Thanks to a $1.5 Million investment from CDOT's Corridor Program and years of resident advocacy, BIG changes are coming to one of Charlotte's most vibrant communities! Four pedestrian hybrid beacons and a full intersection traffic signal are anticipated to be constructed by the end of the year along West Boulevard between the Wilmore neighborhood in the east and Billy Graham Parkway in the west. These improvements will provide more safe opportunities for people who walk and ride bicycles to cross this busy major street. It will also improve safety for riders of the #10 bus, one of the most popular routes in the CATS bus network. Our hope is that the new pedestrian crossing beacons and traffic signals will help to prioritize walking and biking, so that West Boulevard can continue its transformation into a genuine asset to the community rather than being a barrier that's difficult to cross without a car. Here's a map of where the new signals will be installed. (not shown on map: Merriman/Wilmore Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon): image: Charlotte DOT

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition (CRTC) recently submitted a letter to the Metropolitan Transit Commission and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. Eighteen community organizations and neighborhood associations signed the letter expressing their support for the Charlotte Moves Task Force recommendation to build a transformational mobility network and a one-cent countywide sales tax to fund it. The letter also calls for a "transparent and equitable prioritization process for investing in transportation projects in the towns."  View the submitted letter HERE.

That's the full name for the protected bike lane that you helped us advocate for! Since 2015 Sustain Charlotte has championed this project with all of your support and work to demonstrate the need for this critical piece of transportation infrastructure. More than 4,000 of you signed our petition advocating for this project to be built. You can see the journey here at sustaincharlotte.org/ibikeclt.  

  What could the future of the Silver Line Rail Trail look like?   

The design phase has started on two segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail that stretch from Matheson Avenue to East Craighead Road and on to North Tryon Street. Watch the video above to learn more about these segments. Then, take a feedback survey so project planners can learn more about how you'd like to use the trail. The video and survey are available through Feb. 15, 2021.

At the January 25th meeting of the Charlotte City Council's Transportation, Planning, and Environment Committee, city staff presented updates on rider satisfaction with CATS service, an update on planning for the LYNX Silver Line Light Rail, and the path for Council to adopt the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan. View the meeting presentations here. View recorded video of the meeting on the City of Charlotte's YouTube or Facebook page. Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) CEO John Lewis shared a summary of the agency's latest rider satisfaction survey. Not surprisingly, Buses arrive on time was ranked by CATS riders as their highest concern. Rounding out the top 5 (in descending order of importance were:

More than 40 leaders of organizations and interested individuals gathered on Thursday evening for an online meeting to kick off the Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition. 

Sustain Charlotte has joined 12 other organizations in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Climate Leaders group in sending a public comment letter on Mecklenburg County's draft update to the Environmental Leadership Policy and Action Plan. This is an update to the adopted 2004 plan.  Here is the full text of that letter:

Sustain Charlotte has organized a group of community leaders and organizations to create TheCharlotte Regional Transportation Coalition (CRTC), an active network committed to ensuringthe future of transportation in the Charlotte area is equitable and sustainable for all people in theregion.

In an online forum yesterday evening, Sustain Charlotte called on Congress to invest $32 billion to keep buses and trains moving and to commit to high-quality, reliable, and equitable transit as the backbone of national economic recovery.  Speakers described how the COVID pandemic has impacted our community, and discussed the ways in which public transit investment can help us build a more just, equitable and sustainable economy.  View full video coverage of the event here: U.S. Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) provided a keynote address.