Charlotte Area Transit System President and CEO John Lewis will resign at the end of November, ending a seven-year tenure that saw the opening of the Blue Line light rail extension and the Gold Line Streetcar, as well as declining ridership and significant driver shortages.
The city announced Lewis's departure at a news conference on Thursday that was not attended by Lewis. Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones said it was Lewis' decision to step down, and that Lewis planned to take a position at a new organization.
Lewis' last day on the job will be Nov. 30, the city said. Charlotte's assistant city manager, Brent Cagle, will serve as an interim replacement while the city begins a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.
Cagle previously ran Charlotte Douglas Airport.
Lewis' departure comes as the city and CATS are trying to build support for a $13.5 billion transportation plan, with most of the money going to build a new light-rail line from Matthews to the airport. There would also be money to expand the city's bus system.
But the city has struggled to build support for the plan, which would require a new penny sales tax increase. Republican legislators would have to give the OK for the tax to be placed on the ballot.
CATS has been dealing with two issues.
The first is declining ridership. CATS buses, for instance, have lost 75 percent of their riders since 2014. That's the largest drop of the nation's 50 largest transit systems.
The ridership decline started years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the transit system has been plagued by a number of operational problems.
The Gold Line streetcar extension opened in August 2021, but CATS didn't have enough drivers, leading to frequent delays. And in August, CATS reduced bus service because it didn't have enough staff.
In addition to the transportation plan, CATS is also considering rebuilding the city's main bus station uptown to make way for a new mixed-use development. It may place the station underground or rebuild it at street level.
In a presentation to City Council last month, Lewis was asked whether CATS and the city had independent consultants reviewing plans for the bus station that are being submitted by the private developer, Charlotte-based White Point Partners.
Lewis said the city did have its own consultants - but mistakenly named the consultants working for the developer.
In a statement to media outlets, Lewis thanked the city for allowing him to lead the transit system over the last seven years.
"I am proud of the great work we achieved and that we showed up for the community every day. I am so thankful I had the privilege to make CATS and every employee a part of this chapter of my life, and I am excited to cheer on CATS as I continue to be a part of the Charlotte community as a transit advocate and rider," he said.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles released a statement describing Lewis as "a dedicated and passionate professional — someone who deeply cares for this organization and this community." Lyles said the city would continue to work to provide public transit passengers with reliable service.
