What’s next after Mecklenburg County transit sales tax approved

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Local leaders are hitting the ground running one day after voters approved a transit sales tax to fund road, rail, and bus projects across Mecklenburg County.

It comes at a good time, as a recent study found the average car commuter in the city spends 64 hours a year stuck in traffic.

Now that it’s approved, the first step is for CATS officials to start holding meetings to get an idea of what projects the community wants to see funded in different neighborhoods. The hope is Charlotteans will start to see bus improvements within the next five years and rail expansion in the next 10, all of which will help relieve traffic on the roads, too.

“I know that we are going to build a greater city,” said Mayor Vi Lyles. “A city that people want to choose to live here and be here.”

It was a vote to transform the future of transportation in Mecklenburg County.

“Sets this community up to address major issues that we have dealing with how do we handle 159 individuals every day moving to the City of Charlotte,” said Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham.

Newly re-elected council members are thrilled that more than 92,000 voters approved a one percent sales tax expected to generate billions over the next few decades. It narrowly passed with about 48 percent of voters against it.

“Specifically for me, I was voting against because I don’t feel we will get a return on investment through all the taxes we will be paying,” said one voter.

The tax will go into effect in October of 2026, and leaders expect to start collecting revenue by January 2027. Twenty percent will go toward funding bus projects, 40 percent for roads, and another 40 percent for rail projects.

One of the most notable plans is the creation of the Red Line commuter rail.

“A long-awaited project will finally move forward,” said Lyles. “Now, we know the red line is not going to happen overnight. It will take time, commitment, patience, and a lot of hard work.”

​Potential rail projects include building the Silver Line light rail from Charlotte Douglas International to Bojangles Coliseum, as well as the Blue Line extension to Pineville and the Gold Line streetcar expansion, all of which will take the longest to accomplish. Drivers, riders, and pedestrians should begin to see road and bus improvements sooner than that.

“This means we have to do a lot more work,” said Lyles. “This means we have to listen to the residents in every neighborhood, so they can shape what opportunities they want to have. Today we are beginning to take that action, and we are going to do things. You are going to see sidewalks. You are going to see pathways. You’re going to be able to see all kinds of activities.”

With the approval of the tax comes the creation of a new transit authority to help oversee decisions. Mayor Lyles expects we’ll know who will sit on that board fairly soon, suggesting it would likely be in the next couple of weeks.