Charlotte Area Transit System
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Areas Served: | Charlotte, NC and vicinity |
Founded: | 1999[1] |
Fleet Size: |
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Service Types: | Fixed-Route, Dial-A-Ride |
2010 Ridership: | 131,630,832[3] |
Website: | charmeck.org/cats |
Charlotte Area Transit System is the fixed-route and para-transit public transport system serving Mecklenburg County with an emphasis on the city of Charlotte, North Carolina.
History
Charlotte Area Transit System traces its history back to Charlotte Transit. Formed in 1976, Charlotte Transit took over the privately operated bus routes in the city. As the city's population and sprawl grew, the limited scope of the service (serving the city of Charlotte only) did not address the transit needs of the greater metropolitan area. As such, the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan for Charlotte-Mecklenburg was published in July 1998 to tackle these unmet needs, with the baseline issue being transforming Charlotte Transit into a more regional agency. Acting on this plan, Mecklenburg County held and passed a referendum in November 1998 to institute a sales tax to improve public transit service for the Charlotte metropolitan area, laying the groundwork for CATS to expand outside of the city and across the county. This vote led to the creation of the Metropolitan Transit Commission (1999) with the cooperation of the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and six suburban towns in the county (Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Pineville, Matthews, and Mint Hill), centralizing transit planning and funding for all stakeholders under one umbrella as stipulated by the 2025 Transit/Land-Use Plan. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) came out of the Metropolitan Transit Commission in 1999, though the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) still exists as CATS' board for policy issues. In 2000, the Metropolitan Transit Commission and Charlotte Transit were merged, creating the CATS that exists today.
Charlotte Transit vehicles are listed under the Charlotte Area Transit System roster on this page.
Routes
Fares
Bus Roster
Active
Retired
Lynx Rapid Transit Services fleet
Fleet Number(s) |
Thumbnail | Build Date |
Manufacturer | Model | Motors | Passenger Seats | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
101-116 | 2006 | Siemens | S70 | ||||
117-120 | 2010 | Siemens | S70 | ||||
(6 units) | 2020 | Siemens | S700 Streetcar |
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References
- ↑ CATS Website: Fast Facts Retrieved on May 24th, 2012
- ↑ CATS Website: Fast Facts Retrieved on May 24th, 2012
- ↑ 2010 National Transit Database: Charlotte Area Transit System Retrieved on May 24th, 2012