The city’s $13.5 billion transportation plan needs more than a tune-up: That was the message conveyed last week by Mayor Vi Lyles during a discussion with local business leaders about city government priorities.
Lyles, a Democrat, (began her third term this week). During her remarks to leaders and investors in the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the mayor for the first time acknowledged that the proposal known as the Transformational Mobility Network may wind up looking different than what’s been discussed for the past 18 months.
Janet LaBar, CLT Alliance president and CEO, said in an interview afterwards that the organization remains supportive of the mobility expansion plan. As for possible changes or adjustments, LaBar said it’s too soon to say.
“I think the conversations are still happening,” she told CBJ. “I don’t have a solid opinion on that today, other than to say that our region has to be competitive. We are watching other markets invest in (mobility). Whether that’s transit or bus rapid transit or maintenance of existing streets and highways and roads and things like that.”
Lyles previously hoped for a referendum to be held last year on a one-cent, countywide sales tax increase that would repay 60% of the costs over 18 years. Putting the tax on the ballot requires permission from the state legislature. Republicans hold the majority in Raleigh and have been skeptical of the idea.
Ed Driggs, one of two Republicans on the 11-person Charlotte City Council, told CBJ that he is encouraged to hear that the mayor and others may be open to a revamped approach.
Echoing the mayor, Driggs said the regional transit and mobility proposal — Connect Beyond — needs to be a bigger piece of the discussion so that adjacent towns and counties are invested, literally and figuratively, in what happens next.
Driggs added that he believes and expects much of the existing Transformational Mobility Network can be retained. But governance and aligned, cohesive growth and funding with neighboring counties is crucial for success and support alike, he said.
“I’ve been saying for years that, to make meaningful progress on the plan, it had to be regional, we had to bring our partners onboard early, and we also had to think about the structure (of how it’s run),” Driggs said. “Because I was looking ahead to the funding requirements. As far as I was concerned, it was going to take a kind of unified authority of the various communities to issue the debt on agreed terms.”
Driggs hopes that city and town managers and their staffs can hammer out some initial terms and bring a proposal back to elected leaders for consideration. Doing that, and refining as needed, is more likely to lead to consensus, he added.
It’s too soon to tell whether leaders are determined enough to start and finish regional negotiations but, at minimum, it’s become clear that the proposal under discussion requires a different and more inclusive approach if is to succeed.
The mayor discussed long-range transportation and transit investments last week as well as shorter-term improvements to be paid for by issuing bonds.
LaBar, the CLT Alliance executive, said her organization will unveil a bond campaign soon after Labor Day.
(The campaign officially launched on Thursday, Sept. 8. To read more about the ‘Vote Yes for City Bonds campaign, click here.)
“I do think the business community gets that kind of trifecta: transportation, housing, employment,” LaBar said, referring to funding priorities both as part of an upcoming $226 million bond vote and building support for the mobility plan. “All within a short commute is really critical. It is what the current workforce wants; it’s probably what the future workforce wants.”
Voters approved a mix of neighborhood, transportation and affordable-housing bonds totaling $197 million in 2020. Each one garnered 77% support or better.
“I think the business community gets that, you know, we need to continue to invest in order for this region to thrive, in order for talent to want to be here, and for businesses to grow,” LaBar added. “We’re going to have to invest in these things.”
