Charlotte ‘Mobility Plan’ comes with price tag around 13 billion dollars

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Monday night, Charlotte City Council passed a wish list of what it would like to see from federal and state lawmakers.

One of the most notable has to do with how you get around town.

The city has an ambitious “Mobility Plan.” Exactly what’s in it and the timeline for completing parts of it has been a moving target.

Big picture: Road improvements, sidewalks, bike lanes, and more mass transit options.

Light rail is the big ticket item.

The proposed Silver Line would run from Union County up around Uptown to the airport and then into Gaston County.

The long-promised Red Line would shoot from uptown to Lake Norman and the Blue Line would be extended in the south to Ballantyne.

The question: How are you going to pay for it?

For everything, we’re looking at a price tag north of 13 billion dollars. One stream of revenue would come from adding 1 percent to the sales tax in Mecklenburg County.

That needs state approval and House Speaker Tim Moore doesn’t like the plan. He thinks it spends too much on mass transit and not enough on roads.

Despite that, Charlotte City Council said Monday night that it’s going to ask for that sales tax increase.

Does it have a chance of lawmaker approval?

A key member of the General Assembly, Senator Vickie Sawyer, chair of the Appropriations on Department of Transportation Committee, says Charlotte leaders shouldn’t get their hopes up.

WBTV’s Jamie Boll asked the Republican representing North Mecklenburg and Iredell counties why.

Watch the complete interview above and download the free WBTV News app and be alerted to development news in your area.

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