Exit 30 development topics on agenda for Davidson Board this Tuesday.

Davidson Commissioners meet for their last Board meeting of 2016 on Tuesday, and issues related to development will dominate the discussion.  This time the area of focus will be the Circles@30 part of town.

As the I77 Hot Lanes construction barrels forward work on the new Exit 30 bridge is set to commence.  A presentation from I77 Mobility Partners (aka Cintra) will cover the details.

"The presenter will share the project timeline, and information on lane configurations/alternative routes for the Exit 30 project, so our motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are informed and will remain safe during this year-long construction process."

Here are the slides.

The focus of the meeting stays at Exit 30 with a discussion of the Small Area Plan (or lack thereof) for the area which has become the focus of intense development pressure.

During the October Chat at The Egg restaurant, it was brought up that a Small Area Plan, though completed, was never approved by the Town Board.

The lack of completion of this plan prior to considering projects like the proposed Hotel next to CSD has become an issue of major concern for residents and activists in that part of town.

Here are the first slides from that presentation.

Head over to Town Hall Tuesday night for the full details on these important efforts.  Meeting stars at 630pm.

Contact your #NCGA Senators - Help stop I77 tolls!

Last week, the effort to cancel the 50 year contract and stop the I77 HOT lanes project achieved the unthinkable.  HB954 passed the NC House by a vote of 81-27.

As you can see, the vote was overwhelmingly bi-partisan with support across the state.  8 of 12 Mecklenburg County representatives supported the bill with one being absent during last Thursday's vote.

Now comes the hard part - the NC Senate.

For various reasons the Senate seems significantly less keen on the idea of cancelling the contract.  The bill is sitting in the Senate Transportation Committee, but if it stays there it will be dead by the end of the month.

aShortChronicle was started in large part to encourage citizen activism.  This moment may be the most important one since the site's inception.  Please take this moment to send a brief message to the below list of NC Senators.  Ask them to support HB954.  Mention HB954 in the subject line.  Be polite and be brief.

This is as close as this effort has ever been to stopping this project.  Help make that happen!

NC Senate
Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net,
Andy.Wells@ncleg.net,
Angela.Bryant@ncleg.net,
Ben.Clark@ncleg.net,
Bill.Cook@ncleg.net,
Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net,
David.Curtis@ncleg.net,
Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net,
Buck.Newton@ncleg.net,
Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net,
Dan.Blue@ncleg.net,
Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net,
Don.Davis@ncleg.net,
Erica.Smith-Ingram@ncleg.net,
Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net,
Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net,
Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net,
Harry.Brown@ncleg.net,
Harry.Brown@ncleg.net,
Jane.Smith@ncleg.net,
Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.net,
Jeff.Jackson@ncleg.net,
Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net,
Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net,
Jim.Davis@ncleg.net,
Joel.Ford@ncleg.net,
John.Alexander@ncleg.net,
Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.net,
Joyce.Waddell@ncleg.net,
Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net,
Louis.Pate@ncleg.net,
Michael.Lee@ncleg.net,
Mike.Woodard@ncleg.net,
Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net,
Paul.Lowe@ncleg.net,
Phil.Berger@ncleg.net,
Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net,
Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net,
Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net,
Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net,
Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net,
Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net,
Terry.VanDuyn@ncleg.net,
Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net,
Tom.McInnis@ncleg.net,
Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net,
Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net,
Valerie.Foushee@ncleg.net,
Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net,
Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net,

I-77 dominates local elections...again!

This article first appeared in the Herald Weekly at HuntersvilleHerald.com

It seems like it was just yesterday that anti-toll activists were basking in the glory of victories at the ballot box, but that was actually four whole months ago. A lot can happen in that amount of time, and when it comes to the controversy surrounding the plan for High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes on I77, a lot certainly has – not all of it good.

In the subsequent months, the WidenI77.org lawsuit was heard with the end result being the courts failing to provide an injunction, the NCDOT inspector general issued a report effectively saying “move along, there’s nothing for you to see here” when it comes to the legal troubles of the I77 contractor (Cintra) and its parent company (Ferrovial) in Spain, and construction has continued with the clearcutting of trees in the road’s median – providing a daily reminder the project is still moving forward.

