CATS

Taking the bus is a great way to save money on gas and cut carbon emissions — as long as one is going where you need to go, when you need to go there. So, what if you could hail a tiny bus straight to your neighborhood when needed?

The Charlotte Area Transit System attracted more passengers than it had in 2023.

Charlotte’s transit system abandons plan for underground bus station, now says street-level is ‘clearly the preference’

The Charlotte Area Transit System on Wednesday released four new scenarios of how it could spend billions of dollars from a proposed one-cent sales tax — specifically which new train lines could be built and which ones couldn’t. The leading contender would shorten the Silver Line and end the Blue Line in Pineville instead of Ballantyne.

CATS consultant: Both the Red Line and the Silver Line to Matthews are feasible — with only slightly more money for trains. A May 2024 presentation contained detailed cost estimates for differing rail plans, streetcar and buses

Internal polls and surveys conducted by Charlotte Area Transit System show strong majorities have favorable impressions of transit — but that there’s room for improvement, too.

All city buses and trains will go fare-free the week of Oct. 6 as Charlotte celebrates "Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week."

The Charlotte City Council on Monday voted 10-1 to buy freight rail tracks from Norfolk Southern. It also voted to ask state lawmakers for permission to place a 1-cent sales tax increase on the November 2025 ballot.

A new Mecklenburg County sales tax to fund city and county rails, roads and buses is up for a city council vote Tuesday night. But while the Charlotte Area Transit System's budget has reached a record high, ridership remains far below pre-pandemic levels. Still, some believe the city needs to continue investing in buses to bring commuters back to public transit.

Because the city of Charlotte expects to have half as much new tax money for trains from a proposed one-cent sales tax, it told town managers this spring that it can’t afford to build the $6 billion Silver Line light rail from uptown to Matthews. The city said it would build bus rapid transit instead.