Last Monday evening, our Director of Engagement and Impact, Meg Fencil, spoke at the City Council Budget Hearing to express support for the funding listed in the recommended budget to support numerous projects, centering around those that will 1) Provide safe and equitable mobility, 2) Support more affordable housing, and 3) Reduce Charlotte’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

(Photo: Charlotte Area Transit System)

On Wednesday, April 26, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) held an eventful meeting. The MTC, established through an interlocal agreement in 1998 when the half-cent transit sales tax was enacted, is tasked with serving as part of the governance structure that oversees CATS. The MTC votes on CATS policy decisions and has some specific powers, such as the ability to terminate the CATS CEO. However, it became clear during the recent meeting that the MTC is quite limited in its ability to direct financial decisions. As such, commission members are struggling to find their place in our complex transit governance landscape. 

These concerns need to be addressed so that all taxpayers supporting CATS through sales tax revenues are equitably represented in both policy and financial decision-making. This is an essential step in the process of building countywide and regional consensus on the need to invest in expanding the public transit system.

Wednesday’s 4-hour meeting covered topics from NCDOT’s oversight role to existential questions about the purpose of MTC. We won’t go into those details here, but we do recommend these articles by WFAE and the Charlotte Post for overviews of the meeting.

Here is our take on the two items that will immediately affect transit riders, operators, and advocates (light rail safety and service levels) and an update on battery electric buses. 

This blog post covers the second half of the April 3 Charlotte City Council Transportation, Planning and Development Committee meeting, including a CATS update and UDO text amendments portion of the meeting. For a recap of the mobility update from the first part of the meeting, please see this blog post.

by Hope Wright, Advocacy Manager

Photo: City of Charlotte

There has been a lot of news coming from CATS recently. We attended the recent Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting on Wednesday, Mar. 22 to hear the latest from interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle.

The meeting opened with Mayor Lyles expressing the need for a “candid conversation” about the May 2022 Lynx Blue Line derailment that came to light a few weeks ago. Cagle then delivered a CATS Management Partners Update presentation, outlining the successes of the department, including steady bus and rail operations and a stable budget. 

Photo: Charlotte Area Transit System

If you live in Huntersville, Corneliu​s and Davidson, perhaps you’re familiar with North Meck Village Rider, a bus service with three dedicated routes that connect to several Charlotte Area Transportation System (CATS) fixed-route services and two park-and-ride stops. While the North Meck Village Rider follows a set schedule along the main routes, it also serves destinations up to ¾-mile off of them. Riders can schedule a pick-up and drop-off point and time with a customer service agent one day in advance. 

Soon, CATS will pilot a microtransit program that may replace the North Meck Village Rider network. 

This week, the Metropolitan Transit Commission voted to move forward with redevelopment plans for the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) and discussed an alignment evaluation for the center city portion of the future Silver Line light rail.  

We remain committed to advocating for equity in all transportation investment decisions and applaud progress toward meeting the transportation and mobility needs of residents throughout the Charlotte region.

In 2023, Sustain Charlotte resolves to work for an expanded greenway network, dependable public transit, equitable community involvement and more! (Photo: Charlotte Area Transit System)

In 2023, what would it look like to collectively aspire to a better future for our community? Here are the big-ticket items Sustain Charlotte resolves to continue working for in the new year -- and we're committed to making it easy for members of the community to do so, too. Won’t you join us in supporting a better way forward for our climate, health and equity? 

At the beginning of December, Sustain Charlotte joined eight local organizations in signing a letter organized by the Southern Environmental Law Center urging North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state Department of Transportation leadership to prioritize transportation investments that reduce single-occupancy driving rather than building and expanding highways. 

At Monday night’s City Council strategy meeting, City Manager Marcus Jones and Ed McKinney with Charlotte Department of Transportation updated Council members on plans to implement the Strategic Mobility Plan. 

More than 50 people gathered for Sustain Charlotte’s second Impact 704 Academy session Thursday night to learn about transportation challenges — and plans — in Mecklenburg County. Attendees heard from experts at the Charlotte Area Transit System and the Charlotte Department of Transportation and listened to a panel discussion featuring local transportation advocates.