In the face these setbacks, one might get the impression the last round of local elections may represent something of a high water mark for the effort to stop tolls from coming to the Lake Norman region. However, if that’s the case activists opposing the project must not have gotten the memo. They have kept up the pressure on local electeds and kept the issue at the top of the local political agenda.

In response, incumbent politicians who were previously all but silent on opposing the tolls have come out of the woodwork to champion their defeat.

NC House 92 Representative, Charles Jeter of Huntersville, announced immediately after the November election that he would be asking for a House Select Committee to be formed to look at the issue. What has happened with that committee? Well, a committee was formed, but instead of it being focused on I77, it’s a committee to look at all sorts of strategic transportation issues - from ports to mass transit to yes, toll roads. To date this committee has done nothing to directly impact the I77 project.

NC Senate 44 Senator, David Curtis of Denver, has also made an aggressive 180 when it comes to tolls. As recently as last spring, he was in the “it’s a done deal” camp – buying into NCDOT’s threat of a $100 million penalty if the state cancelled the contract. Days after the November election he told the Charlotte Observer he no longer thought that was the case and was part of a group of lawmakers asking Governor McCrory to void the contract.

Even Attorney General Roy Cooper has gotten in on the act. Cooper, whose office reviewed the contract with Cintra before it was signed, gave no strong indications of where he stood until recently. Now, at every opportunity Cooper is saying the contract never would have been signed if he was governor.

What do all of these elected officials have in common? They’re all facing stiff election challenges this cycle.

Jeter and Curtis are involved in primaries against fellow Republicans where the toll issue the driving issue in their respective races. Jeter faces a rematch of his 2012 contest against Tom Davis of Charlotte. Davis even goes as far a to mention the toll issue on his campaign signs.

Curtis also faces a rematch against a former 2012 electoral foe, Chris Carney of Mooresville. The sharpest barbs of that current campaign have revolved around the toll issue.

As for Cooper, his big day will have to wait until November when he’s the odds on favorite to face Pat McCrory. That race is expected to be very close and any inroads he makes in the solidly Republican Lake Norman are could be a real difference maker. Cooper no doubt sees the enthusiasm here locally for Mooresville’s Robert Brawley who is challenging McCrory in the Republican primary on an anti-toll message and would like nothing more than to piggyback on that in the fall if McCrory escapes the primary victorious.

Rather than seeing Jeter, Curtis and Cooper opposing the idea of tolls now, wouldn’t it have been nice to have seen them actually fighting the toll back when the public really needed their support – before the contract was signed?!?!

Something to remember when heading to the polls this coming Tuesday.

Anti-toll activism election opportunity

Anti-toll activists have posted an interesting opportunity prior to next Tuesday's primary elections.  It's a good ol' fashioned flyer handout.

If you want to help hand out flyers, head over to Signup Genius and take a neighborhood.  There are options for all 4 Lake Norman area towns.

It will be a great way to enjoy the weather, do a little civic duty, and fight the tolls!!!

The Texas con of Mayberry starts to come undone

Mayberry con man "Dan Caldwell"

Once again, the warnings of anti-toll activists seem to be coming true.

With Cintra's announcement that its SH 130 toll operation in Texas is headed to bankruptcy court, the future of the I77 project is becoming even more clear if it is allowed to go forward - as in "this can happen here."

Cintra's US operation is based in Texas.  As we've pointed out here, there are Texas connections to our toll project in Lake Norman that lead all the way to Governor McCrory.  Now, Governor Pat - in a completely transparent effort at damage control during campaign season - is dispatching NCDOT to Texas to "reassess" what can be done about NC's contract with Cintra on the very similar I77 project. .

Readers will remember that just late last year, Mayors Travis and Woods from Cornelius and Davidson also travelled to Texas to review Cintra's operations.  They came back with a glowing report of a road that is nothing like what's planned for Lake Norman - the North Tarrant Express.

Like Barney Fife, they bought the bait and switch con.

Fortunately, all of our local electeds aren't so gullible.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jim Puckett, playing the role of the sensible Sheriff Andy Taylor, provided the below comment to aShortChronicle.

