We spoke up for Better Bus and Microtransit!

Photo: Melissa Key

CATS board members voted at the April 30 Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting to commit to ensuring that 20% of revenues from the proposed one cent for mobility sales tax would be dedicated to expanding bus service and bringing microtransit to Mecklenburg County. 

In advance of that vote, our Director of Education and Impact Meg Fencil spoke during the meeting’s public comment period to express our position that fully funding buses under the new sales tax is essential to equitably meeting the mobility needs of Mecklenburg County residents. Reverend Janet Garner-Mullins, a resident of the West Boulevard area and steering committee member of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition, also spoke in support of bus service to meet the needs of marginalized communities. 

Here’s what Meg said:

Good evening, members of the Metropolitan Transit Commission, staff, and guests. My name is Meg Fencil, and I’m here from Sustain Charlotte to speak in support of ensuring full funding for the Better Bus and Microtransit investments with 20% of the proposed one-cent for mobility sales tax.

These investments are about economic opportunity, equity, and access to a better future for all Mecklenburg County residents.

I’m fortunate to live in west Charlotte within a 5 minute walk of the high-frequency route 16, which I use to commute to work and medical appointments. Yet only a small minority of county residents have the transit access they need. Today, only about 29,000 people in our county live within a quarter mile of bus service that comes every 15 minutes.

With the Better Bus plan, that number would jump to 250,000 people. That’s nearly a quarter million residents who could get to work, school, or medical appointments without needing to own a car. What’s more, 90% of County residents would be within a half mile of transit frequency of at least 30 minutes!

Research shows that commute time is the single strongest predictor of escaping poverty. If we care about economic mobility in Mecklenburg — a metropolitan area where zip code too often determines destiny—we must make it faster and easier for people to get to jobs and opportunity. A rapid expansion of the bus network is the most powerful tool we have to make that happen — 

And the impact can be IMMEDIATE– within the first few years of the new sales tax!

This is also a smart investment. Buses are extremely cost-effective. We can affordably expand service dramatically across the County—providing high-frequency routes, bus shelters, new operators, and cleaner, more reliable vehicles.

Microtransit, too, fills a critical gap. It offers flexible, on-demand service for seniors, people with disabilities, and residents in areas not served by fixed routes — areas where the lower population density and/or street design renders traditional fixed route service inefficient. When balanced with the provision of fixed routes, microtransit is responsive and life-changing for people who would otherwise be isolated.

This isn’t just about transportation—it’s about equity, climate, health, and community development. The one-cent mobility tax is a transformative opportunity. Let’s seize it by prioritizing the Better Bus and Microtransit investments that will serve the greatest number of people, most effectively, and most equitably.

Thank you for your time—and for your commitment to a more connected, inclusive Mecklenburg County. 

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