Toll Lanes
LNTC’s last gasp: ‘We could have done more’
March 10. By Dave Vieser. The Lake Norman Regional Transportation Commission met last night for the first time since three of the four member towns voted to pull out of the commission as of June 30. With its future uncertain, Chairwoman Melinda Bales said the commissioners would meet soon with the four town’s elected officials to […]
WidenI-77 anti-toll meeting tonight
March 10. With Cintra’s sale of an equity stake in the I-77 toll lane project and the recent bankruptcy of Cintra’s SR 130 toll road in Texas, Widen I-77 is holding a discussion meeting at Cornelius Town Hall at 7 pm tonight. The group will present an analysis of the private tolling business model, including […]
LNTC to meet after 2 towns exit
The Lake Norman Regional Transportation Commission will meet this Wednesday March 9 for the first time since two of the four member towns voted to pull out of the commission. This month’s meeting, by rotation, is in Cornelius, one of the towns which is leaving the four-town organization. The future of the commission is very much […]
Opinion: Bankruptcy just part of the plan
OPINION. By Nils Lucander. What does it mean to North Carolina taxpayers when Cintra (Ferrovial) bankrupts one of its subsidiaries elsewhere? When Cintra’s various LLCs—like the ones in Texas, Indiana, Spain, Virginia and North Carolina—file bankruptcy on these highway projects, it is not due to some unforeseen, unusual, tragic circumstances that we might empathize with […]
Jeter’s I-77 summit will bring top decision-makers together soon
UPDATED 6:40 pm Nov. 9. NC Rep. Charles Jeter will convene an I-77 summit within the next 10 business days to hash out ways to fix the controversial toll plan. The divisive issue led to resounding defeats on Election Day to officials like Mayor Jill Swain and Commissioner Sarah McAulay in Huntersville. Jeter said that “in direct […]
I-77 Mobility Partners say work would occur at night
By Dave Vieser. If the I-77 toll lane project actually gets under way, an article in the Charlotte Observer in August 2014 said it would begin this past spring or summer, motorists and truckers will be dealing with three years of work on Lake Norman’s main north-south expressway. The only redeeming factor is that work which […]
Cintra hints of possible legal action against critic of toll plan
By Dave Yochum. The fight against the plan to widen I-77 with the help of a company whose roots are in Spain continues to escalate, with a lawsuit, another bill in Raleigh and even the threat of legal action against someone who has spoken out against I-77 Mobility partners, the new entity that will build the […]
LKN Chamber meeting to discuss toll plan
Aug. 7. The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will hold business briefings on I-77 tolls on two consecutive Tuesdays, Aug. 11 and Aug. 18, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at The Galway Hooker in Kenton Place. Business owners and managers as well as the public are invited. Mecklenburg County Board Commissioner Jim Puckett and […]
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 […]
Point counterpoint: I-77 toll lanes
By Kurt Naas. Now that local governments and businesses have lined up against the I-77 toll lanes, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has been offering up three more rationales why they must move forward with this project. First, we’ve been told it’s “tolls or nothing for 20 years.” That may have been true in […]
