DOT Snubs Charlotte Again

Wanna know why Charlotteans are always bitching about state lawmakers? Maybe that's because Charlotte is the state’s largest metro area with a quickly growing population, it gives the most money to the state in the form of taxes and revenue, yet it continues to receive less funding from state lawmakers for important projects, most notably, transportation. This week, we got word from the NC Department of Transportation that it will spend $38.6 million on the first round of stimulus projects in the Charlotte metro area, compared to $64 million in Eastern North Carolina office for Greenville and New Bern. The Greenville-New Bern office will spend the most DOT stimulus money in NC, followed by the Fayetteville office, which will spend $63.4 million on its outerbelt. I can’t seem to follow the allocation logic here, but I’m not surprised to see the largest chunk of change going to the Eastern part of the state.

The not so well kept secret is that the DOT board, which is responsible for allocating transportation dollars across the state, has been run by the same handful of powerful board members from the Eastern part of the state for years. The 19 member board consists of 5 At-Large seats, one of those seats is empty and the other four are political/fundraising supporters of our past/current governors, all living east of Mecklenburg County. Now I live in Raleigh and I’m the first to say Raleigh needs more lanes (or a light rail system!) to get around the Triangle at rush hour or to the beach in the summer, but as one who grew up in Charlotte and appreciates the bustling energy and endless amenities that the growing city offers, I say it’s time for our lawmakers to step up and recognize that we must support the infrastructure needs of the most populated and prosperous metro area in our state to ensure a sound economic future for all North Carolinians.

Charlotte
Charlotte is the 19th largest city in the country, the largest city on the Eastern Seaboard between Philadelphia and Jacksonville, and by far the largest city in the state. From 2000 to 2007, the population inside Charlotte city limits grew 21% to 671,588. In 2007, the Charlotte metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,897,034.

Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the United States (after New York), and is home to Bank of America and Wells Fargo subsidiary, Wachovia. The Charlotte metro area is also home to 5 other Fortune 500 companies. Mecklenburg County now has one of the highest sales tax rates in the state after adding an additional 0.5% local tax for public transportation to make up for state shortfalls, bringing sales taxes there to a total 7.25%.

Charlotte's central location between the population centers of the northeast and southeast has made it a transportation focal point and primary distribution center, with two major interstate highways, I-85 and I-77, intersecting near the city's center. Charlotte's beltway, designated I-485 and simply called "485" by locals, is partially completed but stalled for funding. The new projection has it slated for completion by 2013. Upon completion, 485 will have a total circumference of approximately 67 miles. Within the city, the I-277 loop freeway encircles Charlotte's downtown (usually referred to by its two separate sections, the John Belk Freeway and the Brookshire Freeway) while Charlotte Route 4 links major roads in a loop between I-277 and I-485.

Greenville
Greenville is the 10th largest city in the state. The city's official population estimate as of July 1, 2007 is 75,482 residents. The Greenville Metro Area includes 172,473 people. It is the home of East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in North Carolina and employs over 6,000 people.

Several major U.S. and state highways converge in the area to provide easy access to the interstate highway system. Major highways that run through the area include US 264 (Martin Luther King Jr. Highway), NC 11 (Memorial Drive), US 13, NC 33, NC 43, and NC 903. Greenville is North Carolina's largest city without a major interstate; however, Interstate 95 is located 32 miles (51 km) to the west of the city. Greenville is currently widening lanes on Memorial, and the intersection of Fire Tower. Greenville is expected to complete the southwest bypass in 2018. It stems from the 264 intersection on Statonsburg Rd. It has currently been stalled due to funding cost.

Largest Cities in NC (2007):

1. Charlotte: 671,588
2. Raleigh: 375,806
3. Greensboro: 258,671
4. Winston-Salem: 224,889
5. Durham: 222,472
6. Fayetteville: 203,100
7. Cary: 121,796
8. High Point: 100,432
9. Wilmington: 99,623
10. Greenville: 75,482

County Share of NC Taxes (2005-2006):

• Mecklenburg County: $937,971,012
• Pitt County: $89,943,587