CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is continuing to push for the I-77 toll lane project. This comes as Charlotte City Council called a special meeting on Thursday at 1 p.m. to discuss the project. On Monday, in a surprise vote, Charlotte City Council voted 6-5 to pull support for the controversial project and direct its representative on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) to rescind the city’s backing.
“Although the full consequences of this unprecedented action remain unclear, we know rescission risks losing any meaningful investment in this vital corridor and billions in economic opportunity for the region,” Charlotte Regional Business Alliance CEO Robert McCutcheon said. “We urge local and state leaders to work together collaboratively to find a path forward that allows for productive consideration of the project while also not jeopardizing the only viable funding mechanism to deliver this project.”
The corridor is slated to receive $600 million in state funding for the project, plus an additional $100 million in bonus funds that are unlocked since it involves tolls. If the project is killed, the funding will go to other projects across the state. In a statement, McCutcheon praised the five leaders who voted against recission. Prior to the rescission passing, Charlotte City Council voted, 10-1, on a resolution that called for more public input and for the project to slow down. But the resolution was nonbinding, prompting Councilmember Renee Johnson to propose recission, an action that has teeth.
“This decision places significant community benefits at risk, including improved safety on a corridor that experiences over 2.5 times more crashes than comparable highways statewide, reduced congestion on a corridor carrying approximately 160,000 vehicles per day, with managed toll lanes designed to shift traffic out of the free lanes and improve travel‑time reliability for all users and more than $100 million in community investment, with direct input from residents on how those funds would be utilized,” McCutcheon said.
CRTPO future
The project’s fate will ultimately be determined by the CRTPO. The CRTPO is a 27-member body composed of surrounding municipalities. It has a weighted vote. CRTPO representatives for Matthews and Mecklenburg County say they will join Charlotte in rescinding support for the project. Those three municipalities amount to 48% of the vote. If an item is on the agenda, it takes a majority to pass. If it is not on the agenda, it takes a supermajority. The item is not on next week’s CRTPO agenda, although it could still be discussed.
In 2024, when Charlotte supported the toll lane project, representatives from Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Marvin, Weddington and the Metropolitan Transit Commission all voted in opposition to the project.
Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox says he needs to talk to his town board before deciding if Davidson will vote to rescind support. Davidson has one vote on CRTPO. It would still take an additional municipality to join Charlotte, Matthews and Mecklenburg County if Davidson joins.
Huntersville’s representative is Commissioner Nick Walsh. In an email to Eyewitness News Reporter Joe Bruno, Commissioner Walsh says he is still learning about the potential implications of Charlotte’s recission vote.
“This remains an evolving situation and like many of my colleagues on the CRTPO board, I am still working to fully understand the implications of last night’s Charlotte City Council vote before drawing any conclusions. There are still important questions about whether a viable path forward exists that adequately addresses the community concerns that influenced Charlotte’s decision,” he said. “I want to ensure that any vote I cast is based on a clear understanding of the options being considered and what those options would mean for our residents. I expect additional information and discussions in the coming days and potentially at the May 20 CRTPO meeting.”
Representatives for Cornelius, Marvin, Weddington and the MTC have not responded to requests for comments.
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