Gov. Stein signs Mecklenburg County transit bill

Axios

02-07-2025

Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday signed House Bill 948, the Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements (P.A.V.E.) Act, handing local voters the power to decide how the region grows and commutes.
Why it matters: The legislation authorizes the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to put a 1-cent sales tax referendum on the November election ballot, and aims to fund the fast-expanding Charlotte region's ambitious transit dreams, including rail, buses and road projects.
Zoom out: The measure is years in the making. Though it ultimately received bipartisan support, state GOP lawmakers at first would not back the idea of putting a sales tax referendum on the ballot to support the transit goals of Mecklenburg County, a Democratic stronghold.
A diverse coalition of business leaders, community advocates and lawmakers across the aisle lobbied to get the bill across the finish line.
Zoom in: Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, who flipped from Democrat to Republica n in 2023, sponsored the bill and worked behind the scenes to champion the measure. Her change in party affiliation may have helped broaden its appeal, as Michael Graff recently wrote for the Charlotte Optimist.
Her work on the legislation may also help improve Charlotte's relationship with state lawmakers.
"There's always been this East versus West and the Great State of Mecklenburg. I'd like to say we've overcome that," Cotham tells Axios. "We are definitely changing the narrative."
Cotham says she hopes the measure will be a framework for other regions seeking to invest in their own transit needs. "I will help every colleague who wants to do this regardless of politics," she adds.
Context: The sales tax could generate $19.4 billion over 30 years. If voters approve the measure, 60% of the funding would go to a transportation authority for transit projects and 40% would go to municipalities for roads, including bike lanes and lighting.
What they're saying:"This is a game-changing moment for our region," said Hooper Hardison, CEO of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, in a statement. "Modern, connected transportation systems are essential to business growth, workforce access, and talent attraction."