Citizens Transit Advisory Group (CTAG)
Transit Services Advisory Committee (TSAC)

The MTC is the policy board for the Charlotte Area Transit System and has responsibility for reviewing and recommending all long-range public transportation plans.  The Board reviews the transit system's operating and capital programs, and makes recommendations to the affected governments for their approval and funding of those programs.  The MTC is a public body, and in addition to holding monthly public meetings, it conducts public involvement programs designed to gain community input on transit planning.

Members: The MTC is composed of voting members from the cities and towns located in Mecklenburg County and non-voting members from the surrounding counties to ensure regional involvement.   The voting members include the Mayors of Charlotte, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville, the Chairman of the Board of Mecklenburg County Commissioners and the regional representative from the North Carolina Board of Transportation.   The MTC also includes five non-voting members representing local governments outside Mecklenburg County to ensure regional involvement including from the South Carolina Department of Transportation.  The MTC is staffed by the City of Charlotte Public Transit Department. 

History: Long-term development planning of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) as a regional system is based on the July 1998 "2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan for Charlotte-Mecklenburg", created by the City and County, with significant participation by the six suburban Towns of Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Pineville, Matthews, and Mint Hill.  In November 1998, the citizens of Mecklenburg County approved the levy of a one-half cent sales tax to be used to finance public transportation systems.  A Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement was negotiated and then signed in February 1999 between the County, the City and the six Towns.   The Interlocal Agreement defines the relationships and mechanisms which guide the planning, financing and implementation of the 2025 Transit/Land-Use Plan  and updates to that plan. 

The 2025 Plan and the Interlocal Agreement called for the involved local governments to share responsibility and accountability for regional transit services under five guiding principles:

• Coordinated transit operations on a countywide basis;
• Elected bodies to retain the responsibility of approving long-range transit planning and  implementation;
• Public involvement;
• Representation of Town interests; and
• Flexibility and expandability to allow for integration of areas outside the County.
  

Current Members of MTC
MTC Meetings

The Interlocal Agreement also called for the creation of the Citizens Transit Advisory Group (CTAG).  The Citizens Transit Advisory Group (CTAG) is an advisory committee that reviews the long-range transit system planning and proposed operating and capital programs from the community's perspective, and makes recommendations to the MTC.  While it is not a policy-making body, its recommendations to the MTC fulfill the requirement levied by the Interlocal Agreement that the MTC ensures public involvement in transit planning.   The CTAG is made up of members of the community appointed by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, the Charlotte City Council, each of the six Towns in Mecklenburg County, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.  Members may not be an elected official and members serve staggered two-year terms.

CTAG meetings usually occur every month from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center (CMGC), 600 E. 4th Street, in room CH-14. These meetings are open to the public. 

Current Members of CTAG
CTAG Meetings
CTAG Governance Study

The Transit Services Advisory Committee (TSAC) reviews, makes recommendations and provides input into short-range transit operations.  The TSAC is made up of customers of the CATS and are appointed by the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and the six Towns.  The TSAC focuses on day-to-day operations of the transit service to ensure that it meets the needs of the community.  It makes recommendations to the MTC on issues within its sphere of interest, and acts as a vehicle to promote public involvement in short-term transit planning.

TSAC meetings usually occur every second Thursday of the month at 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center (CMGC), 600 E. 4th Street. These meetings are open to the public.  Click here for meetings agendas and previous meeting minutes.

Current Members of TSAC
TSAC Meetings