CHARLOTTE — The city’s goal has been to move toward 15-minute wait times for buses, but dozens of bus drivers are calling out every day. Charlotte Area Transit System CEO John Lewis said these unexcused absences are leaving CATS to consider service cuts in the short term.
CATS said by cutting back on lines that don’t get used as much, the overall schedule will be more reliable. Lewis briefed Charlotte City Council’s transportation committee on the potential changes.
“Certainly we have issues with reliability and efficiency when it comes to CATS,” councilmember Dimple Ajmera said.
Lewis said CATS is finalizing the routes that will be impacted. In the recent committee meeting, he mentioned three possibilities: moving Route 21 on Statesville Avenue and Route 8 on Tuckaseegee Road from 20-minute headways to 30, and changing Route 1 on Mount Holly Road from 30-minute headways to 60 minutes. Lewis said trips would be added back during rush hour and 80% of scheduled service will remain the same.
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Charlotte City council members said they understand the frustration and hope scaling back some routes will lead to better service for all.
“In general, 30-minute wait time, 60-minute wait time, even a 20-minute wait time is not sufficient,” Councilmember Braxton Winston said.
Lewis told Charlotte City Council that 14 routes will be impacted and the changes will go into effect in mid-August. It will stay in effect until staff levels bounce back. CATS is currently hosting a job fair to hire more drivers.
On Route 21 Wednesday afternoon, Jovonta Hemmingway was waiting for the bus when told about the possible move by CATS. He said he has been relying on the bus ever since his car broke down, and that it is frustrating when the bus is a no-show. He’s hoping CATS will hire more drivers.
“It has gotten worse,” he said. “It’s very annoying to actually miss a bus and have to wait 30 minutes when you have so much to do.”
Lewis cited Atlanta, Portland and Austin as other cities that have cut service due to bus driver shortages.
(WATCH BELOW: CATS continues to experience driver shortages)
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