University of North Carolina at Charlotte Parent & Family Guide
Getting Around Town
Sprinter Bus
The hybrid-electric Sprinter bus fleet connects Center City to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Riders can catch the Sprinter every 20 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends at visible shelter stops like Trade and Tryon streets, Gateway Village and more. $1.75 each way.
Lynx Blue Line Light Rail
Connecting South Charlotte to Center City, North Carolina’s fi rst rapid transit system is a great way to explore the city without worrying about directions and parking. Fifteen stations line the nine-mile corridor; seven stations are park and ride, with free parking. Train runs seven days a week, 5 a.m.–1 a.m. $1.75 each way. Children under five ride free; youth grades K-12 ride for 85¢. (Meeting planners, take note: The LYNX Blue Line is the only light rail system in the U.S. that runs through a convention center. How’s that for convenience?)
Gold Rush
Gold Rush rubber-wheeled trolleys resemble historic streetcars and provide routes that run up and down Tryon Street and west along Trade Street through historic Fourth Ward. The Gold Rush trolleys stop at marked bus stops from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, stopping at more than 30 major points of interest like the EpiCentre, Discovery Place, Levine Museum of the New South and more. Free.
Charotte Area Transit System Bus Service (CATS)
CATS currently operates more than 70 county-wide bus line routes and 12 express routes, transporting more than 22 million passengers each year. Providing service options from 5 a.m.-2 a.m.; stops are located throughout the city. Trip planners and system maps are available at charmeck.org/departments/CATS. $1.75 each way. $2.40 each way for Express Routes. Children under five ride free and youth grades K-12 ride for 85¢.
