Mecklenburg County’s sales tax increase for transit calls for new light rail lines, streetcar expansion and improved bus frequency. But supporters say those big ticket items are not the only improvements for public transportation that voters will see if the sales tax increase passes.
The new funding will pave the way for bus stop enhancements.
In east Charlotte, Channel 9 saw Jerry Brown sitting on two stones as he waited for the bus Tuesday afternoon.
“You got to make a seat,” he said.
He says a bench or a seat would be a big upgrade.
“It would be more comfortable if I could lean back,” he said.
Charlotte City Councilmember Dimple Ajmera agrees.
“We have to invest in our public transportation so we have reliable system and we have an efficient and effective system,” Ajmera told Channel 9’s Joe Bruno.
A spokesperson for city of Charlotte says if the sales tax increase for transit passes, more than 2,000 bus stops will be enhanced in the next 10 years. The first year calls for 60 to 80 bus stop replacements. Buses and micro transit would get $69 million more in the first year of the tax passing.
A quick tour of Charlotte’s hundreds of bus stops will show you plenty of issues.
The east Charlotte stop where we met Ajmera has a sidewalk but no seat. Some bus stops in Grier Heights had no sidewalks or seats. We spotted spots in north Charlotte with no shade. We also have seen people get creative with seats, ranging from hay bales to stones.
Ajmera says these are the types of issues that will get top priority
“We want to make sure people who ride our buses are able to ride them with dignity and comfort,” Ajmera said.
In terms of frequency, the city wants to make buses come every 15 minutes on most routes instead of 30 minutes or an hour.
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