LYNX (light rail system)
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| Parent | Charlotte-Mecklenburg (Charmeck) |
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| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | 300 East Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Locale | City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County |
| Service area | Metrolina |
| Service type | Bus and Light Rail (as LYNX) |
| Routes | 50 local, 19 express |
| Stops | 3600 |
| Hubs | 4 |
| Stations | 10 (LYNX) 45 park and rides |
| Fleet | 501 (total) |
| Daily ridership | 83,100 |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Hybrid |
| Chief executive | John M. Lewis, Jr. |
| Website | charlottenc |
The Charlotte Area Transit System, commonly referred to as CATS, is the public transit system in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It operates bus and rail service around the Charlotte metropolitan area. This includes a bus rapid transit line called the Sprinter, a light rail line called the LYNX Blue Line, and a streetcar line called CityLYNX Gold Line.
John M. Lewis, Jr. was selected as the new CEO of CATS in July 2015. He began this role in mid-August 2015. Lewis replaced Carolyn Flowers, who had served in the role since 2010 and resigned to take a position at the Federal Transit Administration.
Bus transportation was provided by the Charlotte Department of Transportation under the branding known as Charlotte Transit, which was in existence from 1976 to 1999. (Charlotte Transit is not to be confused with Charlotte Area Transit System despite the similarity in name.) Most routes were local, with virtually no express service to outlying areas with the exception of two express routes. Service became inadequate to serve the rapidly growing population, especially in the southern and eastern portions, which began to be built up during 1990s. A referendum was passed in 1998 by Mecklenburg County citizens to approve a 1/2% sales tax to improve public transportation over the next few years. The move created the Metropolitan Transit Commission in 1999 to oversee improvements in Charlotte and nearby suburbs and bordering counties. It eventually led to consolidation of Charlotte Transit and MTC in 2000, forming the new Charlotte Area Transit System. Since then, more express routes were added to the edges of Mecklenburg County and some local bus service was expanded, especially to the fast-growing South Charlotte. On August 19, 2007 the Charlotte Observer revealed that mass transit on Charlotte's existing bus-only system has increased ridership by 66% since 1998, but its operating budget had increased by 170% after adjusting for inflation.
CATS bus service serves Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, with service in Charlotte, Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Pineville, and Mint Hill.
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