Charlotte City Council members Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo vote in favor of toll lanes project, promising $300 million investment from NCDOT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Several people were removed from the Government Center chamber Monday night amid anger over Charlotte City Council’s decision to change it’s position again on the controversial I-77 South toll lanes project.

That project appears to be moving forward again, with council members Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo flipping their votes to now support tolls. It comes after state lawmakers passed a measure saying municipalities voting against toll lanes would have to pay back more than $60 million already invested in the project. But Graham and Mayo are also touting a promised $300 million community investment from NCDOT as a factor in changing their vote.

Graham says, “West Charlotte has suffered for years of being a food desert, feeling left behind, feeling that they did not get the resources that they deserve historically. Tonight we took a giant step forward to solving two problems at the same time.”

Mayo says, “Once they sign the contract, we will be receiving that $300 million on the document and also allocates the percentages, of the money for different projects.”

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization will take a final vote on the toll lanes project on Wednesday. The City of Charlotte’s decision will count for 42 percent of the vote.