🎨 Call for Artists: Transform a CATS Bus into a Masterpiece

Posted on 02/16/2024 by Casey Habich

Central Piedmont Community College students, your artistic talent has the spotlight! The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is rolling out an exciting opportunity for local artists and designers to champion diversity and cultural inclusion. Here’s your chance to transform a CATS bus into a moving canvas that celebrates Charlotte’s vibrant community.

Why You Should Apply:

Showcase Diversity: Illustrate the rich cultural tapestry of Charlotte.
Be Seen: Your design will travel the city, reaching a wide audience.
Earn and Learn: A $4,000 stipend is up for grabs for your hard work and creativity.
Build Your Portfolio: A unique addition that will stand out in any artist’s collection.

Eligibility:

Open to artists and designers from the CATS service area and those with ties to Charlotte’s indigenous cultures.
We’re casting a wide net: whether you’re an emerging talent or have been historically underrepresented in the arts, this call is for you.

Project Highlights:

Art Budget: $4,000, covering all aspects of the project.
Canvas: The two long sides and back of a CATS bus.
Visibility: The wrapped bus will be a part of CATS’s fleet for about a year.

Key Dates:

Application Period: Feb. 16 – Mar. 17, 2024
Artist Selection: Mar. 18 – Apr. 5, 2024
Design Phases: From conceptualization in April to final file delivery by May 31, 2024
Showcase: The bus hits the streets in June 2024.

Selection Process:

A diverse panel will review submissions, focusing on aesthetic ability, cultural reflection in art, and project management skills.

Scope and Schedule:

Selected artists will develop a conceptual proposal, receive feedback, and refine their designs into final digital files for the bus wrap.

How to Jump In:

Head to the application link by Mar. 17, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EDT. Remember, this is about showcasing qualifications, not submitting design proposals.

Make Your Mark on Charlotte:

This project isn’t just about art; it’s a celebration of our city’s diversity and an invitation for all to contribute to its narrative. Whether you’re driven by the cause, the creativity, or the compensation, we want to see your vision for a more inclusive Charlotte.

Questions? Reach out to Chris Lange, Art in Transit Program Administrator, at clange@charlottenc.gov for more info.

Your Creativity. Our Community. A Canvas in Motion.

LYNX Lines Service Interruption Oct. 6-8

Posted on 09/27/2023 by Jennifer Conway

If you take the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Blue or Gold LYNX line, please be aware of an announced system-wide maintenance that may impact your travel to campus.

Buses will be running in place of the LYNX line during this outage, from Friday-Sunday.

Read the announcement from CATS.

Plan Your Way to Campus

Posted on 08/11/2023 by Jennifer Conway

Lynx line at Central Campus. The fall 2023 term begins Aug. 14 at Central Piedmont! Make sure you know your class schedule and plan your way to campus:

Plan how you will get to campus:

Bus/rail: Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) serves all Central Piedmont campuses. Download the CATS-Pass phone app or the CATS website to plan your route and schedule. Note the CityLynx Gold Line is reducing frequency to every 30 minutes beginning Aug. 19.
Driving: If you’re driving to campus, view parking location maps and plan to get your parking decal from the Cashier office at any campus in the first two weeks of class.

Learn your schedule & campus locations:

Learn how to read your class schedule.
Pay close attention to campus location and start date (classes begin all through the term). Some building names appear as codes on schedules, view the building names.
Classroom locations can shift from when you registered. Before your class begins, log into MyCollege to view your current schedule with locations.
Many classes are held in-person but “blended” (BL) with additional online work required each week. Online classes and classes with some online work are offered through Brightspace. You will be able to access your Brightspace classes beginning on the first day of that class.
New to Brightspace? Get Brightspace help or take a Brightspace orientation class.

If you need to get in touch with a Navigator for more specific help, please email: navigate@cpcc.edu (en Español: ayuda@cpcc.edu) or call 704.330.2722.

Expanded CATS bus route to Harris Campus

Posted on 02/22/2023 by Jennifer Conway

Charlotte Area Transit Systems (CATS) recently expanded service to Central Piedmont’s Harris Campus.

Route 10- West Blvd. will now provide daily services Monday through Sunday along CPCC Way to Harris Campus. The 10 West Blvd. bus route will operate with 30-minute continuous service during its service hours.

Review the daily CATS route schedule.

