July 26. By Dve Yochum. The NC Senate passed the second reading of House Bill 948, aka the Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements (P.A.V.E.) Act. The bill provides commuter rail funding as well as an estimated $100 million of new funding for roads in Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville in the first five years.

The P.A.V.E. Act is set for final approval from the Senate on its third and final reading. The bill will then go back to the House, requiring a concurrence vote to advance to the Governor’s desk.

Opposition

Farnsworth

Cornelius resident Josh Farnsworth asked why voters choose to “empower a new 27-member board, force two-fifths of new money to go to rail alone, and require local officials to prioritize the Red Line project.”

“My preference would be for a proposed half cent increase, no new transit boards, and less restrictions from Raleigh on how local dollars are spent,” he said.

Similar concerns came from former Commissioner Dave Gilroy about the “1800s technology” involved in a massive rail investment.

Quotable

Gilroy

“It 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,” Gilroy said.

Referendum

If approved in Raleigh, the bill would allow Mecklenburg County to place the issue of a new sales tax on the ballot for a referendum to let the voters decide on funding for new investments in transportation to improve roads, buses, and rail transit in the county.

If approved by Mecklenburg voters, the one-cent tax would fund a mix of transportation improvements, including transit, greenways, sidewalks, roads, and bike infrastructure.