The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is the agency responsible for
public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
in the
Charlotte metropolitan area
The Charlotte metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as Metrolina, is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, within and surrounding the city of Charlotte. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, ...
. CATS operates bus and rail transit services in
Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas. Established in 1999, CATS' bus and rail operations carry about 320,000 riders on an average week. CATS is governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission and is operated as a department of the City of Charlotte. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
History
Origins
Prior to 1976, public transportation in
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
was entirely privatized. Trolleys operated in the city from 1891 until 1938.
Privately operated bus routes also ran in
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
until 1976.
In 1976, the City of Charlotte began operating bus routes under the Charlotte Transit brand, which operated from 1976 until CATS' founding in 2000. (Charlotte Transit and the Charlotte Area Transit System are not to be confused despite the similarity in name.) Charlotte Transit operated almost entirely local bus routes, with the exception of two express routes. As the
Charlotte metro area's population grew rapidly, the bus service operated by Charlotte Transit proved to be inadequate. In 1998, a
Mecklenburg County referendum was approved by citizens that enacted a 0.5% sales tax increase to improve public transportation in the area. The Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) was created as a result of the vote, leading to the consolidation of Charlotte Transit and the MTC in 2000 as the Charlotte Area Transit System, creating CATS as it is today.
2000–2006: Early Years
After the founding of CATS, more express routes were added to the edges of Mecklenburg County and local bus service was expanded, especially to the fast-growing southern areas of Charlotte. Some commuter/express routes were also initiated outside
Mecklenburg County. CATS also expanded bus infrastructure throughout the area during this period. In 2005, CATS built three community transit bus centers to supplement the central Charlotte Transportation Center in
Uptown Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...
. The centers were built in SouthPark (inside the SouthPark Mall parking facility), Eastland (at the old Eastland mall), and at Rosa Parks Place in the Wilson Heights neighborhood north of
Uptown. As a result of CATS' expansion during its early years, transit ridership in the
Charlotte metropolitan area
The Charlotte metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as Metrolina, is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, within and surrounding the city of Charlotte. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, ...
increased 55 percent, largely due to the expansion of express bus services.
2006–2015: The Advent of Rail
CATS chief Ron Tober began the planning process for what would become the
Lynx Blue Line
The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina. Opened in 2007, it was the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System, and the first major rapid rail service of any kind in the state. The 26-station, line extend ...
in the early 2000s. Under Tober's leadership, the MTC adopted the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan in 2006.
The initial plan called for the "Red Line" commuter rail with service to Northern
Mecklenburg County, the Blue Line, the
CityLynx Gold Line
The CityLynx Gold Line is a streetcar line in Charlotte, North Carolina. A component of the Charlotte Area Transit System's Lynx rail system, it follows a primarily east-west path along Beatties Ford Road, Trade Street and Central Avenue through c ...
streetcar, and a busway along the route of what is now planned to be the
Lynx Silver Line. In 2007, the initial portion of the Blue Line opened, connecting the
Uptown,
South End, Scaleybark, Tyvola, and Arrowood neighborhoods.
The initial phase of the Blue Line spurred an explosion of development along the rail corridor, particularly in
South End. Shortly after the Blue Line opened, CEO Ron Tober, who had led CATS since its inception, retired.
After Tober's departure, CATS hired Carolyn Flowers, who had previously headed the bus system in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. During Flowers' tenure, the transit system pushed ahead with the Gold Line and Blue Line extension projects in the wake of the
Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
. In 2014, Flowers resigned to take a
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
position. John M. Lewis Jr. was then hired as the new head of the transit system.
After the success of the Blue Line, CATS reversed course on its initial plans to expand bus service to Matthews and the airport, instead planning for a second light rail line, the Lynx Silver Line, that would travel southeast to Matthews and west to
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...
and across the
Catawba River
The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...
to
Belmont.
