Transit
Will companies pay millions for naming rights by Charlotte’s bus station?
Would you spend $750,000 to put your name on Charlotte’s new uptown bus station? A consultant told a City Council committee this week that he expects a company would buy the naming rights to the new facility, scheduled to open by the end of the decade. Sean Moran with the Innovative Partnership Group said the […]
Transit talks feel like ‘Groundhog Day’
In honor of (last week’s) Groundhog Day, and to mark the city’s transit discussion that keeps circling back to the same core points, we’ve compiled a list of the recurring questions that just keep poking their head out of the hole. To briefly recap: Charlotte wants to spend $13.5 billion to expand its transportation system, […]
Repairing the Mistake of I-277
Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series of guest contributors considering the question, “What small tweak or large shift would you make in 2023 that would catalyze sustainable growth and ensure equitable wellbeing in our region?” The construction of I-277 was a failed urban renewal ploy during the mid to late 20th […]
Consultant’s report suggests changes in governance, budgeting, transparency
The Charlotte Area Transit System’s governance and organizational structure need a major overhaul, according to a consultant hired to review the city’s transit agency. That consultant, Management Partners, found that CATS has unclear goals, departments that compete instead of cooperate, and a lack of transparency about its budget. The agency’s overall governance structure, which includes […]
A look back on a year that left us more or less where we started, and trying to guess where we’ll go from here
As 2022 drew to a close, Charlotte’s transit ambitions appeared to be pretty much where they started the year: in limbo. There’s been progress on some of the incremental question marks about how we get from here to there. The route for the planned Silver Line is coming into focus, some express bus routes canceled […]
Transit Time: City Council committee backs light rail route around uptown’s northern edge
When cities apply for federal funding for new transit projects, ridership is perhaps the most important criteria. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) wants to know: How much will a new rail line cost, and how many people will ride it? The Charlotte Area Transit System knows what the feds want, having built three major rail […]
Transit Time: Can an app make Charlotte’s streets safer?
Three voices blared simultaneously through my car’s speakers Monday morning in South End: One was my GPS directing me toward Krispy Kreme. Another was Taylor Swift and her new “Midnights” album. The third was the City of Charlotte’s new TravelSafely app. The city launched a test project a week ago through the Glance TravelSafely app […]
Transit Time: More questions on CATS’ push for underground bus station
The Charlotte Area Transit System gave the City Council’s transportation committee its recommendation on Monday for how to rebuild the new bus station uptown. As expected, CATS backed the idea originally proposed by a private developer: placing the bus station underground to clear the way for a new tower with offices, retail and a hotel. […]
Transit Time: How to build a regional transit system
Q&A: There’s a vision for better Charlotte-area transit — and it’s time to move it forward, says head of regional group If a big transit plan for Charlotte is going to happen, it’s going to take a regional approach. And Geraldine Gardner, executive director of the Centralina Regional Council, has been working on a regional […]
‘Hate the bus lane.’ Drivers flooded Charlotte with opposition to pilot project
Just a couple of years ago, Charlotte Area Transit System planners were talking a lot about the potential for bus-only lanes to make the city’s buses faster and more reliable, giving them an edge over cars stuck in gridlock. Charlotte debuted a blocks-long bus-only lane on Fourth Street. Then, the city marked off one lane […]