I77
NC Trans secretary picks Mercator Advisors to review I-77 contract
March 31. A company that was part of a team led by Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras and Zachry Construction Corp.—to develop the first phase of the Trans-Texas Corridor—has been selected to review the I-77 Express Lanes contract. NC Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said Mercator Advisors will conduct an in-depth, outside review. Mercator has not been involved in the $650 […]
Letter to the Editor: Infrastructure plan ‘fairy dust’
Dec. 5. [OPINION] A Washington Post article ( Think tank casts doubts on Trump infrastructure plan), is one of the most succinct articles I have read on how the Trump Administration plans to fund road and infrastructure during his administration. This plan is a variation on one proposed by the Democrats. Both plans promise massive amounts of […]
Cooper hires legal team to protect vote; N. Meck bailed on McCrory
Nov. 10. Roy Cooper has hired a legal team to protect the results of the gubernatorial election which has him ahead of Pat McCrory by 4,979 votes, with 100 percent of the precincts reporting. McCrory has not conceded. The team will be led by election-protection attorneys Marc Elias and Kevin Hamilton of Perkins Coie, and Edwin Speas […]
District 98 challenger Jane Campbell lands EMILY’s List endorsement
Oct. 17. Jane Campbell, who is running as an independent for NC House District 98, has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, a nationwide advocacy group whose mission is to elect pro-choice Democratic women to public office. Campbell hopes to unseat Republican John Bradford in District 98 which includes Cornelius, Davidson and parts of Huntersville and […]
LKN Marine Commission OK’s I77 toll lane application
Aug. 9. By Dave Vieser. Opponents of the I-77 toll lane project were dealt another blow this week when the Lake Norman Marine Commission approved the NCDOT’s application. The commission’s approval was needed because the interstate crosses Lake Norman; the commission works with Duke Energy on lake development as part of their Federal Energy Regulatory […]
Mayor Travis issues statement on meeting with Sen. Berger
June 11. In a prepared statement, Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis defended his visit to Sen. Philip Berger, along with Davidson Mayor John Woods, in support of the controversial Public Private Partnership that is building toll lanes on I-77 between Charlotte and Lake Norman. Here are his comments: “On Wednesday, June 8th, 2016, at 5:15pm, I attended […]
Commissioner Puckett terms Mayor Travis’ actions ‘traitorous’
June 11. ANALYSIS. By Dave Yochum. Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis chose June 8, “Town Hall Day” in the NC State Capitol, to express his personal views on widening I-77 to NC Sen. Philip Berger, the man who has so much to do with the ebb and flow of legislation in Raleigh. It was a peculiar day for Travis […]
2 N. Meck mayors split from business community on I-77
June 9. By Dave Yochum. In defiance of the Cornelius Town Board, Mayor Chuck Travis has met with NC Sen. Philip Berger in Raleigh to argue in favor of the Public Private Partnership that is building toll lanes between Lake Norman and Charlotte. Travis, who lobbied against HB-954—the anti-toll legislation that passed overwhelmingly in the NC House June 2—met with […]
Toll battle shifts to NC Senate
June 6. ANALYSIS. By Dave Vieser. What happened last week with House Bill 954, which calls for the cancelation of the I-77 toll lane contract, was nothing short of amazing. The legislation was initially given virtually no chance of passing when it was first introduced. Then as troubling details about the Cintra toll lane contract […]
Citizen Kurt: WidenI-77 organizer wows top politicians
March 10. By Dave Yochum. Speaking to a packed house—150 citizens and elected officials at Cornelius Town Hall—anti-toll leader Kurt Naas started by thanking people for attending a dry information session on Cintra finances, the bankruptcy in Texas and the pricing plan for tolls between Charlotte and Lake Norman. The one-hour presentation by the founder […]
