page_title: Lynx Blue Line
section_title: Fares
hierarchical_section_title: Lynx Blue Line / Fares
caption_attribution_description: English: LYNX light rail ticket vending machine at the CTC/Arena station
context_page_description: The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 19.3-mile line goes from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in University City through NoDa, Uptown, and South End then paralleling South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at the Pineville city limits. There are 26 stations in the system, the light rail portion of which carries an average of over 29,900 passenger trips every day. It is the first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina, and began operating seventy years after the previous Charlotte streetcar system was disbanded in 1938, in favor of motorized bus transit. It opened on November 24, 2007 between I-485/South Boulevard and 7th Street as the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System. Fares were not collected as part of the opening celebration. Regular service with fare collection commenced the next day.
  An extension from 7th Street, following a northeast path along the existing Norfolk Southern right-of-way along both North Davidson Street and North Tryon Street, to University City and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte opened on March 16, 2018.
context_section_description: Tickets for the Blue Line are purchased on the platform of all stations from self-serve ticket vending machines that accept cash, coins, debit, and credit cards. Transfers from buses, weekly and monthly passes are also accepted. Fares, which are equal to those of the existing bus network, are as follows: $2.20 for a one-way trip, $4.40 for a round-trip ticket, $6.60 for a one-day pass with unlimited rides, $22 for a weekly pass, and $88 ($44 for seniors and ADA) for a monthly pass. There is no fare to kids below 6 with fare-paying rider (limit 3). The first ride on a round trip ticket must be taken within 90 minutes of purchase, while the second trip can be taken at any time during the day of purchase.
  Lynx uses a proof-of-payment system, as there are no turnstiles at the entrances to train platforms. Instead, CATS fare inspectors and CATS security conduct random sweeps through trains and occasional checks for tickets as passengers enter and leave trains. If a passenger is caught without evidence of proper fare, a citation of $50 is issued in addition to potentially facing a Class 3 misdemeanor charge. CATS estimates between 4 and 5 percent of total fare revenue is lost from passengers who ride without paying.
  Following an initial "grace period" between its November 2007 opening and February 2008, CATS took more action with regards to issuing citations for fare jumpers. This was the case as many of the ticket vending machines were not working properly at all stations. As part of Lynx's initial "fare enforcement blitz" during the first week of February 2008, 41 citations were issued with one arrest in the first day of enhanced enforcement. Due to its success, CATS officials announced that future "blitzes" would target individual stations and not be publicized. As of June 2010, CATS estimates 0.5 percent of daily riders are fare jumpers at a daily loss of $300 in revenue.
caption: Typical Lynx ticket machine
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "NIKON", "Image Model": "E8700", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2008:06:16 19:37:00", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image CustomRendered": "Normal", "Image ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "Image WhiteBalance": "Auto", "Image DigitalZoomRatio": "0", "Image FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "35", "Image SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "Image GainControl": "Low gain up", "Image Contrast": "Normal", "Image Saturation": "Normal", "Image Sharpness": "Normal", "Image SubjectDistanceRange": "0", "Image ExifOffset": "376", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "954", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "7249", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/30", "EXIF FNumber": "14/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "0000:00:00 00:00:00", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "0000:00:00 00:00:00", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "2", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash fired, auto mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "89/10", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "550", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "761", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed"}