Getting Around — The Drifter Times

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Getting Around

Getting around Charlotte

CATS runs the buses, the LYNX Blue Line light rail, and the Gold Line streetcar. Here is what it costs, how to pay, and how the half-fare works — checked October 19, 2026.

What a ride costs

Ride	Full fare	Half fare
Local bus or LYNX Blue Line, one ride	$2.20	$1.10
All-day pass (local bus & rail)	$6.60	—
Gold Line streetcar	Free
Children 5 and under (or 46″ tall and under), with an adult	Free

Half fare ($1.10) is for people 62 and older, people with disabilities, and Medicare card holders — show a valid Transit ID or Medicare card. Students also ride half fare with a current school or transit ID.

The cheapest way to ride a lot

Pay per ride in the CATS-Pass app and fare capping does the rest: your local fares stop adding up at $6.60 a day, $30.90 a week, or $88 a month — like a pass you never had to buy in advance. Paying cash instead? You can add cash to a CATS-Pass account at the customer service booth at the Charlotte Transportation Center, uptown.

Riding the Blue Line

The Blue Line runs north–south, from the I-485 / South Boulevard area through uptown to UNC Charlotte. It is the fastest way across the city.
Buy before you board. The Blue Line works on proof of payment: get a ticket at the platform machine or in the CATS-Pass app first. Inspectors check, and riding without a ticket can bring a citation and a fine.
Uptown stops put you a short walk from the Day Services Center (College Street), the main library, and the Transportation Center, where most bus routes meet.

Riding the bus, with gear

Pay at the farebox when you board — exact change helps; drivers do not make change.
Carrying everything you own? Keep bags on your lap or on the floor between your feet, out of the aisle, and take one seat. Drivers can refuse loads that block the aisle or a door — pack the big kit down before you board (see the go-bag guide).
Night service is thinner than daytime service, and Sunday schedules are the thinnest of all. Check your last bus before you count on it.

Questions: CATS customer service, 704-336-7433, or charlottenc.gov/CATS.

CATS is in the middle of a fare-system overhaul (new ways to pay, fares on the streetcar have been proposed), so check the CATS site before a big travel day. Fares on this page checked October 19, 2026 against CATS and City of Charlotte fare policy documents.

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