Transportation
You say you want a revolution
By Dave Yochum. “Target Acquired.” That’s the subject line on a recent email that race team executive Greg Wallace sent to his cohorts in the I-77 Business Plan, a high-level group of mostly Cornelius business leaders who are fighting the 50-year contract the NCDOT has inked with Cintra, a unit of Ferrovial. A room at the […]
After toll summit, Cornelius, Davidson mayors outline success of managed lanes in Texas
Nov. 24. NC Rep. Charles Jeter will file a bill in the legislature that would cut Charlotte’s virtually insurmountable 46 percent weighted vote on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Organization to no more than 37.5 percent. Meanwhile, after a fact-finding trip to visit managed lane projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the mayors of Cornelius and […]
Will Berger be the fry in the ointment for Cintra/NCDOT?
Nov. 20. By Dave Yochum. With key members of the business community and elected officials gearing up for the I-77 toll summit on Monday, Mayor Travis has issued a 900-word statement outlining his position on the I-77 toll plan. “My position is simple, our interstate is broken and must be fixed. No one disagrees with this premise, […]
Jetton Road now a town road, not a state road
Nov. 18. By Dave Vieser. The Town of Cornelius has officially taken over Jetton Road from the state. The four lane section was completely repaved at state expense this spring, with the understanding that the town would take over maintenance from West Catawba to John Connor Road. The original road, built by Crescent Resources, did […]
Cornelius Square: Can Exit 27 round out LKN’s menu of developable land?
Nov. 18. By V. Tom Gardner. Cornelius’ mix of residential vs. commercial taxes, currently around 80 percent residential to 20 percent commercial, is seriously unbalanced, according to Mike Griffin, treasurer of the Lake Norman Economic Development Corp. Speaking at the Business Today and Cornelius Today Newsmakers Breakfast this morning, Griffin said the proposed Exit 27 would open […]
Mike Griffin will discuss proposed Exit 27 at breakfast Wednesday
An Urban Land Institute study that calls for a new type of interchange around Westmoreland Road on I-77 near the Augustalee and Cooke properties will be the subject of the Newsmakers Breakfast Wednesday morning with Mike Griffin, a member of the Lake Norman Economic Development board. A new kind of interchange would “afford a significant branding opportunity for Cornelius,” […]
Temporary Restraining Order stalls; I-77 work begins at 10 pm
Nov 16. By Dave Yochum. Sen. Jeff Tarte over the weekend said there was no forward motion in getting a Temporary Restraining Order in time to stop construction of the I-77 toll lanes which begins at 10 pm. Tarte huddled with other members of the I-77 Business Plan—a group of key anti-toll business and political leaders—and two […]
Governor to LKN: Drop Dead
Nov. 13. UPDATED. By Dave Yochum. Although four North Carolina legislators have called on the governor to exercise the termination provisions in NCDOT’s I-77 contract with Cintra, a Spanish company, Pat McCrory is sticking to his guns. Within an hour after the four said they will seek a temporary restraining order to stop the project, McCrory’s NCDOT […]
Chamber chair on tolls: ‘It’s not a done deal until we lay down’
Nov. 12. By Dave Yochum. A public relations executive with I-77 Mobility Partners, the controversial public-private partnership that plans to build toll lanes between Charlotte and Cornelius, today announced that construction will begin in four days. Jean Leier, director of corporate affairs at I-77 Mobility, said “I-77 Mobility Partners is excited to begin construction.” The $650 […]
Is Exit 27 the answer to our problems?
By Dave Yochum. A study from an organization called the Urban Land Institute is suggesting a thorough redo of Westmoreland and the area along either side of I-77 where the Augustalee site is on the east and the Cooke farm site is on the west. The goal is to open up the properties to a smarter […]
