A very squished light rail train headed out of Uptown, as Stevie Nicks was mid-performance in First Ward Park. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Ridership on Charlotte's Blue Line light rail increased 50% during the weekend of Lovin' Life Music Fest, Charlotte Area Transit System's top executive told business leaders during a luncheon Wednesday.
I'll have to say it's the Lovin' Life effect. Before Lovin' Life, we called it the Beyoncé effect.
— Interim CEO Brent Cagle at Hood Hargett Breakfast Club
Why it matters: Music legend Beyoncé has become a symbol of Uptown's revival for city boosters over the past year.
There were 192,000 visits to Uptown on the day of her 2023 concert — the most-visited Wednesday of the year.
By the numbers: About 70,000 more riders hopped on the line during Lovin' Life than a normal weekend. There was also a Charlotte FC game that Saturday.
Zoom out: Mondays and Fridays are "not surprisingly" CATS' lightest days because of the move to remote work, Cagle added. Although, on Wednesdays, passenger traffic sometimes rises above pre-COVID levels.
The big picture: As ridership is now driven more by concerts, sports and big events, CATS' mindset around public transit is shifting.
