Transportation Bill: What You Need to Know to Move This Forward

Cited from REBIC

REBIC’s August 4th event, sponsored by McIntosh Law, will feature a panel of experts that will offer our members a clear road map for what to do next. But WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT YOUR MECKLENBURG COUNTY Commissioners. Go directly to the Meck website, or download this email and phone number list.

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$19 Billion Projected Sales Tax Revenue

Roads - $7.74 Billion

Resources to the towns (funding amounts based on road miles and population)

• Cornelius: $325.9 million

• Davidson: $174.5 million

• Huntersville: $700.0 million

• Matthews: $307.0 million

• Mint Hill: $379.5 million

• Pineville: $87.3 million

Rail - $7.74 Billion

• Extending rail lines and adding a connection to the airport will enhance connectivity and provide an alternative to crowded roads.

• This plan includes the guarantee of the Red Line being built which would connect the northern towns of Mecklenburg to the business and entertainment district in uptown.

Bus - $3.9 Billion

• A 50% increase in funding annually across the entire county

• 15 routes will offer 15-minute-or-better frequency, serving 60% of existing riders

• On-demand, curb-to-curb service in 100 additional square miles

• 2,000 new or upgraded shelters, benches, and waiting pads.

What this will deliver:

• Give 250,000 more people within ¼ mile of high-frequency transit (up from just 29K today)

• Offer 320,000 more jobs accessible near high-frequency transit (up from 127K)

• Ensure 90% of the county will have transit access every 30 minutes or better

REMEMBER:

August 6^th is the date that Mecklenburg County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the proposal, and they will also likely vote that evening to determine if the referendum will be on the November ballot. If anyone is interested in attending the meeting, it will be held at the Government Center and begin at 6:00 pm. It may also be viewed online here: MeckTV

November 4^th is Election Day and even if there are not competitive races in their specific communities, residents still need to go to the polls to vote on the referendum. Early voting dates and sites have not yet been published, but it usually begins about 10 days to 2 weeks before Election Day.

Click to view the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance 2 Page PDF, or view the entire PPT.

Rob's Take: As we have consistently reported, this is a huge deal for residents of the county and ultimately the region. The infrastructure improvements that are made possible with this additional revenue stream are significant. Recently there have been some hints of opposition — there will always be naysayers no matter the undertaking — but remember that this referendum follows years of negotiations between various local governments. It only exists today because of a strong bipartisan affirmative vote of the General Assembly. Please do your part and reach out to your Mecklenburg County Commissioner and ask for their vote to put the measure on the ballot.