CATS CEO Addresses Red Line Skepticism
From left: Chamber board member Jeff Tarte; CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle; Chamber board chair Leah Trowbridge; and MPTA board member Bob Menzel.
After decades of planning delays and growing skepticism among north Mecklenburg residents, interim Charlotte Area Transit System CEO Brent Cagle said the Red Line commuter rail project is no longer a question of if, but when.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce, Cagle said the recently approved regional transit funding plan guarantees construction of the rail corridor connecting Charlotte with Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson, with a possible extension into Mooresville.
“The answer is definitively, yes,” Cagle said. “The funding is there. It’s required in the PAVE Act. It’s a non negotiable. The red line will be built. The question is how long before we can ride it?”
The proposed 25-mile commuter rail line would include 10 stations operating primarily along existing Norfolk Southern rail tracks. Cagle said the project is currently in early engineering and environmental review, with federal approvals and design work expected to take years before construction can begin.
Current estimates place completion roughly nine years away, but Cagle, a former head of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, said he is hopeful his team can identify parallel efficiencies to streamline the timeline.
One issue that needs to be resolved soon is a final decision from Iredell County and Mooresville on whether or not to fund a portion of the line that would run north of Davidson.
“At some point, you’ve got to know where the terminus is to move design and environmental forward. And that point is coming soon if we’re trying to advance this project as fast as possible,” Cagle said.
Micro scope
While much of the discussion centered on rail, Cagle also highlighted rapid growth in CATS’ north Mecklenburg microtransit service, which launched in March 2025 and replaced the former Village Rider bus routes.
The on-demand service allows riders to request shared van trips through the CATS-Pass app or by phone. The CATS Micro zone serving Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson recorded nearly 60,000 rides during its first full year of operation, according to Cagle.
“What we’re seeing with microtransit in this area is there are new customers coming into the system,” he said.
The service also connects riders to express bus routes into Charlotte and has become particularly popular among seniors and residents with mobility challenges because pickups occur close to riders’ homes rather than at traditional bus stops.
Cagle was joined by Bob Menzel, who represents Cornelius on the board of the newly-created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority that will accept oversight of the commuter rail development on July 1.
They spoke at a monthly Focus Friday event held by the chamber.
