Ranking Charlotte - We're No. 3 and No. 28

Stuck in traffic? You could be using public transit, and leaving the driving to someone else. You'd be jumping on the bandwagon that a near-record number of riders joined in the first three months of the year.

Charlotte was one of at least a dozen communities that set records for people riding buses, trains and light rail. It was No. 3 on a USA Today list of communities nationwide breaking transit records. Coming in at No. 1 was Indianapolis (helped by the Super Bowl being held there) with 2.5 million riders, up 20 percent. In 2nd place was Fort Myers, Fla., with 1 million riders, up 17 percent. Charlotte had 6.8 million riders, up 10 percent. In 4th place, Ann Arbor Michigan with 1.7 million riders, up 9 percent. And in 5th place was Boston, with a whopping 99.2 million riders, up 8 percent.

Ridership may go down with gas prices on the decline. But for those who pooh-poohed Charlotte's light rail, which is a big part of the ridership boost in Charlotte and across the nation, the stats are indicating the investment has been good.

Charlotte's ... No. 28
Speaking of rankings for Charlotte, here's another one: Charlotte ranks 28th out of the top 100 metropolitan areas nationwide in its share of residents with college degrees, and has seen a 22.4 percent increase since 1970. The Brookings Institute analysis highlighted Charlotte as a model for other areas looking to rebuild after manufacturing job losses, diversify their economies, and attract a more highly skilled workforce. On the same listing, Raleigh came in 7th, Charleston, S.C. came in 30th and Columbia, S.C., came in 43rd.

Of Charlotte, the report said: "Metro areas that enjoyed the most substantial jumps in their college degree attainment ranks included many, like Dayton, that lost a tremendous share of their manufacturing between 1970 and 2010. But because regions like Worcester, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh shed much of that base earlier than other manufacturing centers, they have had more time to build services-oriented economies in sectors like health, professional services, higher education, and finance, and to grow, attract, and retain highly educated populations to fill those jobs."

Umm. Sounds good. Is it true?

Posted by Fannie Flono

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