transit

The city of Charlotte made one tough decision about how to trim its ambitions for its $13.5 billion transportation plan. But it’s probably not enough.

It's still called the Red Line, and the route is the same. But everything else in the Charlotte Area Transit System's commuter rail plans could change.

Gastonia, population 81,000, will be the biggest city in North Carolina to shift to on-demand vans, SUVs and sedans for public transportation.

The city of Gastonia is cutting all of its regular bus routes and replacing them with on-demand service. Gastonia operates six bus routes that drew 144,000 riders last year. But starting in July, Gastonia will instead offer on-demand rides through a three-year, $1.65 million contract with River North Transit. That means instead of waiting at bus stops along set routes, riders will use an app, website or call center to schedule a ride directly where they’re going, similar to Uber or Lyft.

If you follow Charlotte’s transit plans, you’ve probably heard one of the newer terms: mobility hubs. So we’ve decided to devote our main story in this Transit Time newsletter to the simple question: What is a mobility hub?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is short 82 drivers needed to fully staff routes when school starts Aug. 28. Districts across the country are facing driver shortages.

The Charlotte Area Transit System will be getting a new management company to run its troubled bus system. The city currently contracts with RATP Dev. But the bus system has been plagued by lower ridership and a high number of unexcused driver absences, which has led to routes being canceled.

Runaway costs are impacting transit projects across the nation, and experts aren’t sure why — though the increasing use of consultants, who are generally more expensive than in-house staff, is one reason experts point to. Charlotte's recent approval of a $1 million per year contract is one example.

A recent Charlotte conference — the 31st annual Congress for the New Urbanism — drew some 1,400 planners, activists, engineers and architects from around the U.S. and the world here two weeks ago.

The Charlotte Area Transit System said Tuesday that the general manager for rail operations, Deltrin Harris, has been placed on administrative leave.WBTV first reported the news. CATS did not disclose the reason. The transit system’s light-rail and streetcar lines have been under scrutiny, due to a May 2022 derailment of a Lynx Blue Line train.