Implementation
CONNECT Beyond is a regional mobility project designed to transform how residents and visitors move throughout the greater Charlotte region. Learn how we’re making travel to work, education, healthcare and recreation easier for everyone.
Current Projects
The CONNECT Beyond project team and partners are hard at work implementing some of plan’s near-term recommendations to create a robust, interconnected transportation network that will impact how our region grows and moves in the future.
Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) refers to a program of education and incentives that are meant to complement existing transportation infrastructure to allow travelers to better understand and increase use of their transportation choices.
How will we get this done?
Centralina Regional Council is working with NCDOT, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) and several regional transportation planning agencies to develop our regional TDM program that will:
- Promote cost-effective strategies to help residents make decisions about travel
- Provide education on transportation choices
- Improve efficiency of existing transportation infrastructure
- Enhance employers’ access to workers with increased travel options
Centralina and its partners are currently convening a TDM Steering Committee to guide the development of the regional TDM plan. The Committee will meet bi-monthly through mid-2024.
Seamless CONNECTions
Regional partners are working to create seamless transit connections across the region to improve commute times and simplify travel by:
- Advancing transit coordination opportunities (e.g., technology, scheduling, fares) for both fixed route and demand response transit
- Convening a Service Planning Working Group to facilitate inter-agency solutions
- Supporting partners' evaluation of microtransit to increase efficiency, frequency and first/last mile connections
- Providing education about transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities – check out our guide HERE
Local Leaders Taking Action: Advancing the Plan
CONNECT Beyond’s Advancing the Plan Committee, an official ad-hoc advisory committee of Centralina’s Executive Board, was established to steward regional conversation and action that advances implementation of the CONNECT Beyond Regional Mobility Plan. The Committee convenes elected officials, city and county managers and members of the business community to accomplish three key goals over the next year:
- (a) Advise on short-term opportunities for regional collaboration and (b) determine feasible options for a regional mobility governance approach
- Endorse a regional communications framework for CONNECT Beyond and support its implementation
- Collaborate to educate state lawmakers on CONNECT Beyond and advocate for local funding initiatives in the region
Advancing the Plan Committee members, representing small and large communities across the region, will meet six times in 2023. The Committee is chaired by Mayor Vi Lyles (City of Charlotte) and Mayor Darrell Hinnant (City of Kannapolis).
Learn More
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Download our latest CONNECT Beyond implementation fact sheet
Read the Plan
CONNECT Beyond is a bold regional mobility plan that sets the vision for how to better connect the rural, suburban, and urban communities in our 12-county region. This plan will guide and coordinate future mobility investments for the next two decades and serve as a blueprint for implementing a robust, integrated public transit network.