Starting today, uptown commuters may notice something different along East 4th Street — a special lane dedicated to buses, bikes and scooters.
The lane is part of a pilot program spearheaded by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT). The dedicated lane will extend between South McDowell Street and the Charlotte Transportation Center
During the pilot, more than 20Â CATSÂ local and express routes that make more than 390 weekday trips along the corridor, will use the dedicated bus/bike lane, according to the press announcement. CATS is scheduled to release more details today.
“This is a great opportunity to not only encourage the public to use transit more, but identify opportunities to implement bus/bike lanes in other corridors throughout Charlotte,” Bruce Jones, transportation planner for CATS, said in a statement.
The pilot is part of Envision My Ride, an ongoing effort by CATS to redesign and improve its bus system.
As part of the pilot, CATS and CDOT will install a series of “floating bus stop” platforms along 4th Street. These platforms are designed to allow buses to make in-lane stops without disrupting the flow of the bicycle lane. The stops will be located on Church Street and Tryon Street.
“The bus/bike lane project will be a first for Charlotte, but we know that other cities have used bus/bike lanes with great results for both transit riders and cyclists,” said Scott Curry, active transportation planner for CDOT.
