When the Blue Line might have shorter waits

Charlotte's light rail could one day arrive faster as its recovering transit agency gets back on track with staffing and equipment.

Why it matters: People could be more likely to change their behaviors and use public transit when the wait isn't long and inconvenient.

The big picture: Charlotte Area Transit System tells Axios it eventually aims to drop the light rail to 12-minute frequencies during peak revenue times. But first, it needs to get staffing and equipment up to par.

The latest: The Blue Line runs every 15 minutes during peak hours and at 20-minute intervals during off-peak times.

• The Gold Line streetcar improved frequencies last month to every 20 minutes, instead of 30 minutes.
• While the light rail is gaining passengers, the streetcar has lost riders monthly. Leaders suspect that's because of its long headways.
• It costs taxpayers nearly $19 to move a passenger one mile on the Gold Line, WFAE reported.

Between the lines: Staff and equipment, among other factors, are key to ramping up service intervals, CATS says.

• Over the past year, the agency has increased staffing through recruitment and retention strategies, as well as by boosting morale, interim CEO Brent Cagle recently told Charlotte City Council.

• CATS is operating with a 10% job vacancy rate, down from over 20% last year.

What's next: CATS is also catching up with maintenance on its fleet after the state found a defect that existed on all 42 vehicles directly contributed to a derailment. It plans to add one vehicle monthly until the overhaul is complete.

• Currently, CATS is operating 20 light rail vehicles.