CATS officials ask city for budget increase to fund fare enforcement

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Area Transit System officials estimate on average 50% of riders don’t pay for the light rail or bus. CATS officials are now asking the city to increase their safety budget for next year by $10 million dollars.

CATS officials vowed to focus on fare enforcement after Iryna Zarutska was killed on the light rail last August. However, officials estimate fare evasion has resulted in anywhere between $3 and $5 million dollars annually from fare evasion.

CATS wants the city to increase their budget for safety by $10 million dollars for a total of $32 million dollars in 2027. Officials say they would hire more CMPD off duty officers and a team of people to check tickets.

Riders say they’d like to see cats find a way to make everyone pay their fare for better transit.

Charlotte City Council will continue to talk about the budget before it is approved. There is a public hearing scheduled for May 11th.