West Davidson Concerns over Red Line
Community members weigh promises of mobility against fears of displacement and rising costs
On November 4, Mecklenburg County residents, including Davidson College students, will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed 1 percent increase in sales tax. The billions of dollars of revenue from that sales tax will be allocated towards improvements in roads, railways, and buses in Mecklenburg County, with priority allocation towards the Red Line Commuter Rail Project.
The Red Line Commuter Rail is a 25-mile commuter rail project that would allow individuals to travel from Davidson to Uptown Charlotte among other places. The project has been proposed, initiated, and shut down multiple times in the past, mostly due to a lack of funding. However, with Norfolk Southern finally having sold the “O-Line” tracks that run through northern Mecklenburg to the City of Charlotte, building the Red Line is now a real possibility. The next step is the passing of the sales tax referendum.
The “O-Line” runs alongside several historically Black neighborhoods in Mecklenburg County, including West Davidson. In anticipation of the sales tax referendum, there are concerns in the community about what the commuter rail project could mean for the West Davidson community.
Diane Means has been working with the Ada Jenkins Center, a local non-profit based in West Davidson, for the past 25 years and serves as Director of Impact and Engagement. Some of the concerns that Means heard in the community include the fact that the commuter line is named the Red Line.
“Many of us know the deep pain that redlining caused our African American friends...[It] was very hurtful to think that something that will potentially impact their neighborhoods again, would be called the red line,” Means said.
To this concern, the Town of Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox commented that the newly formed Metropolitan Transit Commission “has had previous discussions around changing the name of the Red Line.” The Commission might consider changing the name of the commuter rail after the November election.
According to Means, the most important concern relates to the potential spike in property values, which might raise property taxes for residents. Letha Smith, a West Davidson resident, voiced that some residents on the Lakeside have already had to pay tax increases in the past.
Tax rises disproportionately impact “historic neighborhoods that are full of people living on fixed incomes, including mostly seniors,” Means said. “This [concerns] not just West Davidson. It [includes] Smithville and Pottstown.”
David Boraks, a former independent journalist and reporter who has lived in Davidson for 32 years and has reported extensively on affordable housing in Davidson, has been following the Red Line project since it was first introduced. According to Boraks, while it is true that the Red Line will increase property prices and taxes, “to suggest that the red line is going to gentrify the west side is to ignore the fact that it’s already gentrified…Davidson’s west side has been gentrifying for 20 years.” Boraks acknowledged, though, that the Red Line might add on to the pressure that West Davidson residents already face from rising prices to sell or move out.
“Mobility is one problem,” Boraks said “but the lack of affordable housing is [another].”
According to Jason Burdette, the Planning Director at the Town of Davidson, Davidson has been a leader in Affordable Housing compared to other communities of similar size across the state. But Burdette also acknowledges that increased gentrification in the context of the Red Line is a valid concern.
“I don’t think there’s a silver bullet answer to [gentrification]…we want to make sure we can keep our longtime residents in their homes,” Burdette said “There’s a lot of resources out there that can help like the Davidson Tax Assistance program…I’m sure there will be other similar types of programs, should the problem become more acute.”
Burdette emphasized that the Red Line is eight to ten years down the road and the town is trying to forecast potential impact. But according to Boraks, “the neighborhood will already be transformed before the train gets here.”
“The average house price in Davidson, it’s over 600,000 now, and people want to live close to our walkable downtown,” Boraks said. “There are lots of gentrification pressures, even without the train.”
Tracy Mattison Brandon, the Town of Davidson Commissioner and the Campus Minister for InterVarsity, recognized concerns around the potential property tax rise as well. Brandon mentioned that if the sales tax referendum passes, the town will gain access to funding that could potentially be allocated towards a more robust tax assistance program for Davidson residents.
Brandon also brought up other concerns voiced by residents like sustainability and pollution but “the thing about the concerns [is that] they’re not going to be addressed before the [sales tax] is voted in,” she said.
According to Tonya Jameson, the Director for Civic Engagement at Leading on Opportunity, voting for the sales tax is critically important for Davidson since it will also help the express bus system, provide opportunities for small businesses and contractors, and help people move around more efficiently. Jameson calls out to Davidson students to show up and make an informed decision at the Ballot.
The question of the sales tax referendum and voting also brings up concerns over West Davidson resident engagement and awareness with the Red Line project.
Burdette hoped for more engagement and representation from West Davidson at the public information session. “We’ve tried to put information out there as much as possible, especially with the sales tax referendum,” he said “Our role is education, not advocacy. So that’s what we’ve tried to do with our website…and postcards…at various town events [directing residents where to find information].”
However, Smith believes that the real reason behind a lack of proper West Davidson representation is a lack of trust.
“When Black people get involved…you can’t help but know that it’s going to be a lot more than just going to a meeting for you and at some point in time, your life will be threatened,” Smith said. “My life has been threatened about three times seriously since I have been working.”
Smith continued,“You cannot get over it. You’re going uptown to a place that you know in the back of your head was not made for you.”
Brandon acknowledges that in the past, trust has been broken and people have not been listened to but she says this time will be different.
“The opportunities will be there for community engagement, but we can’t make people come and engage. I keep reminding them that your voice is important. If you’re invited to the table, show up.”
Boraks also emphasizes the need to rebuild trust and bring more awareness in West Davidson about residents’ options amid rising taxes and property prices, including the choice to sell or to receive tax assistance.
Even though there is ambiguity around the future of gentrification, tax rises, and the physical and environmental implications of the Red Line for West Davidson, in the following years, both engagement and trust will be paramount. Many community members agree that there needs to be consideration and intentionality behind the construction of the Red Line.
“Everybody wants progress. Nobody wants to keep driving on 77 and get stuck on it every day,” Means said. “So yes, we want transportation solutions, but can we just have them in a way that doesn’t harm people.”
Editor’s Note (Oct. 29, 2025): In a more recent interview with The Davidsonian, Mayor Rusty Knox said that the MTC will not be changing the name of the Red Line.