Opinion
Cancel your membership in the Charlotte Chamber. Reorganize the Lake Norman Transportation Commission
OPINION. Word comes out now, thanks to the anti-toll organization WidenI-77.org, that the state attorney general’s office is asking for an array of documents from I-77 Mobility Partners, including “memoranda,” “business plans,” “presentations” and “strategic documents” pertaining to everything from press releases to the number of jobs created, from bonus allocation funds to “a copy […]
Lead, follow or get out of the way
I always thought it was Ted Turner who said “lead, follow or get out of the way.” Actually, it was Laurence J. Peter, the brilliant mind behind the Peter Principle, which states that people are promoted to their level of incompetence. He helped me understand newsroom managers when I was a cub reporter. When Albert […]
Guest Opinion: Thickening the silver lining
Guest Opinion. Lately we’ve heard some local officials say the I-77 toll issue is dividing our community. I couldn’t disagree more. One of the most positive things to come out of this controversy is how our community came together in opposition of this ill-conceived project. Over 7,000 people “like” Widen I-77’s facebook page, more than […]
Opinion – Mass Transit Matters
Now that the new school year has started, most of you have undoubtedly encountered more traffic and congestion. Not only does this wreak havoc on people’s daily commutes, but it also results in more air pollution, as there are additional vehicles on the roads for longer periods of time. And Charlotte USA’s traffic woes are […]
OPINION: Private toll lanes on I77 are wrong for business
OPINION. By Mike Russell. We use I-77 through Lake Norman as a local road. When it was built 40 years ago that may not have been the original intent, but with part of US 21 under Lake Norman and NC 115 constricted through downtown Davidson, it is an inescapable reality. For local businesses I-77 is […]
Lettter to the Editor
OPINION. Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation introduced California and the United States to his concept of managed lanes as a way to address congestion in urban centers like Los Angeles. The links (after signature block) to LA Times articles from 2013 and 2015 offer an update on how that is progressing. If you read […]
OPINION: It’s time to back Widen I-77 and fight the tolls
It’s been an interesting news period these past few months. The I-77 toll battle has turned into a full-fledged citizen movement with the business community climbing on in earnest in May, thanks in large part to John “Mac” McAlpine V, a racing industry engineer in Cornelius. (Yes, his family is the McAlpine in the McAlpine […]
Why businesses and their customers should care about tolls
OPINION: A letter from Vince Winegardner In early 2012, I had heard about plans to widen I-77 with revenue derived from tolls. I was not terribly worried about that at the time. I was like most people and thought toll roads where the 50 cent variety used to cover maintenance and subsidize the construction costs. […]
