CATS — Charlotte Area Transit System
🐆 Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) — Charlotte’s transit system: buses, the LYNX Blue Line, the Gold Line streetcar and the Sprinter to the airport.
🇺🇸 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA | 🚌 Bus + light rail + streetcar | 📱 CATS-Pass app
CATS — the Charlotte Area Transit System — is the public transportation agency for the Charlotte metropolitan area, run as a department of the City of Charlotte and governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission. In the city’s own words, CATS is the largest transit system between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, offering bus, light rail, streetcar, vanpool, microtransit and paratransit services.
📋 CATS Quick Facts
- Official name: Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
- Structure: a department of the City of Charlotte, governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission
- Service area: Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas, North Carolina (Wikipedia)
- Modes (official): bus, light rail, streetcar, vanpool, microtransit and paratransit
- Rail: LYNX Blue Line light rail and CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar
- Payment: CATS-Pass mobile app
- Customer service: 704-336-7433 · telltransit@charlottenc.gov
- Websites: charlottenc.gov/cats and ridetransit.org
📖 About CATS
CATS is governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission and operated as a City of Charlotte department. Its official statement describes it as the largest transit system between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, with bus, light rail, streetcar, vanpool, microtransit and paratransit services.
Wikipedia’s system summary records two rail lines under the LYNX umbrella: the Blue Line, a 19.3-mile light rail line with 26 stations from I-485/South Boulevard to UNC Charlotte, and the CityLYNX Gold Line, a 4-mile modern streetcar through central Charlotte. On the road, CATS runs local and express buses — including the Sprinter BRT service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport — and the Special Transportation Service (STS) paratransit.
🚌 Network & Services
- Buses — local and express routes across Charlotte and Mecklenburg County towns, plus limited service into Iredell, Gaston and Union counties
- LYNX Blue Line — 19.3-mile light rail, 26 stations (Wikipedia)
- CityLYNX Gold Line — 4-mile central-city streetcar (Wikipedia)
- Sprinter — bus rapid transit to Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Microtransit, vanpool and STS paratransit
💳 Payment & Ticketing
CATS’s verified ticketing channel is the CATS-Pass app: the city’s official terms describe mobile tickets for CATS buses, trains and streetcars bought through the app, with fare information at ridetransit.org. No current physical CATS fare card was verified on official sources — CATS discusses future fare technology in its Fare Modernization Program, so check ridetransit.org for the latest options before you travel.
🧭 How to Ride
- Find your route in BusUpdate’s Charlotte guides, then check the schedule at ridetransit.org.
- Install the CATS-Pass app and buy your mobile ticket before boarding.
- Show or validate your ticket as directed when you board the bus, train or streetcar.
- For the airport, use the Sprinter BRT from the Charlotte Transportation Center.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who operates transit in Charlotte?
CATS — the Charlotte Area Transit System, a City of Charlotte department governed by the Metropolitan Transit Commission.
What rail does CATS run?
Two LYNX lines: the Blue Line light rail (19.3 miles, 26 stations, per Wikipedia) and the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar through central Charlotte.
How do I pay on CATS?
Through the CATS-Pass mobile app — the city’s official terms cover mobile tickets for buses, trains and streetcars; see ridetransit.org for fares.
📞 Official Contact
- Websites: charlottenc.gov/cats · ridetransit.org
- Customer service: 704-336-7433
- Email: telltransit@charlottenc.gov
- Lost & found: 704-336-3159
Sources: City of Charlotte official CATS pages (charlottenc.gov) and Wikipedia (Charlotte Area Transit System) — verified October 2026. Independently compiled by the BusUpdate editorial team; confirm time-sensitive details with the operator before travelling. See also: Charlotte bus routes on BusUpdate.