In early April, Sustain Charlotte signed on to a thank you letter to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on bus customization and procurement reform. The Federal Transit Administration is working to ensure that the next rounds of the Low or No Emissions Grant Program and Buses and Bus Facilities Program do the most for riders—and the climate. Continue reading

This week, we joined more than 100 transit and environmental groups in sending a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees demanding that they keep the promise of the bipartisan infrastructure bill and fully fund transit throughout the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process. Continue reading

On April 17, 2024, Sustain Charlotte Executive Director Shannon Binns submitted the following letter on behalf of Sustain Charlotte to the Charlotte City Council members and Mayor Vi Lyles regarding proposed changes to the UDO that they will be voting on soon. We offered our take on addressing the text amendment in a way that supports smart growth and sustainability.   Continue reading

This week, the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners held one of their budget workshops. While there were several items on the agenda, including updates on the Brooklyn Village Redevelopment and Arts and Culture Plan, this blog will focus on the FY2029 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) update portion. Couldn’t make the meeting? Here’s a recap!  Key takeaways  The Mecklenburg County finance team recommends reducing spending, which will help avoid future tax increases. Of the 12 Park & Recreation projects proposed for FY2029, county finance staff recommend funding all but one. According to a citizen advisory board, Park & Recreation’s project list appears to have several projects located in or near areas that were originally labeled as Priority Communities, but are quickly gentrifying. We are pleased that county staff are supportive of Park & Recreation. However, we have several follow-up questions for Park & Recreation staff based on the slightly modified project list and concerns raised by the citizen advisory board.   Continue reading

This week, the Transportation, Planning and Development Committee held their April meeting. They discussed CATS updates, Mobility Planning, and the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Couldn’t make the meeting? Here’s a recap!  Continue reading

As we learned in this month's Transportation, Planning, and Development committee meeting, the city’s planning staff is working on options for the referral concerning duplexes and triplexes requested by the council last year.  Continue reading

Better bus service is coming! This week CATS' governing board met to discuss their capital budget, which includes vehicles, facilities, and transit stops. We've highlighted key details about the budget and service changes coming in June, as well as upcoming opportunities to attend virtual and in-person public meetings about the Red Line rail and Gold Line streetcar projects.  Continue reading

Sustain Charlotte welcomed over 75 residents to its second Sustain Charlotte Social of the year. (Photo: Sophia Ege) It was all sunshine and smiles at Town Brewing Co. on Thursday as over 75 residents engaged in our second Sustain Charlotte Social of the year, presented in partnership with Truist. This event, which focused on Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation, began with refreshments and time for networking around local sustainability issues.  Sustain Charlotte Founder and Executive Director Shannon Binns opened the presentation by welcoming the community before turning it over to Town Brewing Co.’s Director of Operations, Brandon Stirewalt, to introduce an innovative new brew cleverly titled ‘ReNew Brew.’ Following the promotion of this sustainable beverage, Mecklenburg County Park & Rec staff Bert Lynn and Katie Lloyd gave a presentation, followed by an interactive Q&A and an ending statement by County Commission Chair George Dunlap.    Continue reading

This week, Charlotte City Council held a budget workshop meeting, where they discussed the five-year Capital Improvement Plan budget, Strategic Investment Areas, and Financial Partners. This blog will cover the first two topics and we encourage you to check out the meeting agenda and watch the meeting recording to get all the details. Below are the highlights. Continue reading

This week, the Board of County Commissioners held one of their bi-monthly meetings. There were several items on the agenda, including an opportunity for the public to speak directly to commissioners, committee appointments, and consent items. However, the majority of the meeting was an update from Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) interim CEO, Brent Cagle. Couldn’t make the meeting? Here’s a recap!    Continue reading