The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is the agency responsible for public transportation in the Charlotte metropolitan area. 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 2023, the system had a ridership of 13,476,600, or about 40,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
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 its terminus at 9th Street Uptown. It ran on tracks mostly shared with the Lynx Blue Line.
South End is a high density commercial and residential neighborhood and edge city in Charlotte, North Carolina, known for its vibrant mix of residential, commercial, and industrial development. The neighborhood is located just south of Uptown Charlotte, the city's central business district, and is bounded by the major thoroughfares of South Boulevard, East/West Boulevard, and Interstate 277. It is also one of six Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte.
7th Street station is a light rail station for the LYNX Blue Line in Center City Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located between 6th and 7th Streets; several privately operated parking decks and lots surround the station. Notable places nearby include Discovery Place, Hearst Tower, ImaginOn, Levine Museum of the New South, Main Public Library and the McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square.
3rd Street/Convention Center is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The elevated dual side platforms are a stop along the Lynx Blue Line in Uptown Charlotte.
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 (CATS) buses and connects with the LYNX Blue Line and CityLYNX Gold Line. It is located on East Trade Street, Fourth Street and Brevard Street. Notable places nearby include the Bank of America Corporate Center, Belk Theater, EpiCentre, Overstreet Mall and the Spectrum Center.
Brooklyn Village, formerly Stonewall, is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The elevated dual side platforms are a stop along the Lynx Blue Line in Uptown Charlotte.
Bland Street is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The at-grade dual side platforms are a stop along the Lynx Blue Line and serves South End and nearby Dilworth neighborhood.
East/West Boulevard is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The at-grade dual side platforms are a stop along the Lynx Blue Line and serves South End and nearby Dilworth and Wilmore neighborhoods.
The Lynx Red Line is a proposed commuter rail service, connecting the towns in northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell counties to Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2019, after a reevaluation of the entire corridor, the Charlotte Area Transit System (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.
The Lynx Silver Line is a proposed east–west light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Silver Line would connect the outlying cities and towns of Belmont, Matthews, Stallings and Indian Trail to Uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. In the refined locally preferred alternative (LPA), released in early 2021, the route is estimated to be around 29 miles (47 km), with 29 stations and one maintenance facility.
Transportation in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina includes a large and growing mass transit and rail system, a major international airport, and several controlled-access highways.
Charlotte Gateway Station is a future intermodal transit station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Currently operating as a streetcar stop for the CityLynx Gold Line, with an adjoining bus station for Greyhound Lines intercity buses, it is the centerpiece of the overall 19-acre (7.7 ha) Station District, and it will serve Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus lines, the Lynx Silver Line light rail, and Amtrak intercity trains. The district will also include parking facilities, mixed-use development and an elevated greenway. Estimated at a cost of $800.1 million for full implementation of all public and private components, the project will be built in three phases, with Amtrak service tentatively scheduled to start in 2026–2027.
The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. 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, 19.3-mile (31.1 km) line extends from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in University City through NoDa, Uptown, and South End, then runs along South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at the Pineville city limits. The line carries an average of over 27,700 passenger trips every day and offers connections to the CATS' CityLynx Gold Line which opened in 2015.
First Ward Park is a 4.6 acre urban park in the First Ward neighborhood of Uptown Charlotte. After a national competition to attract architects, the firm Shadley Associates was selected to build the park. The park incorporates the existing Dixie's Tavern and UNCC buildings, and new construction will include an office tower, hotel, and parking deck on adjacent land.
UNC Charlotte–Main is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It opened on March 16, 2018, as part of the Blue Line extension to the UNC Charlotte campus, and serves as the line's northern terminus. The station features a single island platform and is located on the north side of Cameron Boulevard, adjacent to the university's main campus in University City.
JW Clay Blvd/UNC Charlotte is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located on North Tryon Street at JW Clay Boulevard in University City. The station consists of a single island platform in the street's median, connected via pedestrian overpass to both sides of North Tryon Street and to an adjacent parking garage. The parking garage charges a flat weekday fee for all riders that do not have a one-day, weekly or monthly pass. JW Clay Blvd/UNC Charlotte station is west of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte campus and is near Jerry Richardson Stadium. The station opened on March 16, 2018.
Parkwood is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in the Optimist Park neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It opened on March 16, 2018, as part of the Blue Line extension to the UNC Charlotte campus. The station features a pair of side platforms and is the first station outside of Uptown Charlotte to the north.
25th Street is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in the Optimist Park neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It opened on March 16, 2018, as part of the Blue Line extension to the UNC Charlotte campus. The station features an island platform and is located in Optimist Park.
University City Blvd is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located on North Tryon Street and Periwinkle Hill Avenue in University City. The station consists of a single island platform in the street's median, connected to an adjacent parking garage by a pedestrian overpass. The parking garage charges a flat weekday fee for all riders that do not have a one-day, weekly or monthly pass. Notable places nearby include the Belgate Shopping Center, IKEA and the Wells Fargo Customer Information Center (CIC). The station opened on March 16, 2018.
