CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte's making major changes to its bus and light rail service as the Queen City prepares to welcome 150,000 people for the NBA All-Star game next week.
The increased traffic will be the latest challenge for CATS drivers, who records showed cost taxpayers more than $1 million in liability claims over the last three years.
From $19 to $189,000, claim documents showed Charlotte Area Transit System paid more than 200 people an average of $6,400 after incidents involving CATS buses and trains due to what was ultimately ruled negligence.
Records showed most were the result of rear-end collisions, improper passing, and improper turns, but it wasn't just buses. Records showed everything from light rail gates damaging cars to a rear-end crash with a streetcar, people injured after slipping and falling and buses hitting people.
"Accidents happen, as they do with any fleet-based organization," CATS said in a statement. "CATS takes every accident seriously. The organization works to prevent them by providing comprehensive training to all of its operators and maintaining its fleet of nearly 500 buses and trains."
CATS reported none of the claims involved death and said the agency decides whether to disciplines operators based on the circumstances of each individual incident.
The agency reported its drivers accounted for more than 13.5 million miles in 2018 and said accidents are rare. CATS equates the preventable accident rate to less than one for every 100,000 miles.
During All-Star Weekend CATS is planning to relocate the transportation center, increase security, and close the Lynx Gold Line.