Rob
27.8K posts
@_Rob__G_
Tweets on urban development, accessibility, cycle lanes & public transportation. @WaltMaddox blocked me because he's scared. RT≠E #TBIsurvivor #RollTide T&F
@_Rob__G_ It’s not a sunk cost fallacy. CRTPO asked NCDOT to build toll lanes on I-77, NCDOT spent $60mn to design them, then CRTPO changed their minds and canceled the project. CRTPO and its members should be on the hook for the wasted money, not NC taxpayers.
Why did the south project get canceled and not the north? Charlotte More than a decade ago, Northern suburbs raised hell and fought tooth and nail against the toll lanes. But Charlotte didn’t join them in opposition and refused to pull support. CRTPO has a weighted vote. Charlotte tipped the scales in favor. The key vote back then? Vi Lyles Now it’s 2026. A vote to rescind support by Charlotte City Council comes up. Shockingly passes 6-5. Does toll supporter Mayor Lyles veto? No. CRTPO takes up rescission. Now it’s Charlotte who needs LKN’s help. Despite old wounds, Huntersville, Davidson, Cornelius vote to pull support of the project. Toll project dead.
The view from NCDOT. Ultimately NCDOT does whatever CRTPO tells them to. You want the project dead? It’s dead. But, the region is rejecting $700 million and starting over. Any new project has to go through the whole process again. It may be 10 years before a new project is even considered. The $700 million will go to other communities and projects. All while traffic on I-77 gets worse. 160,000 vehicles use 77 a day and this part of 77 has a crash rate 2.5x higher than the statewide average, per DOT
Charlotte City Councilmembers and the mayor's office are slated for significant pay raises in Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones' budget. Right now Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles makes $49,774. The budget increases the mayor's salary to $57,054, a 14.6% raise. The current total compensation for the mayor, which factors in auto, expense and technology allowances, is $72,901 and would increase to $80,237, a 10% increase. Mayor Vi Lyles is resigning on June 30 and will not personally see the pay raise. Charlotte City Councilmembers currently make $41,600. The budget increase their pay to $45,644, a 9.7% increase. Their current total compensation is $64,251 and would increase to $68,348, a 6.4% increase. In his budget, City Manager Marcus Jones said he wants to align the pay of #CLTCC with the FY26 pay of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners before then providing a 4% increase similar to the general fund employees. No councilmembers raised an issue with the pay increase during this week's meeting. Councilmembers will take budget straw votes on June 1.
NCDOT tells me: "NCDOT has spent more than $60M on the express lanes project to date. We haven't encountered a situation like this before, and we're still exploring the impacts and remedies for the situation."
Reporter: Are you attending your son’s wedding? Trump: He’d like me to go. I’m going to try. I said, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things. He’s a person I’ve known for a long time.
Imagine dying because someone left this bracket attached to the guardrail!
“The project is a managed lane… we can’t widen our way out of congestion.” - NCDOT at CRTPO on I-77 South tolls. Charlotte’s still stuck in traffic. Low use on I-77 North, and they want to spend $3.4B more? We need smarter investments like public transit, not more of the same.
BREAKING: President Trump’s administration will not entertain any election fraud complaints regarding Thomas Massie’s election.
NCDOT statement: "NCDOT is aware of CRTPO’s vote this evening. As we have discussed with City Council and CRTPO delegates, this vote means the loss of $700M in critical transportation funding designed to address congestion, crash rates and community driven priorities for the Charlotte region. We remain committed to delivering projects that local governments and planners ask us to deliver."
