CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is making changes to its rail line schedule by reducing the frequency of the LYNX Gold line. The agency said it is because of ongoing staffing challenges.
“Over the last few weeks, maybe not daily, but close to daily we end up in the mornings with an operator shortage,” said Interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle.
From vacancies and callouts to busy summer events, CATS is feeling the heat of maintaining its schedule and meeting ridership demand.
“Special events are really driving a lot of our ridership gains that we've seen lately,” said Cagle.
The agency shared a video on Twitter when Beyoncé came to town Wednesday, saying over 26,000 riders used the Blue Line. Staff stayed late to get riders where they needed to be.
To provide reliable and consistent service the agency is making some schedule adjustments.
“We're doing this primarily along the Gold Line because of related staffing issues -- for rail operators in general,” he said. “We are seeing vacancies, we've talked about that quite a bit that whether it's bus or rail, we are seeing a fairly high level of vacancies.”
Starting August 19, the Gold Line will shift from running every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, Cagle said it is taking an aggressive approach to get folks behind the wheel.
“For rail operators, we are paying what I would call a very competitive hiring bonus of $7,500,” he said. “We also, in June, raised the base rate of pay for our rail operators by 15%.”
Despite the challenges, CATS says it is seeing an uptick in recruitment and retention numbers. Vacancy rates or the percentage of unfilled positions were 29 percent in April and now stand at 21 percent.
Cagle said they hope to have the Gold Line back at a 20-minute frequency in three to four months. Meanwhile, riders prepare for the change.
“Everybody is facing labor shortages, so if they have to change by 10 minutes then it's 10 minutes,” said Jennifer Ditz, a Dilworth resident. “I think I can adjust my schedule by 10 minutes and still use public transportation.”
CATS also has several hiring events scheduled and is taking its recruitment efforts to local community events to attract more people. There are three upcoming hiring events taking place at 3145 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte. The dates are Aug 16, 23 & 30 from 10 am - 2 pm.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.