Governor McCrory Responds to Charlotte City Council I-77 Vote
CHARLOTTE, NC — “I’m very pleased,” says Gov. Pat McCrory. “I required the local officials to have public debates and transparency.”
Governor Pat McCrory responding a day after the Charlotte City Council voted 7 to 4 in favor of keeping the I-77 toll lanes project.
But council members expressed frustration over having to vote in the first place.
Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts says, “It is not appropriate, nor does the City of Charlotte have resources to take tech analysis to tell the state how they should manage their contracts.”
After outcry from the public, many feel McCrory passed the buck to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
“It makes their job difficult. But they volunteered for their job to make the difficult decisions,” says Governor McCrory.
The CRTPO will determine next Wednesday if the project continues.
Charlotte City Council holds nearly half the votes on the planning board. Β That means it will more than likely pass.
“A lot of people talking mending bridges, they definitely made a wedge between four towns and Charlotte,” says Cornelius resident Brian Stack.
Only a handful out of 40 speakers spoke in favor of the project Monday night.
David Tobin from Fourth Ward says, “I believe that the combination of free general purpose and toll or high occupancy lanes forΒ I-77 is a strategy that can relieve congestion in the short term.”
Governor McCrory promises that if the lanes are approved, he will work with both sides to make sure any flaws in the toll project are worked out.
