CHARLOTTE — CATS is preparing to crack down on riders who don’t pay, and one of the biggest changes ahead is the end of cash payments across the system.
The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority approved a new fare plan this week, which will require Gold Line riders to pay for the first time.
More than 1,400 people use the Gold Line every day, and many riders told Channel 9 they’re not happy about the changes.
Daily rider Lynn Coleman said she relies on the streetcar because it stops close to her home.
“It’s outrageous,” she said. “This train doesn’t go as far as it should as the other links do.”
The new fare plan includes several updates. The age for senior passes will increase from 62 to 65.
Cash will be discouraged, with CATS pushing riders to use the mobile app or reloadable cards available in stores.
Riders who receive assistance through community service agencies may qualify for discounted fares.
Some passengers worry the technology won’t work consistently.
“Sometimes when you use your app or try to use your card, it doesn’t work when you’re trying to buy a ticket off the bus,” rider Tamaya Lyles said. “That’s why we use cash.”
CATS leaders say the move to a paid system is partly about improving safety.
“On a system or a product that is free, you lose the ability to do some security measures that you have when the expectation is that you have a ticket,” Interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle said.
Transportation officials say it will take 12 to 18 months to fully implement the new system.
Fares will remain the same across the network: $2.20 for local service, including the Gold Line, light rail, and local buses; $3.50 for regional express buses; and 90 cents for neighborhood shuttles.
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