The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) on Dec. 11, commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC). The CTC, located on East Trade Street at Brevard Street in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, opened on Dec. 11, 1995, as the central hub and main transfer point for CATS bus service. Today, it serves as the central hub to a multi-modal transit system with bus, light-rail and streetcar services.
The CTC began as a public-private partnership between the city of Charlotte and Bank of America. In July 2014, CATS assumed full operational control of the facility.
The celebration included remarks by Metropolitan Transit Commission Vice Chairman and Davidson Mayor John Woods, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, and CATS Chief Executive Officer John Lewis.
The CTC was the catalyst in 1995 for the expansion of the transit system and development of the 2025 Transit / Land-use Plan in 1997. “This community and region has embraced transit since 1995 with addition of bus, rail and streetcar, but the region is ever changing and we are at the point where we need to have the hard discussion about how to update the transit plan to ensure it will accommodate the regional needs and growth as well” said Mayor Roberts.
CATS CEO John Lewis noted the success of the center. “Since opening 20 years ago, the CTC has seen more than 365 million customer trips on CATS bus, light rail, and streetcar services. Today, the center serves as the hub for CATS multi-modal system and serves as a model that can be replicated and expanded with the creation of the future Charlotte Gateway Center.”
