Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is a public transportation agency that serves the greater Charlotte North Carolina area. CATS offers a bus service that travels between Charlotte Douglass International Airport (CLT) and Uptown Charlotte called Sprinter (or Route 5 for number).
Here is a quick highlights about CATS Sprinter:
- Departs every 30 minutes (everyday)
- Full Adult Fare is $2.20
- Travel distance between CLT and Uptown Charlotte is around 30 minutes.
- Enough space for larger luggage.
Below is a how-to-ride video from CLT Airport Zone 4 to Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) in Uptown Charlotte.
Note that Charlotte does not called their city center “Downtown”. They call it “Uptown”.
About CATS Sprinter
CATS is a major transit agency that operates the greater Charlotte North Carolina area that provides bus, rail and para-transit services. At this moment, there is no rail line that travels between CLT Airport and Uptown Charlotte. However, in the future, CATS is planning to build a rail line (called Silver Line) that will travel between CLT Airport and Uptown Charlotte. In the meantime, CATS has a bus route that travels between CLT Airport and Uptown Charlotte. This route is called Sprinter (or Route 5 for number).
Sprinter is a hybrid bus rapid transit. Each bus stop looks like a small train station and the stops are limited.
Schedule
The bus departs to/from CLT Airport every 30 minutes and travel time between those two destinations is around 30 minutes. This bus does not take highways (or motorways) but mainly travels on Wilkinson Boulevard between CLT and Uptown Charlotte.
Fares
There is no ticket vending machines at a bus stop. Fares must be paid at the bus fare box (where the bus operator sits) or present the mobile payment to the bus operator.
CATS Sprinter accepts two type of payments, cash or mobile payment (app called CATS-Pass).
Cash
The bus accepts cash (exact change; bus operator does not provide change). The one way full fare is $2.20. For more information about CATS Fares, please visit their official Fare webpage.
No pass is issued for one way ride. However, you are planning to transfer to CATS LYNX Blue Line or other CATS local buses, purchase the passes on CATS Online Store or download the mobile app called CATS-Pass.
Online Store
CATS does have an online store where they can deliver you the pass to your home. For more information in purchasing a pass, please visit their online store.
Mobile
CATS-Pass is the official mobile fare payment for CATS Bus and Rail service. This app is available for Android and iOS devices. The benefit of the app is that tickets can be purchased using credit or debit card.
If you want to use credit/debit card or other electronic payment of method, download the CATS-Pass App onto your mobile device (Android or iOS device).
Traveling
Starting from CLT Airport
At CLT Airport Arrival floor (located at the first floor; ground level floor; ground transportation level), CATS Sprinter stops at Zone 4. At Zone 4, look for a sign that is inscribed CATS Transit Buses.
Starting from Uptown Charlotte
The first bus station is located by Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) in Uptown Charlotte on the South Brevard Street. Right by the CTS, you can transfer CityLYNX Gold Line (streetcar; travels east and west of Uptown Charlotte), LYNX Blue Line (light rail; travels north and south of Charlotte), and other LYNX buses.
Look for a sign that is inscribed Sprinter – Airport.
My opinion/experience
In my opinion, this is an easy bus route that travels between Uptown Charlotte and CLT Airport. It is not direct route but it makes it stops in between. The seats fills up pretty quick on the first stop (first stop at CLT Airport or Uptown Charlotte). If you start from Uptown Charlotte, I highly recommend to board at the first bus stop by the CTC Station. Overall the ride was smooth and economical.
AT CLT Airport, the bus stop is easy to find. Although, I wish CATS would invest a ticket vending machine to purchase a ticket (or a pass) before boarding the bus. This would make the boarding process easy and convenient to transfer to other bus routes, streetcar or light rail. Of course, CATS does offer mobile payments but not everyone is phone or tech savvy.
In Uptown Charlotte, the Sprinter bus stop is hidden. I wish CATS would make the stop more visible (such as making like a bus station with digital signs and a ticket vending machine).
Overall, the Sprinter is convenient and economical in traveling between Uptown and CLT. If you have questions or comments about Sprinter, please contact CATS Customer Service at 704-336-7433 or email them at telltransit@charlottenc.gov.