Resources & FAQs

Transportation & Transit Investment Plan Resources

Charlotte City Council
District Summary

Mecklenburg County Board of County Commission
District Summary

Countywide to Detailed Areas Transit Plan

Mobility+ FAQs

In 2022, City Council adopted the Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP) to help make traveling in Charlotte safer and easier for everyone. The plan encourages more people to use options like walking, biking, public transit and carpooling instead of driving alone. It also helps prepare for new transportation technology and focuses on making travel faster, more reliable, and better connected.

To bring this plan to life, the city created a Charlotte Mobility Investment Blueprint(PDF, 22MB). This outlines where improvements are most needed and how to deliver transportation projects that have real, lasting impact.

Part of this work includes Strategic Investment Areas (SIA), 22 locations across Charlotte where transportation upgrades will be designed to fit local needs. The city is starting with two pilot areas, Far East-Harrisburg and Arrowood, with more to come.

Learn more about SIAs on the Strategic Investment Areas webpage.

The FAQs below explain more about the tax, the transit authority, and other details related to Charlotte’s mobility investment.

What is the proposed one-cent sales tax for transportation?

A one-cent sales tax would pay for transportation and transit improvements. This tax could raise over $25 billion through local sales and federal grants.

The money would be used to:

Expand the bus system.
Build new transit corridors like bus lanes and rail lines.
Improve roads, sidewalks, streetlights and pedestrian crossings.

What does the sales tax apply to?

The sales tax would apply to most things you buy in stores.

It does not apply to:

Housing, cars, gas, medicine, medical services or utilities.
Most grocery store food (except candy, soda, and restaurant food).

Who pays the tax?

42%: Mecklenburg County residents
28%: Local businesses
12%: Commuters from outside the county
17%: Tourists and visitors

*According to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance 2022 Sales Tax Study

How much will it cost me?

The average household in Charlotte would pay about $19 per month (or $223 per year)*. For comparison, owning a car costs about $1,025 monthly according to AAA.

*According to City of Charlotte estimates based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey and the Consumer Price Index

What would be built?

19 micro-transit zones for, on-demand rides, helping people connect to jobs, schools, stores and medical offices.
Faster, more reliable bus service with 15-minute wait times on popular routes and 30-minute wait times on all other bus routes.
Safer roads, more sidewalks and more streetlights across the city.
Three rails lines reaching the northern, eastern and western portions of the city, plus extending the Blue Line further south and the Gold Line extension further northwest and further east.

What is a transit authority?

A transit authority is a group that manages and oversees public transportation, like buses, trains, and paratransit services, for a specific area. They handle planning, daily operations, maintenance, customer service, budgeting, and more.