Walk2Transit is Sustain Charlotte's initiative that gives a voice to bus riders and transit advocates. A voice that will result in tangible improvements to the walkability of Charlotte's highest need bus stops.

What would make Charlotte's least walkable bus stops better? Check out our report to learn more!

Walk2Transit was featured in a TV news story by Channel 9! Watch here.

On February 26 2018, we presented our findings and recommendations to City Council.

Read our blog post about our comments to City Council on December 11 2017. We also spoke at the February 26 2018 meeting.

Watch a short video of our volunteers sharing their experience!

Here’s how you can help

• Share this page with your friends, family, and colleagues!
• Tell your Charlotte City Council members (or town council members if you live in a different Mecklenburg County municipality) and your Metropolitan Transit Commission delegate that you want to see better walkability for bus stops!
• Are you interested in working with your neighbors to improve the walkability of local bus stops? Download an example walkability audit (Word doc file) and customize it for your neighborhood.

Why this is important

3 out of every 4 public transportation trips in the CATS service area are bus rides. While rail service gets most of the news coverage and publicity, buses are moving far more of us to our daily destinations. About 80% of "all-purpose" riders reach their bus stops on foot.

Yet many bus riders face barriers on their daily walk to stops and destinations. Bus riders frequently encounter:

• No sidewalks to the bus stop
• No shelter or seating at the bus stop
• No safe way to cross the street between the bus stop and their destination
  
• Conditions that make it nearly impossible for a disabled person or parent with small children to safely reach a bus stop 

What we're doing

The project began with a public campaign to assess where Charlotte's least walkable bus stops are located. We then:

• Interviewed bus riders to determine their needs and challenges as pedestrians. See the map here.
• Created short films and written stories of bus riders who struggle with walkability.
• Organized over 250 volunteers to complete walking audits at 10 bus stop areas.
• Wrote and shared a report of the 10 highest need bus stops.
• Coordinated with Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), and City Council to ask for pedestrian improvements at the 10 highest need bus stops.

For more information about the project, contact Meg Fencil at [email protected].

This project is funded by a grant from TransitCenter.