State Auditor Dave Boliek's report on Charlotte's transit system found 45% of riders don't pay — 35% on buses, 60% on light rail — costing between $5 million and $6.5 million a year. Fare citations fell 39% in two years. Total light rail fare fines collected in state fiscal year 2025: $550. But the number that matters more is this one: CATS budgeted $2.2 million for safety and security equipment last fiscal year and spent about $470,000 of it. Armed security is down 40% since 2018, two CMPD officers are assigned to the transit unit, and the system writes its safety plan against Defense Department guidelines instead of the Federal Transit Administration's. Put that beside what we reported August 14 — Charlotte ridership down 6% while Atlanta rose 25%, with riders naming safety after the killing of Iryna Zarutska. People stopped riding because they didn't feel safe, in the same year three quarters of the safety budget went unspent. Mayor Rob Harrington's response is in full. Plus: 45 days to the I-77 deadline, school starts Monday, and a play in a blue house in Enderly Park.

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: NC State Auditor, WBTV, Carolina Journal, The Charlotte Post, WFAE

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