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Spend a day riding the Light Rail

Tired of getting stuck in traffic? Charlotte’s light rail lines provide an easy method of public transportation across the city.

Charlotte, NC

You can reach the Spectrum Center via the Charlotte Area Transit System’s 501 Light (Lynx Blue Line).

Photo by Mark Clifton via Wikimedia Commons

City Editor Maria, here. I did something many Charlotteans, new residents, and visitors should try — ride the Charlotte Area Transit System Light Rail across town.

Was I nervous? Yes. I’d only ever ridden the Blue Line from the Parkwood Station (NoDa/Optimist Park area) to Uptown. That’s only two stops.

A glance at the routes + times didn’t ease my anxiety. However, this New York Subway pro felt confident to conquer this. Downloading the CATS-Pass app helped. And thanks to a CLTtoday reader’s suggestion, here’s everything I learned so you can blaze your own path.

🚊 Riding the Light Rail

The LYNX Blue Line takes travelers from University City (UNC Charlotte) to Pineville (I-485/South Boulevard) — about 20 miles.

I started at the southernmost stop to see how long it would take to get to NoDa/Optimist Park (or the Parkwood Station).

After waiting about 10 minutes, the train was off, stopping every two-to-three minutes at stations in LoSo, South End, Uptown, and NoDa.

After eight stops, I got off at the East/West Boulevard station, walked to Hawker’s for lunch, and planned the route to NoDa. Total travel time before lunch: ~20 minutes. Continuing to NoDa, ~30 minutes.

The return trip to I-485/South Boulevard took ~34 minutes. Yes, I used a stopwatch.

A silver and blue light rail car traveling south with the Charlotte skyline in the background.

The LYNX Blue Line provides a near-360° view of Uptown.

Photo by CLTtoday

💵 Cost

Riding the light rail is cost-effective, offering affordable fares compared to driving or parking. Most stations have a ticket vending machine accepting cash + credit cards.

One-way ticket: $2.20

Round-trip ticket: $4.40

Weekly unlimited: $30.80

Pro tip: The rail system usually provides free rides on major holidays + Election Day.

Key takeaways

CATS has 26 stations, including ten park and ride locations. Hello, free parking.

Download the CATS-Pass app for real-time service changes and route notifications.

Each station is within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, cocktail bars, offices, entertainment venues + bus system connections.

Fun fact: Colorful artwork decorates stations across the city. Twenty-seven artists incorporated masterpieces along the nearly 20-mile corridor.

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