NC Audit Finds Up to $6.5M in CATS Fare-Evasion Losses and Ongoing Security Gaps
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is experiencing substantial financial losses and security challenges, as revealed by a new report from the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA). The audit found that CATS could be losing up to $6.5 million annually due to fare evasion, with an estimated 45% of bus and light rail riders not paying for tickets. Specifically, 35% of bus riders and 60% of light rail riders are evading fares. The report also highlighted a significant drop in fare evasion citations, from 4,763 in 2023 to 2,018 in 2025, with only $550 in light rail fare evasion fines collected in State Fiscal Year 2025. This decline is partly attributed to instructions given to bus drivers not to enforce fares to protect them from altercations. Furthermore, CATS has $1.7 million in unspent safety and security funding, despite having budgeted $2.2 million for fiscal year 2025. The report follows a preliminary investigation into the murder of Iryna Zarutska on a CATS light rail train. 
