CATS links with Lyft at two light-rail stations

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) has unveiled a pilot program to offer discounts on Lyft rides at two light-rail stations.

CATS will provide $4 toward Lyft fares for passengers that need a ride to or from the JW/Clay UNC Charlotte Station or the Parkwood Station in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Trips must originate or terminate at either of those two stations or in certain areas surrounding the station. The areas were selected to fill gaps in the existing transit network to provide better access to the region's extended rail system, CATS officials said in a press release.

The JW/Clay UNC Charlotte Station opened in March as part of CATS' $1.1 billion Blue Line light-rail extension.

The pilot emerged from a partnership between CATS, Lyft and Passport, which developed the CATSPass mobile app.

"This pilot is a new, innovative and cost effective way to provide greater service and connectivity to our customers," said CATS Executive Director John Lewis. "It provides a good alternative in certain areas where it is not cost-effective to operate a route with multiple buses running all day."

The first of its kind for a transit system in North Carolina, the pilot is expected to run through late fall 2018.