2015–present: Further Expansion
In 2015, the first phase of the
CityLynx Gold Line
The CityLynx Gold Line is a streetcar line in Charlotte, North Carolina. A component of the Charlotte Area Transit System's Lynx rail system, it follows a primarily east-west path along Beatties Ford Road, Trade Street and Central Avenue through c ...
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
opened. The initial line connected the
Charlotte Transportation Center __NOTOC__
The Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC), also known as Arena or CTC/Arena, is an intermodal transit station in Center City Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It serves as the central hub for the Charlotte Area Transit System ( ...
in Uptown to Hawthorne Lane and 5th Street, through the
First Ward and Cherry neighborhoods. The first phase of the Gold Line utilized retro trolley streetcars, while future phases will incorporate
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
S70 streetcar vehicles.
The second phase of the Gold Line, construction of which is expected to wrap up in late 2020 or early 2021, will extend the existing line to Sunnyside Avenue in
Plaza-Midwood
Plaza-Midwood is a neighborhood located approximately one mile to the northeast of Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina. The neighborhood is roughly bound by Hawthorne Lane to the west, The Plaza to the north, Briar Creek Road and the Charlotte Co ...
and French Street by
Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The univer ...
. In 2018, the Blue Line extension opened, connecting the existing Blue Line to the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...
, connecting the
University City,
NoDa
NoDa (short for "North Davidson") is a popular arts district in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located in the North Charlotte neighborhood on and around North Davidson Street and 36th Street, approximately one mile northeast of Up ...
, Optimist Park,
Plaza-Midwood
Plaza-Midwood is a neighborhood located approximately one mile to the northeast of Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina. The neighborhood is roughly bound by Hawthorne Lane to the west, The Plaza to the north, Briar Creek Road and the Charlotte Co ...
, and Belmont neighborhoods. The Red Line project, an integral piece of the 2030 System Plan, has run into significant headwinds due to disagreements with
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
, which owns the tracks the Red Line was planned to operate on, and funding concerns.
CATS is currently in the planning and design stages for the
Lynx Silver Line, a multibillion-dollar east–west
light rail line that will run from
Matthews
Matthews may refer to:
People
* Matthews (surname)
Places
* Matthews Island, Antarctica
* Matthews Range, Kenya
* Mount Matthews, New Zealand
United States
* Matthews, Georgia
* Matthews, Indiana
* Matthews, Maryland
* Matthews, Missouri
* Mat ...
through
Uptown Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...
and west to
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...
and across the
Catawba River
The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...
to
Belmont. The line, projected to open in 2030, will connect to the Blue Line at 11th Street and the future intermodal
Charlotte Gateway Station.
Bus
CATS bus service primarily serves
Mecklenburg County, with service in
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
,
Davidson
Davidson may refer to:
* Davidson (name)
* Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan
* Davidson Media Group
* Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA
* Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
* ...
,
Huntersville,
Cornelius,
Matthews
Matthews may refer to:
People
* Matthews (surname)
Places
* Matthews Island, Antarctica
* Matthews Range, Kenya
* Mount Matthews, New Zealand
United States
* Matthews, Georgia
* Matthews, Indiana
* Matthews, Maryland
* Matthews, Missouri
* Mat ...
,
Pineville, and
Mint Hill. Limited local and express service operated by CATS also extends to
Iredell County,
Gaston County
Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911.
Gaston County is included in the C ...
,
Union County, and
York County, South Carolina
York County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 282,090, making it the seventh most populous county in the state. Its county seat is the cit ...
.
CATS operates local routes within the
City of Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
and
Mecklenburg County, with the majority of those multiple-stop routes serving the
Charlotte Transportation Center __NOTOC__
The Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC), also known as Arena or CTC/Arena, is an intermodal transit station in Center City Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It serves as the central hub for the Charlotte Area Transit System ( ...
in
Uptown. Other routes that do not serve Uptown mainly connect directly between Lynx rail stations and outlying neighborhoods.
