Cotham's transportation bill advances in Raleigh. Will Mecklenburg back plan?

Yahoo

23-06-2025

Supporters of Charlotte's plan to overhaul the region's transportation system are celebrating a flurry of recent progress in the North Carolina General Assembly. But some local stakeholders still have questions and concerns.
Both sides are also pondering whether Mecklenburg County voters, if given the chance, will give the plan final approval.
Rep. Tricia Cotham's House Bill 948 — a proposal to allow a 1-cent countywide tax referendum to address transportation needs — sailed through the North Carolina House Wednesday by a vote of 102 to 6. The legislation is expected to head to the state Senate after a final procedural vote in the House scheduled for Tuesday.
The progress marks a major milestone in Charlotte's yearslong quest to unlock billions in funding for road, rail and bus projects, an effort long stalled by skepticism in the GOP-dominated legislature.
But some local leaders still see flaws in the bill.
'In my view, this plan just doesn't do justice to what really needs to happen,' County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said.
Those who support the referendum acknowledge they'll face a tight timeline to win over the community ahead of a potential November vote.
'All of us here who are working on this proposal need to be able to pivot and bring ourselves up to speed and make a choice as soon as we have that authority so that we can do the most good,' County Commission Vice Chair Leigh Altman said.
In addition to authorizing county commissioners to put a sales tax referendum on the ballot and establishing a 27-member board of trustees to lead a new public transportation authority in Mecklenburg, Cotham's bill lays out how revenue from the tax increase could be used.
The bill calls for 40% of the new money to go towards roads projects, 20% to the region's bus system and 40% to rail projects.
Cotham's plan originally didn't include the 40% cap on rail spending, instead just capping all spending on public transit at 60% of new revenue. That offered a glimmer of hope for those in Matthews and east Charlotte still hoping to see the Silver Line light rail project built out as originally conceived. Transit officials have said the full Silver Line is unaffordable with the 40% cap.
But the updated bill that's cleared the state House does have the 40% cap, in line with the updated transit plan formally adopted by the Metropolitan Transit Commission last month. That plan shortens the Silver Line to run from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to Bojangles Coliseum instead of from Belmont to Matthews.
Cotham's bill closely mirrors Senate Bill 145 and Senate Bill 584 and a draft bill put together and endorsed by a majority of local officials last year.
If the bill makes it through Raleigh, county commissioners will vote whether to put the referendum on the ballot in November.
Altman, who represents the county on the Metropolitan Transit Commission, called the movement on Cotham's bill a sign of 'great momentum in the General Assembly.'
'This is a once in a generation opportunity to finally get permission to build out a world-class transit system, which we desperately need to deal with congestion and lack of access for our residents across the county,' she said
Other community groups lauded the bill's progress too, including the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and Sustain Charlotte.
But some, including former Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston, remain skeptical about whether the current bill will lay the groundwork for a successful regional system.
'It will not provide the return on investment for people that need access to transit the most,' Winston said.
Rodriguez-McDowell, whose district includes Matthews, echoed the frustrations expressed by many of the town's leaders about the Silver Line's fate. The District 6 representative said she would vote on the commission to put the referendum on the ballot 'to let the people decide' but would also be vocal about her concerns.
'What I will do is do my best to educate people on why I won't be voting for it in the voting booth, because I think it's a terrible plan,' she said.
Altman said those who crafted the plan had to work within the parameters of what can get through the General Assembly.
'We cannot let perfect be the enemy of good, because if we do that, we may end up with nothing,' she said.
Rodriguez-McDowell said she worries the county will end up locked 'into decades of a bad plan.'
'If Mecklenburg County, the people of Mecklenburg County, value mass transit … but they can't have it because of the powers that be in Raleigh, I say we wait until the powers that be are different,' she said.
If Cotham's bill does make it through the General Assembly and the county commission does sign off on a referendum, the final decision will be in the hands of the voters.
Winston believes it will be difficult for many voters, regardless of how they feel about the plan, to fully understand it.
'You got to get really in the weeds to understand this,' he said.
Business leaders previously told reporters they're committed to educating officials and the public on what they see as the merits of the referendum.
Altman said supporters will need to act quickly on educating and persuading voters with less than five months till Election Day and more hurdles to clear.
'We have a lot of work to do. It's complicated,' she said.
Political strategist Bryan Holladay predicted a condensed campaign for the referendum would be 'difficult' but 'definitely doable.'
'A one-cent sales tax (increase) is large. Our transportation needs are even larger,' he said. 'It's going to need a good campaign. It's going to need people understanding why they need to make this investment. And it's going to be very difficult as the clock ticks.'