June 20. [Opinion] Tripling local transit sales taxes from 0.5% to 1.5% to build a 1970s style railroad to begin operating, possibly, by the 2030s? That’s the definition of a boondoggle.
If you want to see a physical manifestation of the thinking behind the proposed Red Line, take the Gold Line streetcar for a ride, disembark, and walk back to where you started. Your ride time and your walk time will probably be similar. Then, drive a car over the same route. Was the Gold Line worth it?
Fifty years from now driving will remain the fastest means of local transport for nearly every trip. Given driving’s obvious and persistent advantages in the Charlotte area, why are our elected leaders asking voters to pay triple for 1970s style commuter rail?
Farnsworth
Boondoggles like the proposed heavy commuter rail can be defeated. Taxpayers in Nashville formed a group called No Tax 4 Trax and defeated a 1% sales tax partially earmarked for rail. In response, local elected officials dropped the rail earmarks and reduced the proposed tax increase to 0.5%. Voters then approved the 0.5% tax increase once rail was stripped out of the proposal.
Does a 1970s style commuter railroad justify tripling local transit taxes? No. Taxpayers will be tripling their costs without tripling their benefits. Hopefully, future local transportation proposals will be more targeted at improving regional transportation for how most people actually get around.
—Josh Farnsworth
Cornelius
Amen Josh. This area has been paying a half cent sales tax for over 25 years for a promised rail line, now the elected leaders in our three town and Mecklenburg county think stealing more money for a proposed ancient technology is a good deal for all.
I know the residents of North Mecklenburg are smart enough to vote this down. I hope the rest of Mecklenburg County does the same.
Posted by brian sisson | June 20, 2025, 12:12 pmI agree 100% and spent 16 years on the Cornelius Town Board making the same points. In 2012, we brought a national transportation expert to Cornelius Town Hall to provide a detailed and comprehensive perspective on how point-to-point rail (actually 1800s technology) makes no sense whatsoever as we move to flexible, self-driving cars and rapid bus networks. The obscene cost is almost beside the point since rail just cannot meet the needs of the vast majority of people trying to get where they need to go each day.
Posted by Dave Gilroy | June 20, 2025, 12:27 pmIt appears our elected leaders may be blinded by the promise of cash for road projects as a side benefit of the red line. Ask the Mayor of Matthews about promises as his train line has turned into bus service. We need to look forward for transportation solutions not backwards to 1900’s technology!
Posted by Denis Bilodeau | June 20, 2025, 2:13 pmWhat other North-South transportation options are there for this area? The toll rd contract made sure the roads couldn’t be expanded.
Posted by S Mumma | June 20, 2025, 3:16 pm