The head of Charlotte Area Transit System says attracting more rail and bus riders will help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. But CEO John Lewis admits that to do that, he needs a proposed sales tax increase to pay for better service.

To executive director Shannon Binns of Sustain Charlotte, boosting transit ridership and other transportation alternatives is a necessity.

"Every trip we can take via transit versus a car, we're reducing that climate pollution. So it's a critical part of reducing our impact on the climate," he said.

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