No Gold Line streetcars from 2 a.m. Oct. 24 to 4 a.m. Oct. 26 and no shuttle buses. Plus MLK Jr. Boulevard closes uptown Oct. 21 to Nov. 3. Routes to use instead.

The CityLynx Gold Line streetcar will not run next weekend, and the Charlotte Area Transit System will not run shuttle buses in its place. Service stops at 2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and resumes at 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

Updated Oct. 26: CATS posted no extension to the shutdown. Its Oct. 23 reminder had the Gold Line back at 4 a.m. Monday.

The shutdown is part of CATS’ annual fall rail maintenance, the agency said in its service notice. Crews have to power down the overhead electrical wires to work safely. CATS schedules these shutdowns twice a year.

The Lynx Blue Line will run normally all weekend.

Why there is no bus bridge

CATS usually runs replacement buses during a rail shutdown. This time it will not. The agency said road construction and closures along Trade Street, coordinated with the Charlotte Department of Transportation, rule out a bus bridge.

Instead, CATS pointed riders to regular bus routes that serve the same areas.

Heading from the Charlotte Transportation Center Take
West, toward French Street station Route 1 (Mount Holly), Route 7 (Beatties Ford) or Route 8 (Tuckaseegee Road)
East, toward Sunnyside station Route 9 (Central Avenue), Route 14 (Providence Road), Route 15 (Randolph Road), Route 17 (Commonwealth Avenue) or Route 27 (Monroe Road)

MLK Jr. Boulevard closes uptown for two weeks

A separate uptown closure starts the Wednesday before. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be closed to vehicles between College and Brevard streets from Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Tuesday, Nov. 3, the city announced Tuesday.

Bicycles, pedestrians and local traffic can still use the street. CDOT asked other drivers to use alternate routes and allow extra time.

The work includes:

  • replacing the concrete road surface with smoother asphalt
  • improving the bike lanes
  • improving loading access around the Charlotte Convention Center

The city posts daily road closure updates on its website.

What it means for you

  • If you ride the Gold Line on weekends, plan a bus trip for Oct. 24 and 25. Pick the route from the table above that is closest to your stop.
  • Plan your trip in the CATS-Pass app, which has live vehicle tracking, or call CATS customer service at 704-336-7433.
  • If you drive to the convention center or the blocks near it between Oct. 21 and Nov. 3, expect MLK Jr. Boulevard to be closed between College and Brevard streets. CDOT customer service is 704-336-4119.
  • Blue Line riders are not affected that weekend. Single-tracking in South End starts Nov. 2; see which platform to use.

Our road construction and closures page and our guide to getting around Charlotte have more.