Members of the Charlotte City Council’s transportation committee did not appear ready on Monday to reverse their votes and support the new Interstate 77 toll lanes.
It was the first time council members have met since the General Assembly in early July required Charlotte and other local governments to repay roughly $60 million in design costs — if they don’t say yes to the controversial project.
Despite a looming October deadline, council members weren’t ready to give in.
Malcolm Graham said the city should consider litigation and that the Department of Transportation’s promise of up to $300 million in community benefits isn’t that different from what was proposed in the spring. One of the DOT’s promises is to give money to build grocery stores in west Charlotte to build support for the project.
Renee Johnson asked if the city could do that on its own, by using unspent money from former Mayor Vi Lyles’ racial equity fund.
“Can we get a report on that, what the balance is?” Johnson asked. “And can any of these concerns be handled and addressed by that fund?”
Johnson also said she wants the city and the state to consider whether I-77 could be widened in stages, without tolls. That’s how the DOT is improving I-85 in Gaston County. Council member Dimple Ajmera, speaking by Zoom, also asked for more information on the Gaston model, in which the state accesses the “corridor cap” limit of $600 million multiple times.
If the city doesn’t approve the toll lanes and repay the money spent, a provision in the budget bill calls for the DOT to withhold road resurfacing money as well as money for new road projects. LaWana Mayfield said the state hasn’t been giving the city its share of road money for several years.
And Victoria Watlington said she wanted more information on how the $4.3 billion toll lanes would improve traffic flow.
Republican Ed Driggs, who chairs the transportation committee, was the only council member who didn’t criticize the looming penalty.
Council members are likely to discuss the toll lanes several more times before making a final decision.
