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)

Determining how to advance Charlotte's mobility goals and pay for a major expansion of the transit system is no small task.

Fortunately, there's now a task force working to propose a solution! We're thrilled that our Bike + Pedestrian Coordinator, Eric Zaverl, has been appointed by Mayor Vi Lyles as one of 25 key community members members serving on the task force.

The first meeting of the new Charlotte Moves Task Force was held virtually on May 14. Watch video of the meeting and view the presentation slides. All images in this blog post are from the City's presentation.

Our program director, Meg Fencil, spoke during the public forums of the May 26 Charlotte City Council meeting and the May 28 Metropolitan Transit Committee meeting in support of the new bus and bike lane pilot on 4th Street. Check out the full comments below, and watch a recording (start at 10:50 timepoint) of Meg's presentation to City Council.

Daniel Crow moved to Charlotte from one of the top biking cities in the nation: Madison, WI, where even the layout of the city itself suggests a giant bicycle wheel.  In the city center, the state capitol building and university campus are joined by a single pedestrian road—State Street—where all cars are strictly forbidden. Shooting out from this urban hub, like spokes, is a crisscrossing network of bike lanes and trails, which graduate students and young professionals ride into town on weekdays and out into the countryside on weekends.

For Steve Yaffe, volunteering with Sustain Charlotte is more than just something to do—it’s part of his lifelong passion for transit and the quality of life improvements that come from well-designed mobility systems.

Public transit is an essential service that connects people to jobs, food, medical care, and other services. Since the pandemic began, CATS' staff leadership and governing board have been working to adjust their service and budget to ensure that drivers and passengers are protected, and that transportation needs are met -- now and in the future.

Shared Streets will provide equitable space for everyone! (image: Charlotte DOT)

Help Charlotte go the extra mile to ensure that people in all parts of town have safe places to walk and ride bicycles for transportation and much-needed exercise!

Please contact your city and county leaders to let them know that you support a coordinated effort to provide equitable Shared Streets that keep our community connected during this challenging time! (**If the above link doesn't work for you, use the list of email addresses at the bottom of this page.)

Thank you in advance for speaking up and supporting Shared Streets!

Using your own language is best. Here's the letter we sent to City and County leaders:

We need a strong, resilient public transportation system more than ever before to connect essential workers to their jobs and to connect people who have no other form of available transportation to grocery stores and other basic necessities. As our economy begins to recover, the transit system will connect people to new job opportunities without the need to own a car. Yet our public transportation system is in danger of losing critical funding not only to maintain service, but also to buy new buses and build the future rail lines called for in the 2030 Transit Plan.

Sustain Charlotte has therefore joined transit advocates from all across the nation in signing this letter calling on Congress to support a stimulus bill that would allow America to invest in transportation infrastructure that not only puts people to work, but also strengthens and expands our public transit systems.

Riding your bike during these unusual times has become very popular--and, as essential services, bike shops are here to help you. As you bike, please stay safe and keep others safe as well. Not sure how to do that? Check out People For Bikes' article: Safe Cycling During Social Distancing.