Discounted CATS passes available

Posted on 10/04/2022 by Jennifer Conway

The Central Campus Store is now selling Charlotte Area Transit Systems (CATS) bus passes at a 10% discount. The prices listed reflect the 10% discount you will receive if you purchase a CATS bus pass at the bookstore.

If you have available financial aid money at the Campus Store, you may also purchase a bus pass using that money, during the specified timeframe that financial aid is available.

CATS pass prices with a 10% discount:

10 ride local (bus only) – $19.80
10 ride express (bus only) – $27.00
Monthly local (includes Lynx Blue Line) – $79.20

Stop by the Central Campus Store Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. to purchase your passes.

CORRECTION: CATS Gold Line Streetcar to Begin TESTING Streetcar Service June 9

Posted on 06/03/2021 by Mallory Benz

Our apologies for the miscommunication. Charlotte Area Transit Services (CATS) will be TESTING – not launching – its Gold Line streetcar service on Wednesday, June 9, at 3 p.m. CATS has not yet announced when the Gold Line will begin regularly serving local residents.

Once completed, the streetcar will feature a 2 ½-mile extension, allowing it to run from French Street (west of Johnson C. Smith University) to Sunnyside Avenue in the Elizabeth neighborhood near Central Piedmont’s Central Campus.

Please note: CATS replaced the old trolley-style streetcars with more modern ones that operate more quietly, so please be sure to use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street, especially in the travel areas used by the new streetcars.

During testing, it’s also important for all motorists who are accessing and visiting Central Campus to remember not to park on the streetcar tracks or on the side of the road, especially along Elizabeth Ave. Cars parked on streetcar tracks or incorrectly parked are subject to a citation and being towed.

Learn more about the project or view the new Gold Line route. For questions or concerns, please call 704.336.RIDE (7433) or visit ridetransit.org.

CATS to Start Testing CityLYNX Gold Line

Posted on 02/02/2021 by Shavanna Cousins

CATS will begin testing on the CityLYNX Gold Line the week of Feb. 8.

As the city’s streetcars start to frequent its major thoroughfares in the weeks ahead, now is the perfect time to educate yourself on how to be stay safe while on and around the Gold Line by viewing the testing podcast below or knowing the following facts:

Streetcars run in the same travel lanes as other vehicles. Listen for bells or horns.
It is okay to drive on streetcar tracks, but stay alert.
Streetcars cannot stop quickly. Streetcars traveling at 16 mph take almost 100 feet to stop.
Streetcars cannot swerve out of the way of pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles.
Obey all traffic signs and signals.
Park your entire vehicle, including mirrors, within the solid white parking lines. Streetcars cannot go around your car. Parking outside the lines may interrupt service. Incorrectly parked cars will be subject to towing and a citation.
Cross only at designated crosswalks.

Please review these Gold Line resources:

Remember: safety is everyone’s responsibility, so remember to look, listen, and live!

Charlotte Area Transit System: Free Fare and Modified Schedule

Posted on 03/25/2020 by Shavanna Cousins

By operating modified service, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is able to continue providing the community access to essential daily needs, front-line jobs and medical services. Starting on Wednesday, March 25, CATS will make modifications to transit service to accommodate the current demand.

All service will be FREE during this time. These changes are effective until further notice.

LYNX Blue Line:

The LYNX Blue Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Local Bus:

Local bus service will operate as follows:
- Monday – Saturday buses will run a Saturday schedule
- On Sunday buses will run a Sunday schedule

In order to minimize interaction between operators and the public, bus passengers will be requested to board and exit the bus from the rear door and to not sit directly behind the bus driver.

Visit the CATS official website for the latest updates regarding public transportation scheduling.

CATS Partnership Survey Deadline Extended to Feb. 8

Posted on 02/04/2019 by Mallory Benz

Central Piedmont is exploring the possibility of a partnership with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). The results of this survey will help the college determine the need and feasibility of a partnership with CATS that may benefit students. Thank you for completing and submitting this survey by Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.

Make sure you hit “Submit” and provide your name and email at the end to be eligible for a chance to win one of five CATS WEEKLY PASSES.

Link to the survey is below. (If clicking on the link does not work, please copy and paste the link into your online browser.)

https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4667466/CPCC-CATS-Partnership-Survey

Central Piedmont – CATS Partnership Survey

Posted on 01/28/2019 by Mallory Benz