"This action in Texas is just the latest in a series of defaults, bankruptcies and systematic failures for Cintra and their partners. While the bankruptcy in Texas is not directly linked to the I-77 project the similarities in design and the projected revenues etc. have long been offered by NCDOT as an example of why they choose to go this route.  I and the majority of my fellow commissioners have long been opposed to this plan and have repeatedly asked for first a delay in signing the contract and after the fact asking for cancellation. I hope I speak for all of us when I say that while our wisdom and subsequent request have heretofore been ignored I hope NCDOT and the governor will now follow our official request and cancel this contract.  Attorney General Cooper told me personally that he would "vigorously" fight for the citizens of NC in fighting any lawsuits that may arise from cancellation and I have no reason to doubt his resolve and skills in working with the governor and the legislature to bring this to a quick and affordable conclusion."

Like an old episode of the Andy Griffith show, let's hope this con is finally foiled by our own various versions of Sheriff Taylor before it's too late!

#NCGA - Pro-Toll Mayor Travis continues support of Pro-Toll Rep Fraley

There are lots of sayings in the rough and tumble game of running for public office.  One of them is “money is the mother’s milk of politics.”

With last Friday’s deadline for submitting campaign finance reports now in the rear view mirror, we get the first glimpse at how candidates are doing in this phase of the run-up to next month’s primaries.  That should definitely provide some interesting fodder in coming weeks for those who follow local elections closely.

With so much going on with the I77 tolls project recently, it seemed like a good idea to check up on the report for NC House 95 Representative, John Fraley.  Fraley is currently the only Lake Norman area member of the General Assembly still openly supporting the project and its controversial contract with Spanish firm Cintra’s local subsidiary -  I77 Mobility Partners.

When Fraley challenged Mooresville’s Robert Brawley for the seat back in 2014, his candidacy was widely speculated to be an effort supported by Raleigh power brokers backing the tolling project – people such as Thom Tillis, then the Speaker of the NC House.  Back then, Brawley had been involved in a very public spat with the Speaker largely over the plan to put HOT lanes on I77.

Fraley’s 2014 campaign finance reports were highlighted by huge loans to his campaign from his own personal funds totaling over $80,000.  He also raked in 10s of thousands of dollars more in contributions with much of that coming from out of state sources.  Much of that war-chest, to the tune of over $64,0000, was spent with a high powered and well connected Raleigh political consulting outfit called The Stewart Group.  Fraley’s campaign treasurer also happened to be the same firm used by most Republican US Federal candidates, a firm named CM&CO, out of Raleigh.  One of that firm’s largest clients that cycle according to OpenSecrets.com just happened to also be the Thom Tillis US Senate campaign.

With all that political fire power backing him, Fraley eked out the primary election victory against Brawley by a mere 106 votes.

However, all of that may not be the most interesting thing about Fraley's reports that cycle.  The most interesting was one donation from an address in Cornelius.  That address would match the address on Cornelius Mayor Chuck Travis’s campaign reports.  However, the name on the donation was not that of the Mayor, instead it was from his wife.  In fact, the $2000 donation was one of the largest individual donations Fraley received last go-round.

All of that just provides a little background.  What does it have to do with this cycle, you may be asking?

Here are two things.

First, Fraley has raised and spent much less this time – a mere $20,000 raised and less than $3,000 spent – leaving him with cash on hand of about $23,000.  Things could certainly change after this report, but that’s a clear indication he believes he has little to fear from his primary challenger this time.  That would be political newcomer and anti-toll candidate David W Thomson of Mooresville.

The second is that one of his biggest donors, continues to come from that same address linked to Cornelius Mayor and HOT lanes supporter, Chuck Travis.  This time though, there is really no mistaking where that money originated.  The name on the check is Travis’s, or more specifically the “Chuck Travis for Mayor” campaign committee.  Travis raised an unusual amount of money last time for someone running unopposed – over $35,000.  It was many times what he'd raised for his previous local campaigns.

Travis serves on the state's Turnpike Authority Board, so sending some of his leftover campaign cash to a fellow toll supporter to use in this cycle somehow seems sort of fitting.
That brings to mind another saying…
“Birds of a feather….”

Roy Cooper's Political Bombshell

This past weekend the good folks over at WidenI77.org made public an Investigative Demand letter sent from AG Roy Cooper's office to I77 Mobility Partners/Cintra.

It's a very interesting read.

16 different demands for documents are made covering 3 main categoies.

