Charlotte transit agency cuts ribbon for Blue Line light-rail extension

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) earlier this week held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its soon-to-open Blue Line light-rail extension.

The event's attendees included CATS Chief Executive Officer John Lewis, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte Chancellor Philip Dubois, according to CATS' Twitter account.

Although the extension won't open to the public until March 16, the agency on Monday provided rides for local dignitaries, radio station WFAE reported.

The 9.3-mile extension runs from the 7th Street Station in Charlotte's Center city area to the UNC-Charlotte's campus. On Twitter, UNC officials hailed the Blue Line extension as "one of the most transformational projects" in the university's history.

The extension originally was slated to begin service in August 2017, but the agency pushed the opening date to March due to construction coordination challenges and other issues.