When Brent Cagle became interim CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System in November 2022, the organization was going through a tumultuous time. Vacant positions and employee absences led to high rates of delayed trips creating a sense that riders couldn’t count on what was becoming an unreliable and unpredictable way to travel. There were questions around the safety of drivers and passengers after the fatal shooting of a CATS bus driver.
Cagle embraced the challenges and just over two years later, is still excited about the work ahead. And there’s a lot of work yet to be done.
Mecklenburg County leaders expect to pass a 1-cent sales tax increase for transit during November's election. The plan would generate $7.8 billion for rail over 30 years. Although that may sound like a lot of money, it won’t be able to cover all the rails on Charlotte’s wish list. This means CATS will have to make some hard decisions on what lines it should prioritize.
Four scenarios have been proposed and the Gold Line streetcar extension is included in all four plans. The Blue and Silver light rails may be shortened or changed to bus rapid transit to reduce costs.
There’s also the issue of staffing, safety, and ridership numbers. We sit down with Cagle on the next Charlotte Talks.
GUEST:
Brent Cagle, interim CATS CEO
