widen I-77
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Javier Tamargo: ‘Indiana Toll Road bankruptcy has proved the resounding success of the public-private partnership model’
Aug. 20. By Dave Yochum. ANALYSIS. The I-77 toll battle just got more interesting. And a little humorous. WidenI-77 founder Kurt Naas, a Cornelius resident, has challenged the head of I-77 Mobility Partners, the newly created Cintra unit that will build and run the toll lanes, to a debate. “In the interest of informing the […]
