UNION COUNTY, N.C. — About fifty people in Union County take the 74 Express bus into Uptown Charlotte every day from the only bus stop in the county.
The county sets aside thousands of dollars to keep a Charlotte Area Transit System bus running into Union. But now the county only has one bus stop.
The city of Monroe stopped funding its bus route and now the Indian Trail route is the only one that remains. And city leaders told Channel 9′s Gina Esposito that they need more riders to make the bus worth the cost.
Gregg Mazile moved from Matthews to Indian Trail so he could take the 74 Express bus into Uptown.
“There are tax-paying voters in the county who use this vital service,” he said.
When local leaders considered cutting the route last year due to low ridership, Mazile joined a group that worked to keep it going.
“We were worried and upset,” he said.
Mazile said he has been sharing bus information with co-workers and pushing local leaders to add more services.
“You know, I think if we come together as one to get the word out, I think ridership will go up... definitely in the next five years,” Mazile said.
Indian Trail signed an agreement last month committing them to spending about $20,000 per year to maintain the route and assist CATS in raising awareness of the route, according to Jason Lawrence, CATS Chief Planning Officer.
Lawrence said CATS made a big marketing push last fall by handing out coupons and passes. One of the major attractions, he said, was the opening of the bus lane on Independence Boulevard last year. It cut the commute by nearly 20 minutes.
The town of Indian Trail plans to raise awareness of the route through special promotions in the spring. It also plans to ask for more money in the town’s budget for advertising.
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