Federal audit flags safety risks on Charlotte public transit

A federal safety audit has found widespread noncompliance within the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), citing serious deficiencies in how the agency manages safety risks, protects transit workers, and oversees rising violence across its system. 

A Focused Agency Safety Plan Audit from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) identified a staggering 18 findings of non-compliance with federal safety regulations, primarily related to assaults on transit workers and passengers, as well as overall system safety. 

CATS has faced increased scrutiny since the summer of 2025, when the murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska drew national attention. Zarutska was riding the Charlotte LYNX Blue Line when she was brutally attacked, according to surveillance footage from CATS. 

FTA data shows assaults on CATS transit workers surged to five times the national average in 2025, while crimes against passengers reached three times the national average. The audit highlights that in the two previous years, CATS was below the national average. 

Federal officials conducted the audit in late 2025, through document reviews, virtual interviews, and on-site inspections. CATS, operating as a federal transit system is required to follow its Agency Safety Plan (ASP). 

“Currently, CATS is not implementing the safety risk assessment process established in its ASP (e.g., safety risk assessment matrices) to assess the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers and to support the prioritization of associated safety risk mitigations,” states the report. “To achieve compliance, CATS must follow the safety risk assessment process documented in its ASP when assessing the risk associated with assaults on transit workers.” 

The FTA also found that CATS lacks sufficient systems to monitor whether safety measures are being implemented or whether they are working. Although the agency has taken steps such as increasing police patrols, expanding fare enforcement, and updating exclusion policies for violent offenders, auditors concluded that CATS does not formally track the effectiveness of those measures over time. 

Other issues highlighted in the report include: 

• Lack of compliance with federal requirements for de-escalation training, which is mandatory for transit workers who regularly interact with the public 

• Failure to maintain a joint labor-management safety committee with equal representation from frontline workers and management 

• Not conducting required annual safety performance assessments 

• Failure to establish a comprehensive safety performance target across all modes of service 

The FTA has given CATS leaders 30 days to address the findings in the report and develop a plan to address all 18 of the outlined issues. If the deadline is not met, the risk of losing federal funding would be possible. 

Charlotte officials are expected to appear in front of the General Assembly’s House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform on February 9 to answer questions from lawmakers about rising crime and public safety concerns. 

“Federal audit flags safety risks on Charlotte public transit” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.