Plans to build toll lanes on one of North Carolina’s busiest highways came to a surprise end in May when the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization voted to rescind support for the project. The highway runs from uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina state line and was a major part of the city’s plan to lessen traffic. Critics suggested the project would have disproportionately impacted historically Black neighborhoods and increased pollution.
Public transit in the area is growing, with commitments to extend the Red Line north and the east-west Silver line, although those projects could take a decade or longer to complete. A new Better Bus project from the Charlotte Area Transit System plans to increase bus service by 50%, and provide 18 “microtransit” zones for on-demand rides, similar to Uber. But the plan may already be over budget.
Concerns over safety on public transit grew after a high-profile stabbing death of a woman on the LYNX Blue Line last year, although CATS reported a 69% decrease in crime on the Blue Line during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
On this episode, we untangle the ins and outs of the transit system in the Charlotte area and beyond.
GUESTS:
Steve Harrison, WFAE politics reporter
Seth LaJeunesse, a senior research associate at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center in Chapel Hill