Three community transit centers in different parts of the city were built in the mid-2000s: the Eastland Community Transit Center in East Charlotte located near the now-closed
Eastland Mall, the SouthPark Community Transit Center in South Charlotte located under
SouthPark Mall, and the
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the ...
Place Community Transit Center in North Charlotte located near
Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is a private historically black university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The univer ...
.
Express buses in the CATS system serve
Union County, far northern
Mecklenburg County, the
Lake Norman
Lake Norman is the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina. It was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy.
Geography
Lake Norman is fed by the Catawba River, and drains i ...
area,
Gastonia, and
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is also the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina, ...
.
CATS operates one
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
line, the Sprinter service from the CTC to
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...
. This center city to airport link will be replaced by the Lynx Silver Line upon its completion.
CATS also operates the Special Transportation Service (STS), a
paratransit
Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...
service which provides transportation to people with disabilities certified as eligible based on the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. STS provides service during the same times and in the same locations as the fixed route bus service.
During a typical week, CATS buses carry about 190,000 riders.
Active fleet
CATS operates with a fleet of 323 buses on 73 bus routes.
Rail
CATS operates two rail lines under the "Lynx" (stylized as "LYNX") system umbrella. Announced on February 22, 2006, the name fits in with the city's cat theme (the
NFL team is the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
and the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
team was known as the
Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...
when the name was chosen); also, "Lynx" is a
homophone
A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs in meaning. A ''homophone'' may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (p ...
of "links", and was mainly chosen because the light rail is about "connectivity." The color scheme of the rail cars is silver, with black and blue accents and gold around the "Lynx" logo to tie in the history of the Charlotte region being home to the first major U.S.
Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
.
CATS rail service first began on June 28, 2004 with the
Charlotte Trolley
The Charlotte Trolley was a heritage streetcar that operated in Charlotte in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The line ran along the former Norfolk Southern right of way between Tremont Avenue in the Historic South End in a northerly direction to ...
, operating three Birney-style replica streetcars between
Atherton Mill and
9th Street. In 2006, the trolley service was suspended to allow the line's conversion to light-rail. Resumed on a limited schedule in 2008, the
heritage streetcar
Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles aims to preserve historic rail vehicles.
Trains
It may concern trains that have been removed from service and later restored to their past condition, or have never been removed from service, like UP ...
line was discontinued two years later on June 28, 2010.
Lynx Blue Line
The
Lynx Blue Line
The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina. Opened in 2007, it was the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System, and the first major rapid rail service of any kind in the state. The 26-station, line extend ...
is a
light rail in
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. Opened on November 24, 2007 and hailed as the first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina, the line has 15 stations and ran between
I-485/South Boulevard, near
Pineville, and
7th Street, in
Uptown Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...
; the line is partly shared with the Charlotte Trolley from 2008–2010. On March 16, 2018, a extension was opened that added 11 stations north from 7th Street to
UNC Charlotte–Main, at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...
The line uses the
Siemens S70
The Siemens S70, its successor the S700 and European variant, the Avanto, are a series of low-floor light-rail vehicles (LRV) and streetcars manufactured by Siemens Mobility, a division of German conglomerate Siemens AG.
The S70 and S700 are ...
as rolling stock, which connects its 26 stations.
CityLynx Gold Line
The
CityLynx Gold Line
The CityLynx Gold Line is a streetcar line in Charlotte, North Carolina. A component of the Charlotte Area Transit System's Lynx rail system, it follows a primarily east-west path along Beatties Ford Road, Trade Street and Central Avenue through c ...
is a 9.9-mile modern
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
route currently in development that, when completed, will run from Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center through
Uptown Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...
and down Central Avenue, terminating at Eastland Community Transit Center. A Federal Urban Circulator Grant was awarded in July 2010, allowing construction of phase 1.
The initial segment of the line commenced service on July 14, 2015.
