Even before NC Governor Cooper issued a formal stay at home order on March 27, many people in Charlotte and across the state had shifted to working from home. But did less driving actually translate into measurably cleaner air in only a few weeks?

Yes! 

At the August 11 Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), the County's Air Quality Director, Leslie Rhodes, shared data that shows this is just what happened. 

Between March 26 and April 29, vehicle counts on I-277/US-74 and I-77 in Charlotte fell by 44.4% and 46.1%, respectively. That's a drop of almost half the number of vehicles! 

At their July meeting, Charlotte City Council's Transportation, Planning, and Environment Committee heard and discussed updates to the CATS LYNX Silver Line light rail project, the Tree Canopy Action Plan, the Charlotte Moves Task Force, and the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Here's what you should know, and we'll start with trees:

When you're about to spend a lot of money on a big investment that's intended to improve your quality of life, you probably don't go into the situation without doing some research first. Whether it's buying a home or helping your kid choose a post-secondary education option, you've likely asked questions about the value of your investment. Maybe you talked with friends and family, read reviews, and looked at projections of how that investment would pay off over time. 

It's not so different as Charlotte begins to consider the best way to create a plan for advancing mobility in our city. And just as importantly, how to pay for it over time. What will it take to champion a winning investment that voters are excited to support?

Sustain Charlotte proudly joins more than 70 advocacy organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and community organizations across the U.S. in signing a letter asking the U.S. House of Representatives to increase their commitment to funding public transit. 

More than half of CATS bus routes run every 45 minutes or less.

Could more bus lanes be coming to Charlotte soon? We sure hope so! Charlotte City Council's Transportation, Planning, and Environment Committee heard updates on this and several other topics at their June 22 meeting. 

When the national bike advocacy organization People For Bikes rated more than 480 U.S. cities for bike-friendliness this year, Charlotte received a less than stellar report card: 1.3 out of a possible 5 stars. 

There's clearly a lot of work to be done. But we're optimistic!

Will Pellisero has long been a sustainability advocate. He and his family are big fans of composting, gardening, and solar energy. But before connecting with Sustain Charlotte, he hadn’t made the connection between sustainability and transportation. “I didn’t even really think about driving,” he says now. “It wasn’t my biggest priority.” 

When Nancy Pierce moved to Charlotte for a job in 1979, she chose to live close-in for the urban feel. But she longed for a body of water she could walk to. In her home state of Minnesota, water was plentiful for play, solace, and inspiration.

When Dustin Branham first moved to the greater Charlotte area in 2007, living life without a car was the last thing on his mind. After landing a job at a law firm in Davidson, he moved to Huntersville in an insular neighborhood.

It's hard for bus drivers to stay on schedule and carry riders to their destinations quickly if the buses are getting stuck in traffic. Our city's leaders are experimenting with ways to give buses dedicated space on the street so the public transit system can be more efficient. It's called bus prioritization, and we're huge fans!

In December 2019, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) began a pilot project to provide dedicated street space for the exclusive use of buses and bicycles on E. 4th Street. They created a single, combined bus/bike lane between South McDowell and the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC).

How did it go? And why should you care even if you don't ride transit? We have answers!

The lane provides exclusive access for buses inbound to the CTC and bikes. (map: CATS)