Traffic
Toll lane cancellation bill passes House Transportation Committee
June 1. By Dave Vieser. House Bill 954, which calls for the cancellation of the I-77 toll lane project, passed the State House Transportation Committee by a verbal vote today and will now move on to the House Appropriations Committee, where it will be debated either later today or Thursday morning June 2. NC Rep. John Bradford said […]
I-77 toll lanes need Marine Commission approval
May 26. By Dave Vieser. In yet another twist in the ongoing I-77 toll lane saga, it turns out that the project needed the approval of the Lake Norman Marine Commission before it started. The commission’s approval is needed because it crosses Lake Norman north of Exit 28. The DOT has asked to be on the commission’s […]
LKN Transportation Commission runs out of gas
ANALYSIS. By Dave Vieser. The Cornelius Town Board, by a 3-2 margin, reaffirmed its decision to pull out of the Lake Norman Regional Transportation Commission. Just like Huntersville and Davidson, Cornelius is ending its commission membership, leaving its future in doubt. The Cornelius decision didn’t come easy, as a split had developed between Cornelius’ Mayor Chuck […]
Anti-toll forces gain speed in I-77 battle
April 29. UPDATED 5:45. By Dave Yochum. Growing bipartisan support, underscored by a bill introduced this week by NC Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat from Matthews, is giving renewed strength to efforts to stop the Interstate 77 toll lane project. Meanwhile, anti-toll forces assembled on the I-77 bridge at Exit 28 in Cornelius for a full-scale demonstration […]
Anti-toll demonstration at 5:30 pm spans parties, communities
April 29. By Dave Yochum. Growing bipartisan support, underscored by a bill introduced this week by NC Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat from Matthews, is giving renewed strength to efforts to stop the Interstate 77 toll lane project. Meanwhile, anti-toll forces will be gathering on the I-77 bridge at Exit 28 in Cornelius for a […]
I-77 fiasco spurs talk about commuter rail; Gilroy, railroad still opposed; New study will cost $728,000
April 19. By Dave Vieser. It’s not dead yet. So says Davidson Mayor John Woods about the Red Line commuter rail project. Woods, who also serves as vice chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Council, discussed the project at the April meeting of the Lake Norman Regional Transportation Commission. “If there is a silver lining in […]
Banking on traffic: Billboard is talk of the town
April 6. An old-school billboard for a local bank is getting a lot of traction on the new virtual town square called Exit 28 Ridiculousness. The billboard for Cornelius-based Aquesta Bank is located on the northbound side of I-77 between Exits 23 and 25—where traffic comes to a virtual standstill most afternoons. And mornings. And […]
Citizen Kurt: WidenI-77 organizer wows top politicians
March 10. By Dave Yochum. Speaking to a packed house—150 citizens and elected officials at Cornelius Town Hall—anti-toll leader Kurt Naas started by thanking people for attending a dry information session on Cintra finances, the bankruptcy in Texas and the pricing plan for tolls between Charlotte and Lake Norman. The one-hour presentation by the founder […]
Moody’s warned against Cintra finances in Texas in 2013
Mar. 3. By Dave Yochum. As expected, a long-troubled Cintra road project in Austin, Texas, has filed for bankruptcy protection because it is unable to make full payment on its senior debt. SH 130 Concession Co. said in its bankruptcy filing that “the lingering effects of the recession” contributed to the filing. The managed lanes […]
NCDOT seeks feedback on 50-year Cintra contract
Feb. 19. By Dave Vieser. It looks like the NCDOT is suddenly paying attention to strenuous objections from the municipalities and governments that will be directly affected by the $650 million plan to widen I-77 with toll lanes between Charlotte and Lake Norman. In letters sent Feb. 17 to all the members of the Charlotte Regional Transportation […]
