The Charlotte Area Transit System plans to evict six businesses, including Burger King and China Shuttle, from the city’s main bus station after a string of violent crime in the area. Shuttering the businesses allows CATS to establish a “fare zone” exclusive to those who have a light rail ticket or bus pass.
The relocation is an attempt to improve safety around the Charlotte Transportation Center, which is a crime hot spot. In the last 8 months, four people have died from incidents in the area. The first was when a homeless man died from an altercation with security guards in December.
The decision to terminate the vendors’ leases will affect their livelihoods. It will also affect the homeless population in the area. But did it really have to be this way? The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department headquarters is 360 steps from the Charlotte Transportation Center. I walked it myself. Why did so much crime happen less than half a mile away? Three more deaths followed the December beating. A man was stabbed to death and robbed in February. A woman was found dead in a bathroom close to a week later. The most recent death was Qualo Trevo Daniels, who died in April when he was caught in the crossfire of a shootout…