David Howard has spent a lifetime connected to Charlotte’s transit system — literally since age six, when he rode the bus alone to school as a first grader. Now he chairs the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA), the new governing body created to oversee one of the most ambitious infrastructure investments in the city’s history.

After Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-cent sales tax hike last November, the MPTA took on responsibility for steering $17.5 billion toward expanded bus service, commuter rail, light rail, and streetcar projects — plus another $7.8 billion for roads. The authority will also take ownership of Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) on January 1, 2027.

In this conversation, Howard walks through the MPTA’s first seven months, explains the difference between the old MTC structure and the new authority, and breaks down what’s coming for bus riders, microtransit users, and rail commuters. He also addresses transit safety in the wake of last year’s fatal stabbing on the light rail and explains why ridership hasn’t recovered to its 2014 peak.

And in a moment that might surprise you, Howard shares the outcome he cares most about — one that has nothing to do with shiny new trains.

Mentioned in this episode:

Elon University

https://www.elon.edu/