From Better Transit to Stronger Neighborhoods: Highlights from the MPTA Workshop

As Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s towns prepare for a new era of public transportation investment, an important question is emerging: How can we ensure that better transit leads to better communities for everyone?

That question was central to discussions at the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority’s (MPTA) two-day workshop on September 10–11. Board members and staff discussed the upcoming transition of CATS operations to the MPTA, how to deliver on promises made to voters, and how transit investments can support affordable housing, economic opportunity, and more connected neighborhoods.

We’re encouraged by the emphasis on putting transit riders and communities first. Turning these priorities into reality will require thoughtful planning, meaningful public engagement, and a commitment to equitable outcomes.

From transit-oriented development to transit-oriented communities

One of the most promising discussions focused on Charlotte’s evolving approach to planning around transit stations.

For more than two decades, Charlotte has encouraged transit-oriented development (TOD), concentrating housing, businesses, and other destinations near transit corridors. This approach has helped transform areas along the LYNX Blue Line and supported a more compact, walkable pattern of growth. Unfortunately, these areas have very few affordable housing units available, and many residents and small businesses have been displaced.

Charlotte Planning Director Monica Holmes described a shift toward transit-oriented communities (TOC), an approach that considers not only what gets built near transit stations, but also who benefits from that development. Sustain Charlotte, along with neighborhood leaders and small business representatives, participated in Silver Line TOC Community Coalitions meetings over the past two years to give input on strategies to ensure that residents and businesses in east and west Charlotte thrive and don’t face displacement in the coming years as the Silver Line light rail is planned and built.

We believe Charlotte’s transit investments should help existing residents and businesses thrive, not make it harder for them to remain in their neighborhoods. The city’s updated station area planning principles are expected to address affordable housing, small business retention, economic opportunity, cultural heritage, environmental justice, and sustainability.

Protecting housing affordability as transit expands

New transit investments can make neighborhoods more desirable, but they can also increase property values and development pressure, potentially displacing longtime residents and small businesses. We were encouraged to hear city planners discuss tools for preserving and creating affordable housing near transit.

Holmes highlighted Charlotte’s efforts to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, including approximately 1,700 units located along high-frequency transit lines. She also discussed a proposed $25 million investment in transit-focused affordable housing through the city’s upcoming bond referendum.

Other approaches under consideration include acquiring land for affordable housing, working with faith-based organizations and other property owners, and identifying strategies tailored to individual station areas.

The city plans to update its transit-oriented community principles and then begin detailed station area planning, starting with the proposed Red Line commuter rail corridor.

This is an important opportunity to plan for affordability before major transit investments drive additional development pressure.

Sustain Charlotte has consistently advocated for aligning housing growth with frequent public transportation through our work on the UDO advisory committee and our years of advocacy for Charlotte’s Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Mobility Plan. We also believe that preventing displacement must be a central part of that strategy, not an afterthought. We continue to engage in dialogue with residents and government staff to advocate for the implementation of anti-displacement strategies throughout the transit planning, construction, and operations processes.

Better transit means better connections

Another important theme was the need to coordinate transportation investments with land use decisions and infrastructure improvements. CATS staff explained how the agency works with city planners and developers to account for future transit needs when reviewing development proposals and rezoning requests.

Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) provides opportunities to protect land for future transit facilities and strengthen requirements for bus stop infrastructure.

Board members also raised questions about how sidewalks, lighting, and other pedestrian improvements can keep pace with new development. A bus stop isn’t truly accessible if reaching it requires walking along a busy road without a sidewalk. A rail station won’t serve its full potential if nearby neighborhoods lack safe walking and biking connections.

As Charlotte grows, we need to concentrate more housing, jobs, and everyday destinations in areas served by frequent transit, while ensuring that people can safely and conveniently reach that service.

Delivering on promises to transit riders

Throughout the workshop, MPTA leaders emphasized the responsibility to deliver on commitments made to voters. MPTA Chair David Howard stressed the importance of evaluating decisions from the perspective of the people who depend on public transportation.

Success should be measured by whether residents can get where they need to go safely, reliably, affordably, and conveniently. That means prioritizing frequent and dependable bus service, accessible stops, better connections between routes, and meaningful improvements for people who already rely on transit.

The MPTA also discussed the substantial work underway to prepare for the transition of CATS operations (currently managed by the City of Charlotte) to the new regional authority on January 1, 2027. While much of that work involves administrative systems, staffing, and financial operations, its ultimate purpose must be to ensure that transit riders continue receiving reliable service as the region moves into this next chapter.

Creating economic opportunities for local communities

Workshop presenters estimated that approximately 6,000 jobs will need to be filled over the next 30 years related to the region’s transportation investments. Discussions included workforce training, apprenticeships, partnerships with Central Piedmont Community College, and ways to help local small businesses compete for transportation contracts.

We hope the MPTA will make these opportunities accessible to residents and businesses throughout Mecklenburg County, particularly in communities that have historically experienced barriers to economic opportunity.

Public accountability must remain a priority

Finally, MPTA members discussed how to build public trust through transparent decision-making and meaningful community engagement. This will be especially important as the authority makes decisions about transit priorities, station locations, development partnerships, and public investments.

Public engagement must go beyond holding meetings and collecting comments to ensuring that residents and transit riders have genuine opportunities to influence decisions, understand how their input was considered, and see tangible results.

The opportunity ahead

We’re encouraged that MPTA leaders are discussing transit not simply as a transportation service, but as an investment that can improve housing access, economic opportunity, neighborhood connectivity, and quality of life. Now comes the challenge of turning those discussions into measurable results.

At Sustain Charlotte, we’ll continue advocating for frequent, reliable public transportation with safe and accessible connections, housing choices near transit, and policies that help residents and small businesses benefit from growth.

The ultimate goal is to build a more connected, affordable, and equitable Charlotte region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Watch the MPTA workshops: September 10, Day 1 | September 11, Day 2