Making History with Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week
by Elizabeth Sutphin
Communications Division
What if CATS could offer something unprecedented to show the region how much we care? What began as an idea to thank existing riders quickly evolved into a week-long initiative to invite members of different communities and walks of life to ride CATS while also finding creative ways to express our gratitude for the riders who’ve made this system what it is today.
With support from leadership city-wide, Interim CEO Brent Cagle announced Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week. “We look forward to celebrating our dedicated riders who make our system successful,” Cagle said. “We are also excited to invite new community members to experience the ease and accessibility of public transit in our region.”
Through the support of teams across the organization, that’s exactly what we did!
For the first time in CATS’ history, we provided fare-free rides system-wide for a week. With hundreds of people moving to the city each week, what better way to encourage residents to trade their keys for a CATS pass than by offering free, first-hand experiences on our mobility network.
Leaders from customer service, communications and marketing, safety and security, operations and more joined forces to develop a week of community events and exciting giveaways that placed community members in the spotlight! Here are some of our favorite moments and memories from the week's celebrations.
Monday’s STS+ Grand Opening: Joined by Mint Hill Mayor Brad Simmons and Commissioner Leigh Altman, CATS staff proudly launched STS+, an extension of special transportation services to the Mint Hill community. Hearing Nate Huggins, CEO of Blessed Assurance Adult Day Care, share the significant impact these services promise the community filled our hearts with hope for the future.
Tuesday’s Coffee on CATS: Serving up coffee and donuts to sweeten the ride for express bus riders, we loved connecting with you and hearing your experiences on the newly reopened Independence Boulevard Busway.
Wednesday’s System Goes Social: From hosting a social media scavenger hunt to making history with the first moving selfie train in the transit industry, CATS celebrated rail riders with unique experiences along both the Blue and Gold Lines. Hearing trains bustling with laughter brought joy both on the rails and online.
Thursday’s Red Line Engagement: Looking towards the future with anticipation, CATS joined Huntersville residents to unpack the latest developments of the commuter rail project. It was a joy greeting guests at our special appreciation station and thanking them for their support with iconic CATS swag!
Friday’s Surprise Squad: CATS staff hit the streets with a van full of treats to surprise bus riders at various stops across the city, handing out candy and swag to sweeten their journeys. Seeing the smiles break out on riders’ faces when they were handed a gift brought the perfect ending to the week’s adventures.
Saturday’s Family Fun on Transit: Riders took advantage of the final day of free fare for their weekend adventures, creating lasting memories at one-of-a-kind events across the city, like Charlotte’s Book Palooza and Truist Field Pumpkin Patch.
Adding to the excitement of the week’s festivities, we received over 650 entries in our first-ever annual pass giveaway.
Congratulations to Curtina Sutton, an express rider from Union County and the lucky winner of a year of free transit! Riders Danielle, Ash, and Nijay also struck gold when they discovered golden tickets hidden along the Blue Line, each unlocking a month of free rides.
More than free rides and fun surprises, Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week showcased CATS’ dedication to communities across the Charlotte region. We want you to be fully confident in your public transportation experience, so we’re working to increase mobility, improve reliability and elevate sustainability as we create a more connected region.
Why continue to push for improvements? Our customers say it best.
During Friday’s surprise squad, one rider shared, “Every time we board a bus and are able to clock into work on time, it’s such a blessing. Thank you for providing free rides this week. This system really blesses a lot of people.”
Statements like this capture the heart of public transportation, exemplifying why this mission matters. From operators arriving long before the city wakes to security officers and customer service representatives monitoring the system until the final vehicle returns, everything we do is for you.
Riders, you make every mile worth it, and we will continue working to enhance and extend our services to better move you forward to the things that matter. Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week marks only the beginning of transformative developments on the horizon, and we cannot thank you enough for being along for the journey.
Celebrating Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week
Hey friends, what's up.
So we want to thank you for making Customer Appreciation and Try Transit Week an unforgettable experience.
This week was all about celebrating you our loyal customers and inviting new community members to realize the joy of public transit.
For an entire week, the Charlotte Area Transit System honored our region by providing free rides systemwide and launching exciting new service enhancements like STS+, an extension of special transportation services into the Mint Hill Community.
From serving up free coffee on CATS to celebrate the newly reopened Independence Boulevard Busway to hitting the streets with a van full of treats to surprise bus riders, we loved spending time in your communities and hearing about what matters to you.
Riders, you even made history by participating in our new selfie train, making the Gold Line the first ever moving selfie vehicle in the transit industry! I was there and we had a ball.
As we look forward to a bright future with projects like the Red Line commuter rail on the horizon, we want you to know that your support and feedback make all the difference.
More than just fare-free rides and fun activities, this week marks our commitment to the community as we work to make sure that you folks, our riders, have a safe and reliable system.
We hope you enjoyed all the great activities from this week.
There's so much more to come, and we thank you for riding CATS!
Learn more at CATS Works for You!
Back to CATS Chronicles