Metropolitan Transit Commission
Coverage (13 articles)
Charlotte Civic Calendar: 10-Day Political Events Preview (Oct 3–13, 2025)
Charlotte's next 10 days decide zoning, preservation, transit, and ballot logistics. Here's what to watch, how to attend, and why it matters.
What Happened to CATS? How Charlotte's Transit System Went From City Department to Regional Authority
By July 1, 2026, CATS as a City of Charlotte department will cease to exist, absorbed into the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. Here's how Charlotte's transit system went from city department to regional authority — and what it means.
MTC Closes Comment Period on CATS Fare Plan With One Cash-Rider Question Unanswered
At the final public hearing on the Charlotte Area Transit System's Fare Modernization Program, public commenter Carson Cohn told the MTC that CATS had promised him an answer over a month ago on whether the new system would force cash riders to pay double for transfer trips — and had not delivered it. CATS staff anticipate requesting MTC adoption at the May 27 meeting, the body's last before the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority assumes operational control on July 1. The proposal eliminates paper transfers for cash riders while introducing fare capping, a two-hour electronic pass, and an expanded reduced-fare program.
Charlotte's 1% Transit Tax: What It Does, What It Costs, Who Runs It, and Where City Council Candidates Stand
The 1% transit sales tax would fund roads, rail, and buses through a new regional authority with strict gates on the Red Line. Here's how it works, who controls it and where candidates stand.
The Penny That Could Redraw Mecklenburg
Charlotte's 1% transportation sales tax could raise $19B, fund roads and rail, dissolve the MTC, and put the Red Line first. What it means for you.
What Is the MPTA? Charlotte's New Transit Authority, Explained
The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA) is Charlotte's new regional transit authority, created after voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2025. It assumes control of CATS on July 1, 2026, overseeing a $19.4 billion, 30-year transit investment plan.
How Charlotte's Transit Tax Works: What You're Paying, Where It Goes, and Who Controls It
Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-cent sales tax increase in November 2025. The PAVE Act splits the revenue 40/40/20 between roads, rail, and bus service — generating roughly $490 million annually. Here is how the money works and who controls it.
Vi Lyles Will Resign as Charlotte Mayor on June 30. The Race to Replace Her Already Started.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced Thursday that she will resign on June 30, ending a tenure that began in 2017. Under North Carolina law, the City Council will appoint a Democrat to serve the remainder of her term — and the field is already organizing in public, with former Mayor Jennifer Roberts offering to fill the vacancy and Council Member Dante Anderson breaking for the outsider option. The vote that decides who fills the seat has not been scheduled.
How Charlotte Transit Leaders Botched Their Crisis Response After Blue Line Murder
Charlotte's transit leaders turned a tragedy into a communications disaster. Here's the crisis management playbook they ignored—and what they should have said instead.
After 27 Years, Charlotte's Transit Commission Holds Its Final Meeting and Hands CATS to the MPTA
The Metropolitan Transit Commission held its final meeting May 27 after 27 years, adopting an amended CATS fare policy and formally handing operational control to the new Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority. The MPTA takes over July 1, the same day the one-cent PAVE Act transit tax takes effect.
Charlotte's Transit Board Approves a New Fare System on Its Way Out the Door
The Metropolitan Transit Commission's final vote adopted the CATS Fare Modernization Program — tap-and-go payments, electronic validation, a new streetcar fare, and expanded reduced fares, phased in over 2027-2028. A cash-rider equity question raised repeatedly in public comment went unresolved on the record.
A Transit Board Said Goodbye to the Man Who Steadied CATS. He May Not Be Going Anywhere.
At the MTC's final meeting, members praised interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle for steadying an agency in crisis since he arrived in December 2022. The tributes land as the MPTA's national search for a permanent CEO — a job Cagle is eligible to pursue — runs in parallel.
Charlotte's Transit System Was Built in 27 Years. Here's the Whole Timeline.
Charlotte went from a bus-only city to a rail-connected region to an independent transit authority in 27 years. A companion to the Mercury's coverage of the MTC's dissolution, laid out as a single annotated timeline.