East/West Boulevard station

Location

The station is located at the intersection where East Boulevard becomes West Boulevard upon crossing Camden Road and is accessible by sidewalk and the Charlotte Rail Trail. The immediate area features multi-level apartments and offices, including The Line and Lowe's Global Technology Center. The area is also notable for the number of renovated factories and eclectic mix of retail, restaurants, and bars. Also nearby is Atherton Mill and Wilmore Centennial Park.

History

The station began as a heritage streetcar stop, for the Charlotte Trolley, on August 30, 1996. Consisting of a platform area along a single track, the station operated Thursday through Sunday and then daily on June 28, 2004. Service was temporarily halted on February 5, 2006, so that the station could be double-tracked and reconstructed for light rail service. The station resumed operations on November 24, 2007, as stop along the Lynx Blue Line; this was followed by the resumption of the Charlotte Trolley on April 20, 2008, operating on a limited schedule. On June 28, 2010, the Charlotte Trolley ended service, leaving the Lynx Blue Line as its sole service at the station.

On August 22, 2025, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed and killed on the Lynx Blue Line train at the station. A candlelight vigil was held on September 22 at the station, to mark one month since Zarutska's death.

Station layout

The station consists of two side platforms, both of which includes a low-level area for heritage streetcars, and six covered waiting areas; other amenities include ticket vending machines, emergency call box, and bicycle racks. The station also features several art installations including a drinking fountain basin designed to look like dogwood, the North Carolina state flower, by Nancy Blum. Bas-reliefs entitled Hornbeam, by Alice Adams. Cotton plant motifs on both the pavers and shelters, by Leticia Huerta. A 360 ft mosaic along a wall facing Camden Road, by Thomas Thoune, and track fencing featuring beech leaves, by Shaun Cassidy.

References

References

1. "East West Boulevard Station". [[Charlotte Area Transit System]].
2. "U.S. Streetcar Systems - North Carolina". Railway Preservation.
3. "Charlotte, NC". APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site.
4. Coto, DaNica. (February 6, 2006). "History on Hiatus: Trolley makes last run for a year". The Charlotte Observer.
5. (November 25, 2007). "Light rail, heavy traffic: Thousands wait in lines for a free ride on 1st day". The Charlotte Observer.
6. Harrison, Steve. (April 16, 2008). "Trolley joining Lynx on light-rail tracks". The Charlotte Observer.
7. "Service Change - June 28, 2010". Charlotte Area Transit System.
8. (August 26, 2025). "У США вбили 23-річну українку Ірину Заруцьку: що відомо". [[BBC News Україна]].
9. (December 11, 2025). "Man accused of fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte light rail makes appearance in federal court". [[Queen City News]].
10. Lomis, Connor. (September 22, 2025). "Candlelight vigil for Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on Charlotte light rail happening this week". [[WBTV]].
11. Schilling, Cassandra. (September 26, 2025). "Vigil for Iryna Zarutska calls for justice and community change in Charlotte". [[University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
12. "East/West Station: Art in Transit". Charlotte Area Transit System.