Big changes could be coming to CATS bus and rail network soon

Photo: City of Charlotte
What would make you want to ride the bus in Mecklenburg County? More frequent service? Not getting stuck in traffic? More comfortable places to wait? Improved coverage into more neighborhoods?
How about ALL of that! Big changes could be coming to the CATS bus and rail network soon.
At the January 22 meeting of the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), CATS staff unveiled the results of their recent resident engagement efforts and a proposed path to update the currently adopted Transit Plan. The result would be a new fiscally constrained plan that could realistically be implemented if the proposed “one cent for mobility” sales tax effort moves through the state legislature and is then approved by Mecklenburg voters.
The MTC delegates voted to move forward with the planning and public engagement process as outlined on this slide:
Here are the key takeaways:
Mecklenburg residents resoundingly spoke up for more public transit options.
More than 1,480 people completed CATS’ survey about the transit plan update. 93% of survey respondents said that more transit options are needed in Mecklenburg County. 95% agreed with the plan’s proposed goals and objectives to serve customers and communities, advance economic mobility, and foster sustainability and innovation.
A major investment in CATS bus service = a major improvement in safe and equitable mobility.
A new local funding source from the proposed sales tax (combined with additional funding that would be made possible through federal grants and programs) would allow CATS to invest in the staff, vehicles, facilities, and maintenance required to genuinely meet the mobility needs of riders.
The Better Bus program shared at this week’s meeting is the most exciting proposal we’ve seen for dramatically improving the bus system. It’s not only exciting but also realistic because the plan is fiscally constrained (under the scenario of the new sales tax being adopted).
While rail service often gets the bulk of the public’s attention, buses are the true backbone of every public transit system — including CATS. Buses carry more passengers and can go places that rail can’t reach.
This investment would be a powerful tool for economic mobility.
It’s clear that good public transit service must meet four criteria: Fast, Frequent, Reliable, and Walkable. When buses come at least every 15 minutes, it’s easy and efficient to hop on a bus without needing to check the schedule and to make efficient connections between routes.
Today, about 29,000 residents of Mecklenburg County live within 1/4 mile of a public transit line that provides service at least every 15 minutes. Under the new scenario, almost ten times as many residents (approximately 250,000 more) would have that same level of access.
72% of residents would have access to at least 30-minute service within 1/4 mile, and over 90% within 1/2 mile.
We’re pretty impressed with the value the Better Bus program would provide. Compared to other community investments, public transit is unparalleled in improving people’s access to jobs, education, healthcare, shopping, and other daily destinations.
Buses would get red carpet treatment on priority corridors.
Reliable public transportation is crucial for accessing jobs, especially in areas with limited parking or for those who cannot afford a car. Giving bus riders reliable and fast travel times will get more people to their destinations faster. It’ll also attract new riders who are eager to zip to their destination on the bus rather than sitting in traffic congestion in their car.
On bus routes with high ridership, traffic signals can be modified to recognize approaching buses and help them move more quickly. Signal priority helps buses avoid long waits at traffic lights, minimizing delays and keeping them on schedule. This is particularly important for riders who rely on tight connections or have limited time.
Microtransit will serve residents in less populated areas.
Here at Sustain Charlotte, we talk a lot about the challenges we face in Mecklenburg County due to the way our community grew in a sprawling way after cars were invented. The legacy is that many parts of the county have meandering streets without good connectivity to each other, so it simply isn’t cost or time-effective for CATS to be able to provide 15 or even 30-minute bus frequencies in many parts of town.
The solution? As our population grows, CATS will re-evaluate where fixed-route bus service can be effectively added. For those areas where low population density and/or the nature of the street network make frequent fixed-route bus service unfeasible, CATS will provide microtransit.
Typically, these are small vehicles that operate on either a demand model (customers can call for a pick-up or use an app) or a route that includes some deviations to pick-up and drop-off riders. Under the scenario presented at the meeting, CATS would have enough funding to provide both the improved fixed-route bus service and micro transit.
CATS will soon ask the public for input on 4 scenarios for Rapid Transit Corridors.
Beyond improving the bus network, what rapid transit corridors could be added to the CATS system? Staff presented 4 possible scenarios, all of which are fiscally constrained (assuming a new one-cent countywide sales tax).
All scenarios include the construction of the Red Line as commuter rail, completion of the West and East portions of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar, and implementation of the Better Bus plan that we shared in this blog post.
The scenarios differ in how the Blue Line extension to Pineville and Ballantyne and the Silver Line would be built. As you can see on the right side of the graphic above, there are four different combinations of mode (i.e., light rail or bus rapid transit) for either portions or the entirety of these lines. It’s worth noting that the projected funding from a new sales tax would not allow the entirety of the Silver Line to be built as light rail. The farthest east it could be built under this scenario would be to Bojangles Colosseum, where it would connect to a bus rapid transit line while also preserving the possibility of extending the rail line farther east in the future.
CATS will soon open a public engagement process throughout Mecklenburg County to educate residents and riders about the trade-offs between the various scenarios and to gather their input. This input will be shared with the MTC delegates to inform their vote on the preferred new Transit System Plan in late spring of this year.
We’ll share the public engagement opportunities as they become available, so stay tuned for details.
You can view the presentation slides here (begins on slide #340).
Thanks for reading!
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