• Information about I77 Mobility Partners' public communications plan.  For a project that was supposedly a "done deal" the firm has been sending out a lot of ads and press releases still "selling" the plan.
• Cintra's other failed projects in North America.  This would seem to be largely in reference to the issues brought up by Cornelius resident Diane Gilroy in a letter to Governor McCrory. Read the previous coverage at aShortChronicle on Gilroy's research here and here.
• Financial related questions about the project.  The AG's office wants to know more about how much money Cintra expects from the state as well as communications to the ratings agencies.  Read the previous coverage at aShortChronicle on the HOT lanes debt here.

All of these things have been questions/subjects aShortChronicle has been covering for months, so it's nice to see the AG's office finally catching up.

However, we want to point out something specific related to the first bullet listed above.  The one related to the ads.  The fifth demand is specific to lobbying and ad placement.

"5. All communications between You and Ross Communications, Mercury LLC, and any other firm engaged to advertise, lobby, or communicate to the public or third parties regarding the I-77 Express Lanes project."

Regular readers of aShortChronicle will recognize the name Mercury LLC.  The firm and its "man in NC", Russell Peck, have been covered here, here, and here over the past several months.

If Peck's name is ringing a bell more recently, that may be because he's reprising his role from 2012 as Governor Pat McCrory's campaign manager.

Having your campaign manager's firm involved in an official investigation conducted by your opponent can not be a good thing!

If/when that political bombshell gets dropped on the campaign trail by the mainstream media, it will be fun to watch.

Time to put our local mayors on a short leash?

Recently, several events in the swirl of activity around the I77 HOT lanes project have shaken the confidence of Lake Norman residents.
We’ve seen the Charlotte City Council throw its regional weight around by pushing the project forward in the face of overwhelming opposition from the residents most impacted by it.  We’ve seen the mayor of Cornelius reprimanded by a unanimous vote of his board for supporting the project in ways that misrepresent the Board’s official opposition to it.  We’ve seen the governor pass the buck and stand by watching as a political and economic disaster unfolds.

In the face of all that voters are left asking “what can we do?”

In response, we've heard the common refrain of “throw the bums out” at the next election.  We've heard people ask about recall votes to remove certain elected officials from office.  We’ve even heard the suggestion of creating a new Lake Norman County.

Unfortunately, none of those things are easy to do.

Regular municipal elections are only held every two years - leaving plenty of time to make mischief between election cycles.  Recall elections are not allowed by law in North Carolina.  Forming a new county would require approval from the state – something not likely to come.

And in the end, these solutions might not address what has been one the biggest problems locally – the unresponsiveness of our mayors.

The office of the mayor serves as the face of each town.  They have a lot of power and authority both inside and outside of town hall.  The mayor’ offices also often serve as the initial stops where bad ideas get support.  The HOT lanes project has been a prime example of this.

On many occasions over the last few years, particularly as public opposition to the project has ramped up, our towns’ mayors have rushed to its rescue.  The mayors have served as something of a “HOT lanes bucket brigade” for NCDOT working to put out fires during the entire process
To date, only former Huntersville mayor Jill Swain has paid any sort of political price.  Mayors Travis, Woods, and Atkins are all still securely in place even though they have supported the project in various ways with the most recent example being Mooresville Mayor Atkins casting a tie breaking vote in its favor just this past week.

Fortunately, solving the problem with our mayors is something within the control of the town boards and/or the citizens.

Many people do not know this, but the town's have the authority to change various aspects of their municipal government charters.  They can not conduct a recall election for elected officials, but they can change how officials are elected  – including how the mayor is chosen.

One option the town's have is to not choose the mayor by direct election, but to instead have the office of mayor selected from the group of commissioners with the “mayor” serving at the pleasure of the board.

Basically, after each election the town commissioners would select which one of them would serve as mayor.  The mayor would “serve at the pleasure of the board”.  If the new mayor got out of line with the Board (like what has recently happened in Cornelius), the commissioners could simply demote the person back to a commissioner and replace the mayor with a different member of the board.
This new process is initiated through what is called a charter amendment.  The type of amendment mentioned here could be initiated by any of our town boards.  It can also be initiated by a citizen petition.

This may sound like an extreme example, but these type of charter amendments aren't unheard of even here locally.  In 2010/2011, Davidson considered a charter amendment to go to 4 year elected terms.  In 2012 Cornelius considered moving their elections from even odd years to even years.  Neither change occurred, but they were considered.

