Skipping around SouthPark
The SouthPark Skipper shuttles people around the neighborhood for free, taking them anywhere from restaurants, to grocery stores, to doctors' appointments
The following article appeared in the Feb. 4, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.
From grocery runs to ER visits, the free, on-demand shuttle in SouthPark has become a lifeline for older adults and retail workers. Is it a model for the future of Charlotte transit?
by Michelle Crouch
When Tony Baker got a job driving the free SouthPark Skipper shuttle, he thought he would mostly be driving shoppers and bar hoppers to the area’s high-end stores and restaurants.
Instead, he said, he’s spent much of his time taking older adults to the grocery store and medical appointments, ferrying retail and hotel workers to their shifts, and picking up riders who arrive in SouthPark by bus because they don’t own a car.
“That took me by surprise,” said Baker, 45, a former valet and hotel concierge. “Coming from the valet world and being uptown, where a lot of people use those services because they’re going out drinking, this is different. It’s good knowing we’re helping people who really need it.”
The SouthPark Skipper launched in November 2024 as an initiative of SouthPark Community Partners, a community advocacy nonprofit. The free, Uber-like shuttle service is designed to make it easier to get around SouthPark, one of the city’s busiest commercial districts.
A year in, ridership data from SouthPark Community Partners shows the Skipper is more than a convenience for many riders.