This section runs from the
Charlotte Transportation Center / Arena station to Hawthorne Lane & 5th Street. The initial phase utilized replica
Birney
A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastruc ...
trolley cars. After several delays, the second segment opened on August 30, 2021,
extending service to French Street in Biddleville and Sunnyside Avenue. The trolley cars were then replaced with
Siemens S700
The Siemens S70, its successor the S700 and European variant, the Avanto, are a series of low-floor light-rail vehicles (LRV) and streetcars manufactured by Siemens Mobility, a division of German conglomerate Siemens AG.
The S70 and S700 are ...
streetcar vehicles.
Phase 3, which would extend service to Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center and Eastland Community Transit Center, is still in the planning stages.
Current fleet
CATS currently operates two models of rail cars,
Siemens S700 and S70
The Siemens S70, its successor the S700 and European variant, the Avanto, are a series of low-floor light-rail vehicles (LRV) and streetcars manufactured by Siemens Mobility, a division of German conglomerate Siemens AG.
The S70 and S700 are ...
, with a fleet total of 48 vehicles:
Siemens S70
The vehicles are long and wide, with each having an empty weight of .
Each vehicle contains 68 seats and has a maximum capacity of 230 passengers complete with four wheelchair spaces and four bike racks. Maximum operational speed is , with a top speed of ;
power comes from a 750-volt
overhead wire
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
.
When not in use, the vehicles are stored at the South Boulevard Light Rail Facility, located along South Boulevard, between the
New Bern
New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
and
Scaleybark stations in the
Sedgefield neighborhood. The facility is approximately , and houses the Lynx rail maintenance staff, operations staff and the Rail Operations Control Center. Officially dedicated on June 23, 2007, the facility contains of track and 5,200 ties.
In January 2004, CATS began the process of accepting bids for construction of the system's vehicles. Original estimates for the vehicles was $3.5 million per car with the firms
Bombardier,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
and
Kinki Sharyo
is a Japanese manufacturer of railroad vehicles based in Osaka. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation. In business since 1920 (as Tanaka Rolling Stock Works) and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945. They have produced light ...
bidding for the final contract. The $52 million contract was awarded to Siemens on February 25, 2004.
The original order of 16
S70 Avanto vehicles, similar to those in operation on the
METRORail
METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the 12th ...
system in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
was delivered between 2006 and 2007; these cars are numbered 101–116. Car 101 arrived via flatbed truck on Friday, June 23, 2006, from the Siemens facility in
Florin, California
Florin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento– Roseville–Folsom Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 52,388 at the 2020 census, up from 47,513 at th ...
.
Testing of the vehicles began in August 2006 along a stretch of track between Tremont Avenue and the light rail maintenance facility off South Boulevard. During the testing phase, each car logged to test the acceleration, braking and overall performance for each vehicle.
With an option in place to purchase up to an additional 25 vehicles, and better than expected ridership, in May 2008 CATS announced the purchase of four additional S70 vehicles to expand the fleet's capacity beyond the existing 16 vehicles.
The vehicles cost $3.8 million each and were delivered by Siemens between January and March 2010.
In 2012, after only four years of operation, the original 16 vehicles underwent significant maintenance at the Siemens facility in California for an estimated cost of $400,000 each, having run by then for nearly .
In January 2014, CATS announced it would buy 22 more Siemens S70 light-rail vehicles for the Blue Line Extension at a cost of $96.2 million. This purchase allowed CATS to have more three-car trains on the existing Blue Line.
The first car was delivered in late October 2014,
and the last in spring 2017. After delivery of the 22 additional S70 cars, the fleet had a total of 42 light rail vehicles. The first series is numbered 101–116, the second series 201–204 (originally 117–120; renumbered 2018), and the third series 301–322 (originally 121–142).
From late 2021 to at least 2025, the original (Series 1) vehicles will undergo extensive mid-life overhauls in Sacramento at a total cost of $30–50 million. Vehicles will be sent to California two at a time; overhauling each one will take approximately six to nine months.