People are upset and looking for practical ways to impact change in our local government.

Considering a change that puts our mayors on a short leash is one way to do that.

This post first appeared in this week's Herald Weekly at huntersvilleherald.com

Media Watch: Excuse me ma'am, but your bias is showing.

In the long running back and forth between anti-toll activists and the good folks at the Lake Norman Citizen, there have been a lot of ups and downs.

Usually, it involves something like an event covered differently by the Citizen, activists pointing that out, and then the good folks over at the Citizen feigning indignation and claiming to be the only news outlet in the area that is covering this story accurately.

This has been going on since this story was posted back in January 2013 at aShortChronicle.

Recently, things have gotten a bit more personal and more obvious however.

Take this example.  Earlier this month, one prominent anti-toll activist posted on their Facebook page a comment thanking the speakers at the recent Charlotte City Council meeting for their efforts.  These speakers were called "heroes".

Somewhat oddly, staff writer Lori Helms from the Lake Norman Citizen chimed in saying that was an inappropriate use of the word "hero".  It seemed like an odd comment, but then again everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Now, to be very clear, Ms Helms did not say she was speaking on behalf of the Citizen or anything like that when she joined the conversation.  However, someone else on the thread subsequently brought up what they thought was Ms Helms's biased reporting and Ms Helms said this in response.

That would seem to be pretty clear wouldn't it?  No bias, EVER, in news stories and commentary stories are just COMMENTARY.

Right.  Ok.  Got it.

Now, fast forward to the very next week which just also happened to be the very next issue of the Citizen.

Check out this news story on the recent LKN Chamber annual awards gala and this commentary piece on the idea of a new Lake Norman county.

In the rundown of awards in the "news" piece, two awards were glaringly missing.  Both WidenI77.org and the I77 Business Plan organizations received Distinguished Service awards from the LKN Chamber for their efforts to stop the HOT lanes project.  The entire list of awards is on the LKN Chamber website.  Moreover, the Lake Norman Citizen was the sponsor of the event!  It would seem pretty likely they had access to the entire list.

A more glaring and literal example of bias by omission in a news story would be hard to find.

Now go read the commentary piece.

The editor of the Citizen rakes Charlotte Observer columnist, Mark Washburn, over the coals for suggesting the the LKN area consider pushing for it to become its own county.  Again, this is just the writer's opinion (based on a level of research) and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

However, the aggressiveness of the editor's opinion and the high degree of snark with which it was delivered brings to mind the saying "tell us what your really think."

After reading that, I think it is safe to say the public knows.

When an editor allows a "news" piece into a publication with such a glaring ommission on a story where the ommission involves groups involved in the largest ongoing story in the area, and in that same edition the editor blasts away in a commentary piece involving that same issue, it's pretty easy to see why some in the area think the publication is "in the tank" on that issue.

For the record, this post - as are all posts at aShortChronicle - is just a piece of COMMENTARY. Please don't confuse it with NEWS.

Mooresville Mayor repeating history with vote on HOT lanes project?

The saying "if we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it" could not be more true after last night's vote in Mooresville to approve the I77 HOT lanes project.

In a 3-3 tie vote, broken by Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins in favor of going forward with the terribly flawed Cintra contact, Mooresville voted on Tuesday to support the CRTPO long-range transportation plan that includes the horribly unpopular toll project.  The critical CRTPO vote came Wednesday night where where it also passed.

The situation in Mooresville on Tuesday was eerily similar to the 2007 vote where former Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg cast a tie breaking vote that effectively created MI-Connection - the money losing cable company owned by Mooresville and Davidson.  That vote effectively ended Thunberg's elected career when he narrowly lost reelection in 2009 once it started to become apparent MI-Connection was going to be a financial disaster.

Here is Mayor Atkins's post on his Facebook page to explain his tie breaking vote.  What do you think voters will say next time he has to face them?

Team Tillis sends in the Storm Troopers... Empire Strikes Back Part Deux

One of the first posts at aShortChronicle to get significant statewide traction was one called HOT Lanes: The Empire Strikes Back.

It recounted the story of how activists from WidenI77.org trekked to Raleigh in 2013 to meet with then-Speaker Thom Tillis.  They hoped to avoid a long confrontation by convincing the elected official most responsible for the I77 HOT lanes project to change course.  It did not work out that way. Rather than engaging in a productive meeting, the pro-toll Empire attempted to crush the Rebels through a display of overwhelming force.

