Carolyn Flowers Leaving CATS

Dec. 9, 2014
Carolyn Flowers, CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) announced Dec. 8 that she will leave the transit system January 9, 2015 to serve as a senior advisor to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), a presidential appointee position.

Carolyn Flowers, CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) announced Dec. 8 that she will leave the transit system January 9, 2015 to serve as a senior advisor to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), a presidential appointee position.

Flowers joined CATS in January 2010 at time when the transit system was facing severe operational budgetary constraints and inefficiencies and the Blue Line Extension capital program needed adjusting due to the effects of the Great Recession.   During her tenure as CEO, Carolyn lead the staff through tough budgetary changes that reduced operating expenses by $23 million while maintaining existing service levels at a time when 85 percent of transit systems were cutting service and raising fares.  Operational efficiencies returned and CATS today operates 20 percent below the national average on Cost per Passenger Mile and Cost Per Revenue Mile.

She oversaw the Blue Line Extension through a $200 million value engineering reduction which allowed the project to move forward and receive Federal and State Full Funding Grant Agreements and the project is currently under construction.  Carolyn also improved other aspects of the transit system including improvements in the overall safety record, the consolidation of management staff, and submission of the Small Starts Application for Phase 2 of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar project and a resurgence of the Sales Tax receipts from $57 million in 2010 to $69 million in 2014.

City Manager Carlee is assessing options for interim leadership and will be launching a national search in accordance with the agreement with the Metropolitan Transit Commission.