Siemens S700
Six
Siemens S700
The Siemens S70, its successor the S700 and European variant, the Avanto, are a series of low-floor light-rail vehicles (LRV) and streetcars manufactured by Siemens Mobility, a division of German conglomerate Siemens AG.
The S70 and S700 are ...
low-floor streetcars service the Gold line.
They were delivered between August 2019 and April 2020 and are numbered 401–406.
The vehicles have 56 passenger seats, with a total capacity of 255 passengers, and have four wheelchair spaces and two bicycle racks.
They are long by wide, with each weighing .
Maximum speed is , with an operational speed of .
Their design and color schemes are similar to the vehicles used on the
Blue Line.
The streetcars are equipped with a hybrid wireless onboard energy storage system (OESS); they draw power from 750V DC
overhead wires
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipment ...
along most of the line except between
Mint Street and the Charlotte Transportation Center, where they run on battery power.
The batteries are recharged when the vehicles resume running on-wire.
Retired fleet
;Birney-style replica streetcar
Delivered in the fall of 2004, the three
heritage streetcar
Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles aims to preserve historic rail vehicles.
Trains
It may concern trains that have been removed from service and later restored to their past condition, or have never been removed from service, like UP ...
s, from
Gomaco Trolley Company
The Gomaco Trolley Company is a manufacturer of vintage-style streetcars (alternatively called ''trolleys'' in the US, or ''trams'' in much of the world), located in Ida Grove, Iowa, United States. The company has supplied replica-vintage str ...
, were replacements of three non-owned historic streetcars that initially started the Charlotte Trolley in 1988. The streetcars operated along the,
grade-separated
In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tran ...
, Charlotte Trolley from 2004 to 2006 and then on a limited schedule from 2008 to 2010, when the Charlotte Trolley ceased operations. The streetcars were then put back into service during the first phase of the CityLynx Gold Line; from 2015 to 2019, they operated along line along Trade Street and Hawthorne Lane. In 2020, the replica trolleys were retired and sold to the
Memphis Area Transit Authority
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provider for Memphis, Tennessee. It is one of the largest transit providers in the state of Tennessee; MATA transports customers in the City of Memphis and parts of Shelby C ...
(MATA) for $550,000.
Built in
Ida Grove, Iowa
Ida Grove is a city in Ida County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,051 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ida County.
History
Founded in 1871, the town now known as "Old Ida Grove" was located on the north side o ...
, they were long, wide and tall, with a weight of , and a
crush load
Crush may refer to:
Film
* ''Crush'' (1972 film), a Hong Kong film
* ''Crush'' (1992 film), a New Zealand film by Alison Maclean
* ''The Crush'' (1993 film), a film by Alan Shapiro, starring Cary Elwes and Alicia Silverstone
* ''Crush'' (200 ...
of 105 people (48 sitting and 57 standing). The exterior is painted green and yellow, while the interior was wood, including oak, cherry, birch, and plywood. Each streetcar had an
ADA-compliant integrated
wheelchair lift
A wheelchair lift, also known as a platform lift, or vertical platform lift, is a fully powered device designed to raise a wheelchair and its occupant in order to overcome a step or similar vertical barrier.
Wheelchair lifts can be installed in ...
and
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
. Running equipment was a 30HP General Electric traction motor, utilizing 650
V DC via
overhead line
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
s. The streetcars had a top speed of .
Transit centers
CATS currently operate four
transit centers
Transit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film
* ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world
* ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
, with a fifth, Charlotte Gateway Station, currently under construction. The transit centers operate as a
hub-and-spoke system, with the Charlotte Transportation Center being its center and Eastland, Rosa Parks Place, and Southpark as mini-hubs in their respective areas.
Eastland Community Transit Center
The Eastland Community Transit Center is a neighborhood-sized transit hub located at the former
Eastland Mall site, along Central Avenue. The site includes an open-air plaza and space to accommodate 8-10 small and regular-sized buses.
[
]
Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center
The Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center is a neighborhood-sized transit hub located at the Mecklenburg County Health Department, at the intersection of Rosa Park Place and Beatties Ford Road. The facility is named after Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the ...
