hotels, office space and apartments beside Sharon United Methodist church.

But it’s the traffic and congestion that has many in the area frustrated.

To help, there’s a plan to tear down the Colony apartments and add side roads.

“The goal is we can take people that may not need to get on Sharon or Fairview. We can give them other options, work through SouthPark area by vehicle that will help traffic,” says Smith.