Safety drags Charlotte down in public transit ranking
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Charlotte was outshone by Raleigh in a recent ranking of the country's top public transportation systems, particularly on safety.
Why it matters: Safety concerns have hurt Charlotte's light rail reputation and ridership, and now the city's transit system is falling behind Raleigh, a city half its size.
By the numbers: Charlotte ranks 36th among 50 of the largest U.S. urban areas, according to a Consumer Affairs analysis of Federal Transit Administration and Census Bureau data.
- It ranked close to last place (45th) in operational safety. Raleigh ranked first.
- In the category of usefulness and accessibility, Charlotte was 32nd.
Yes, but: Charlotte ranks seventh in affordability, better than San Francisco, which is 16th. Consumer Affairs researchers deemed San Francisco the best system in the country overall.
Zoom out: Raleigh ranked 14th overall, boosted by its first-place scores in affordability and safety. However, its low ridership hurt its rank.
The fine print: The safety score looks at collisions, derailments and fires as well as people killed or injured per million vehicle miles traveled in service.
Driving the news: A report from the state auditor last month revealed the Charlotte Area Transit System has $1.7 million in unspent safety and security funding. The auditor began examining CATS following the 2025 murder of Iryna Zarutska on the light rail.
- It also found CATS was losing between $5 million and $6.5 million yearly by not enforcing fares. An estimated 45% of bus and light rail riders don't pay.
The other side: CATS told the office the unspent money was due to "multi-year project complexity, capitalization timing, non-capital items, and active but incomplete projects."
- Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington responded in a letter to the auditor, saying CATS was more than doubling its contracted security staff from 110 to 262.
- CATS plans to launch a new fare enforcement ambassador team of 60 people in October, the letter stated.