landwrites " The more you build coalitions with all your business and civic organizations, the stronger you will be. Get everyone on board. " -Lucia Garsys, ULI Charlotte Silver Line panelist ness and civic organizations, the stronger you will be, " she said. " Get everyone on board. " Panel Impact The panel's recommendations clearly had an impact. A few months after the panel, CATS announced a new route for the first segment of the Silver Line that would bring the train directly into Uptown as well as interline with the Blue Line, reflecting the panel's recommendation. With major job growth expected in the Southeast Corridor over the next 30 years, the strategic development of the Silver Line will reduce the need to build and maintain new highways and save billions of future dollars in the economy. " Transit is a hundred-year asset, " says panel chair Utter. " It's a long-term asset. It's thinking about your community in a much broader way than just what's happening today. " Getting the Uptown Silver Line alignment and access points on the right track- while addressing the need to advance equity and mobility-will be critical to Charlotte's future. UL Transit investments help support places where people do not have to depend on driving to get around. DEBORAH MYERSON is a housing and community development consultant based in Bloomington, Indiana. She was the program manager for the ULI Charlotte Silver Line panel. 98 URBAN LAND WINTER 2023 CHRISTOPHER FORINASH