Sustain Charlotte Connects: Examining the Importance of Investing in Public Transit
On Thursday evening, Sustain Charlotte’s SC Connects event hosted at the Veterans Park pavilion became a platform for learning and lively dialogue about the future of transportation in our rapidly growing city and county. Andrew Mock and Jason Lawrence from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) engaged attendees with informative presentations and discussions about CATS’ effort to update the Transit System Plan.
Jason Lawrence shared key highlights of the “Better Bus” program, an initiative designed to transformationally improve the quality of CATS bus service. They emphasized the program’s focus on increased frequency, optimized routes, and enhanced passenger amenities, all aimed at making bus travel a more attractive and viable option for Charlotte area residents and commuters. 89 buses would be added to the fleet along with more than 2,000 new amenities including shelters, benches, etc. All bus routes would run at least every 30 minutes, with many having frequencies of 15 minutes or less.
Andrew Mock presented and explained the four scenarios being considered for the fiscally constrained transit plan update. All four scenarios would include the Red Line commuter rail (a requirement in the current draft of the state legislation), the Gold Line streetcar, and the Better Bus program. The scenarios differ in how the Silver Line and Blue Line extension (to Pineville and Ballantyne) would be built. Various combinations of light rail and/or bus rapid transit, also known as BRT, would include trade-offs in terms of project costs and time to completion.
The CATS team also dedicated ample time to answering audience questions. This interactive session allowed attendees to voice their concerns, seek clarifications, and express their opinions on the proposed transit plans.
Following the CATS presentation, Sustain Charlotte facilitated an interactive advocacy exercise. This session was designed to allow attendees to practice effectively communicating the importance of investing in public transit.
The collaborative effort between CATS and Sustain Charlotte underscored the importance of community engagement in creating a sustainable and accessible transit system for all who live or work in Mecklenburg County.
CATS staff reminded attendees of the importance of clearly expressing their preferences in the online public survey, which will close on April 11th.
Implementation of the Better Bus program and completion of whichever of the four rapid corridor scenarios is chosen is contingent on a new local funding source. The NC state legislature is currently considering a bill to allow Mecklenburg County voters to approve a new one cent sales tax. If approved, combining the sales tax revenues and leveraged federal and state funds would allow the transit plan to be fully implemented within 30 years. However, Better Bus could be implemented much faster, with significant improvements in service within just a few years of the tax vote passing!
In a post-even survey, attendees were asked to sum up their experience of the event in just one word. Here’s what they shared:
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