This week, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a report on the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), identifying 18 areas where CATS has failed to meet federally mandated safety requirements. An FTA audit of CATS found several performance issues, including how the system assesses risk, tracks system fixes, and conducts de-escalation training for staff.

The FTA first launched an investigation into CATS last September following the murder of Iryna Zarutska on the system’s Lynx Blue Line. As part of FTA’s continued focus on the safety of the CATS system, Administrator Marc Molinaro hosted a community roundtable with local community stakeholders on January 16, 2026, to discuss safety issues the transit system faces.

“FTA is determined to do its part to address the systemic failures within Charlotte’s transit system that led to Iryna Zarutska’s tragic death,” said FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro. “We look forward to seeing these 18 points fixed immediately to bolster safety for both transit workers and passengers.”

Audit Highlights Elevated Assault Risks and Safety Failures at CATS

In September 2025, the FTA audited CATS to determine whether conditions endangered transit workers and customers by assessing its compliance with 49 CFR Part 673, the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) program.

The FTA also evaluated CATS’s responses to its directives and correspondence regarding safety risks posed by assaults on transit workers. FTA noted that the rate of assault on transit workers at CATS had risen to five times the national average, and passenger crime rates were three times the national average in 2025.

FTA’s review included an examination of CATS’s Agency Safety Plan (ASP) and related documentation, as well as virtual and on-site interviews to assess the implementation of these safety requirements. Consequently, the FTA has issued 18 findings of non-compliance requiring corrective actions. Among FTA's areas of concern are:

• CATS has not met the requirements regarding general PTASP safety performance targets.
• CATS is not implementing the safety risk assessment processes established in its ASP when assessing the risk of assaults on transit workers.
• CATS has not met the de-escalation training requirement.

CATS must develop and submit corrective action plans to FTA that address all findings listed in the report within 30 days. FTA will review and approve (with revisions as necessary) CATS’s corrective action plans and will monitor CATS’s progress in resolving each finding and required action.