, who was an American activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
in the civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a foundational event in the civil rights movement in the United States ...
.[
]
SouthPark Community Transit Center
The SouthPark Community Transit Center is a neighborhood-sized transit hub located underneath SouthPark Mall. The facility was the first of its kind, for CATS, to operate as a "mini-hub" for the SouthPark neighborhood and surrounding area.[ The facility includes artwork from George Handy of ]Asheville
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...
; called ''Migration North'' and ''Migration South'', they are made from corrugated wood.
Future service
Future expansion includes plans for light rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
along the corridors in the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan adopted in 2006 by Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC).
On May 6, 2013, a 30-member transit funding task force released a draft report in which they estimated it would cost $3.3 billion to build the remaining transit corridors, and $1.7 billion to operate and maintain the lines through 2024. To fund the build-out by sales taxes alone would require a 0.78 cent increase in the sales tax, which would need to be approved by the state General Assembly. The committee recommended any sales tax increase be limited to 0.5 cent and other methods used to raise funds; some suggested methods included:
* Using the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TFIA) to quickly begin construction. TFIA loans could pay for 33% of the streetcar project and 30% of the rapid transit line along Independence Boulevard. It could allow CATS to begin collecting new property taxes from projects built along the rail line, which could be used to pay off the loans.
*Expanding advertising on train cars and buses, possibly selling naming rights and sponsorships.
*Entering into partnership with a private company to help finance part of the project.
Although build-out of the entire system has been estimated for completion by 2030, by July 2015, the Charlotte Area Transit System reported it lacked the funds to support any future transit projects apart from the already budgeted 2.5-mile long Phase 2 segment of the CityLYNX Gold Line.
CATS has entered into a partnership with Duke Energy
Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Overview
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy owns 58,200 megawatts of base-load and peak generation in ...
to pilot the use of Battery electric buses
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
. 18 BEBs from three manufacturers will be used over 18 months.
Proposed
Silver Line
The Lynx Silver Line is a proposed east-west light rail line that would connect the outlying cities and towns of Belmont, Matthews
Matthews may refer to:
People
* Matthews (surname)
Places
* Matthews Island, Antarctica
* Matthews Range, Kenya
* Mount Matthews, New Zealand
United States
* Matthews, Georgia
* Matthews, Indiana
* Matthews, Maryland
* Matthews, Missouri
* Mat ...
, Stallings and Indian Trail to Uptown Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The a ...
and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles we ...
. Originally setup as two separate projects known as the Southeast Corridor and West Corridor, they were merged in 2019 by the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Tentative opening date in 2037.
I-77 Bus Rapid Transit
The I-77 Bus Rapid Transit is a proposed bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
(BRT) service, connecting the towns northern Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
and southern Iredell counties to Uptown Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. The BRT replaces the previously proposed commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
service, the Lynx Red Line, that was routed along the existing Norfolk Southern O-Line right-of-way. However, several issues had arisen that included ineligibility for federal funding and Norfolk Southern refusal to allow access to its right-of-way. In 2019, after a reevaluation of the entire corridor, the CATS decided to move forward with BRT and shelve the commuter rail; which had been met with frustration by various city leaders and residents impacted by it.
Ridership data
*1997–2005: Service Consumption Versus Costs: (costs adjusted for inflation at 3.5% per year)
*: Ridership (unlinked trips): +52%
*: Operational cost per passenger trip: +66%
*: Operational cost per vehicle mile: +6%
*: Operational cost per vehicle hour: +16%
''Source
CATS 2010 Annual Report
National Transit Database
Notes
References
External links
*
*
2003 Consolidated Income and Expenses
2004 Consolidated Income and Expenses
{{Authority control
Transportation in Charlotte, North Carolina
Bus transportation in North Carolina
Passenger rail transportation in North Carolina
RATP Group
Intermodal transportation authorities in North Carolina