Sustain Charlotte Calls for Transparent, Rider-Focused Transit Governance

On September 16, Sustain Charlotte’s Meg Fencil spoke before the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to express our strong support for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA). This vote marked a critical step toward modernizing how our growing region governs public transportation.

The success of the new MPTA will depend on who is chosen to serve on its board. That’s why we called on the County, the City of Charlotte, and the six Mecklenburg towns to prioritize transparency and rider experience as they evaluate and appoint board members.

We believe this new authority must be built on a foundation of accountability, inclusivity, and lived experience.

Below are the remarks we shared with the commissioners during the public hearing

Public Comments by Sustain Charlotte at the September 16 BOCC Meeting

Good evening commissioners,

My name is Meg Fencil, and I’m speaking on behalf of Sustain Charlotte. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight.

Sustain Charlotte strongly supports the Memorandum of Understanding before you this evening to create the Mecklenburg Public Transportation Authority, and we urge you to vote in favor of it tonight.

This MOU represents a crucial step toward building a coordinated, accountable, and forward-looking transit governance structure for our growing region. Public transportation is foundational to building a sustainable and vibrant Mecklenburg County. It connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity while reducing traffic congestion and emissions. For these reasons, this new authority is a vital investment in our community’s future.

After adopting the MOU, as you and the other appointing bodies move forward with selecting members of the new MPTA, we urge you to incorporate the following principles into your appointment processes:

1. Prioritize lived experience by including at least one daily CATS bus rider among the appointees. Buses are the backbone of our transit system and will continue to be, so it’s important that the experience of bus riders be represented.

2. Ensure transparency by allowing all elected officials to view every application, even as clerks and legal staff review them for eligibility.

3. Prioritize transit use by assigning points to applicants who currently ride transit and by requiring all board members to ride public transit at least periodically, so those making governance and financial decisions about our growing transit system understand the implications of those decisions from firsthand experience.

Thank you for your leadership in advancing this transformative step for public transportation in Mecklenburg County.

As the MPTA begins to take shape, the people chosen to serve on its board will determine its success. We urge every appointing body (Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and the six towns ) to center transparency, equity, and rider experience when selecting candidates.

By doing so, we can create a strong, accountable transit authority that reflects the needs and voices of the people who rely on transit the most. This is the way to build the sustainable, connected future our county deserves.

You can view the full video of our comments at the public hearing here (begins at 01:04:00).

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