Charlotte light rail riders could soon face more frequent ticket checks as city leaders move to crack down on fare evasion and improve safety across the transit system.
Charlotte City Council has approved a new “fare ambassador” program that will place uniformed inspectors on CATS trains to verify passengers have paid before riding.
The city approved a three-year, approximately $5 million contract with Block by Block to operate the program.
Charlotte City Council unanimously voted in favor of the $5 million fare ambassador program. No discussion pic.twitter.com/y1HM4qGFk8
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) June 22, 2026
The rollout will begin on the Blue Line before expanding to CATS buses and the Gold Line streetcar.
The effort follows numerous attempts to increase the appearance of safety and bring riders back after the August 2025 fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska aboard the Blue Line.
CATS has already increased ticket checks in recent months, and officials estimate that roughly half of Blue Line riders were not paying fares earlier this year.
Officials have not yet announced when the program will begin or how many inspectors will be hired.
