The kiosks will offer free Wi-Fi, touchscreen navigation, local business highlights, emergency alerts, and city content such as events and wayfinding.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council voted Monday to change ordinances allowing the installation of 30 digital kiosks throughout the city, a plan officials say will cost taxpayers nothing.
The kiosks will offer free Wi-Fi, touchscreen navigation, local business highlights, emergency alerts, and city content such as events and wayfinding. They will also feature ADA-compliant, multilingual displays and advertising screens, with the city receiving a share of the ad revenue.
“There’s text to cell wayfinding, vital public safety messaging, real-time light rail scheduling,” said Michael Smith with Charlotte Center City Partners, who encouraged the council to approve the plan.
These will be strategically placed across Corridors of Opportunity and Municipal Service Districts (MSDs). Proposed locations include Beatties Ford Road, South End, University City, West Boulevard, SouthPark and others throughout the city.
Safety remains a top concern for transit riders, particularly in the South End, following the murder of Iryna Zarutska on a Blue Line train in August.
“If I were female and I was traveling by myself, I might be a little bit more concerned,” said light rail rider Brian Williams, who added he’s noticed increased security presence since the incident but welcomes additional safety measures.
“I think they’ve spread the security out a lot more, which I think is great,” Williams said. “When I was riding before the incident that happened with the young lady, I noticed that a lot of the security guys were kind of bunched together all the time.”
He said he thinks the kiosks are a great idea, but he’s most interested in the emergency alert feature.
The city will earn approximately $8,000 per kiosk annually from advertising revenue. Williams says he’s on board with anything that doesn’t require him to pay more, but public safety is something he’d like to invest in anyway.
“I’d be willing to pay a little bit more to make it safer, so more people would ride it and feel safer,” Williams said. “But if I don’t have to pay, you know, that’s great, too.”
The vote comes as Mecklenburg County voters prepare to decide whether to increase the sales tax one percentage point to fund transit projects, including safety initiatives. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
