It's time for a decision on the I-77 south toll lane project, again.
Earlier this year, local municipalities voted down a planned toll plan project on I-77 that would extend 11 miles to the South Carolina border. This came after concern over the impact to historically disenfranchised communities and questions about whether the lanes would actually lower traffic congestion.
Since that vote, the General Assembly has stepped in. As part of the state budget, North Carolina passed a measure requiring local governments that voted against the plan to reimburse the N.C. Department of Transportation for money it has spent on the project so far. NCDOT has also said it would provide community benefits to areas affected by the toll lane project.
This has caused some communities to vote in favor of the project. Others, including Charlotte, which has the largest share of the weighted vote, made a decision this week. Then it all comes down to a vote by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Organization (CRTPO) on Wednesday.
We welcome three leaders from three local municipalities to discuss how it impacts their town, their feelings about the state budget stipulation, what this means for transit in Charlotte, and what it says about state versus local control.
GUESTS:
Malcolm Graham, Charlotte city council member representing District 2
John Higdon, mayor of Matthews
Rusty Knox, mayor of Davidson
