Troublemakers Still Ride Free On Charlotte’s Lightrail.

The last time a WBT reporter rode the light rail, security was scarce. No one checked tickets, and a man with an open bottle of alcohol got on the train without paying.

Asked why he said he was on the train, he said he was “going to donate plasma to get some money.”

After the murder of Iryna Zarutska on the train last year, a shocking lack of security came to light.

Now, twelve months after the attack, State Auditor Dave Boliek says his review of CATS spending shows there needs to be decisive action to make public transportation in Charlotte much safer.

His audit found that 60% of train riders still don’t buy a ticket — 35% of bus riders don’t pay the fare.

This puts passengers at risk as the homeless and other troublemakers ride at no charge.  The man who killed Iryna Zarutska, rode without paying. DeCarlos Brown’s attack was videoed by the train’s security system. He is currently receiving mental treatment in an effort to have him become competent to stand trial for the murder.

But safety is not the only problem. Failure to enforce paying the fare is costing the system more than six million dollars a year, according to Boliek’s reports.

The audit also found that $1.7 million dollars allocated for security and safety was left sitting on the table — unspent.

In addition, the report criticized CATS for relying heavily on rent-a-cops for security. It suggests using more CMPD officers.

In response, CATS says it has significantly increased the use of off-duty CMPD officers on trains.  And they’re promising a new fare enforcement team will begin checking tickets in October, though it is still not clear if every passenger will be checked. CATS CEO Brent Cagle has told city council that it’s not practical to check the ticket of every rider.

Auditor Boliek said the system should have turnstiles and gates to force people to buy tickets before boarding the train.  In the past, however, CATS has said the system is not designed for such gates and it would not be practical to try and install them now.