Well, nearly three years later, history seems to be repeating itself with Team Tillis releasing its Storm Troopers from across the state and beyond to engage anti-toll activists in the battle for cyberspace.

Recently, the anti-toll Rebels engaged the Senator's proxy (aka his wife, Susan Tillis) when she posted in the LKN Election Connection forum on Facebook.

Ms Tillis, posted a glowing bit of commentary about the Senator's work in the area of Veteran's affairs - good work to be sure.  However, it was almost immediately met with comments on tolls, underscoring how the Senator's support for tolls has poisoned the well for him among many locals.

Team Tillis, aided and abetted by one local journalist, engaged in a day-long running back and forth over tolls totalling nearly 300 comments while simultaneously feigning indignation that the anti-tollers had somehow "hijacked" Ms Tillis's Facebook thread.

Team Tillis members Carmen Cox Ledford from Sanford North Carolina and John W Turner of Raleigh were imported to the battlefront to do the heavy lifting.

Ms Ledford is a long-time Republican Party activist.  Her online footprint shows numerous pics of her and Ms Tillis as well as the Senator.  The same goes for Mr Turner online profile.

Below are a couple examples.

Carmen Ledford on the campaign trail with Susan Tillis

John Turner giving award to Thom Tillis

In fact Turner introduced himself to the local debate with this comment on the LKN Election Connection Facebook Group.  It would appear for him, conflict was a foregone conclusion.

To be very, very clear...it appears both of these people have done lots of good work particularly in the area of veterans affairs and education choice.  They should be commended for those efforts.

In this case however they seem to be playing the role of the "good soldier".  Unfortunately, when it comes to defending those who defend this toll plan, this time they've gone over to the Dark Side.

The same niceties can not be said for this third example.

Another Tillis supporter who has shown up on the toll debate scene is one Carlton Huffman.  Huffman is in the center of the below picture from CharlotteObserver.com. it shows him on stage at the Senator's primary campaign victory party with long-time local Team Tillis member, Anne Clifford.  (Clifford has also recently been aggressively engaging the anti-tollers.)

Huffman hails from Granite Falls, NC and currently works for the state GOP in Wisconsin.  He is also no stranger to causing political turmoil.  As a former legislative aid in Raleigh, he was involved in at least two controversies during his short time there.  In one case, he circulated emails poking fun at some grammatical errors of children trying to participate in the legislative process.  In another he anonymously placed a controversial letter on desks in the NC Senate chamber as the Senate was about to debate a bill.  Check out this story and its embedded links for more details.

Soon after these incidents, Huffman no longer worked at the NCGA.

Huffman is also no stranger to meddling in the affairs of other localities.  This profile of Huffman's activities when working on a political campaign in the Hickory area is revealing.  Highly suggest reading it and its links.  Frankly, Team Tillis should be distancing itself from this guy.  The fact that they aren't is telling.

For those pesky activists in the Rebel Alliance however, there is one point to take away from seeing the Empire bring so many from "lands far, far away" to this fight.

It's an example of how little support the pro-tollers have locally to engage the fight themselves.

To those pesky Rebels engaged in that fight, "may the force be with you."

New HOT lanes Jersey Walls...more safety issues, accidents, road closures to come

The Charlotte Observer reported Friday on what may be the first highway stoppage due to an accident related in some way to the HOT lanes project and the new Jersey Walls in place since construction started.

From the Observer...

"Northbound Interstate 77 is shut in Huntersville early Friday afternoon after a tractor trailer jack-knifed just north of the Gilead Road exit, firefighters said. The wreck happened around 12:30 p.m. near Exit 23. State highway officials said it could take until 4 p.m. to clear the scene."

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article49228865.html#storylink=cpy

Where is the mention of the HOT project you ask?

That info comes from Facebook via the actual first responders on the scene.

I happened to be driving a mini-bus on I77 very early Friday morning before this happened.  It was my first time doing so since the lanes have been narrowed for the HOT lanes project.  Let me just say for large vehicles, these narrowed lanes leave little to no room for error.

Back in the day, I used to have a commercial licence and drove city buses and large box trucks.  I can tell you, these lanes are tight!

If this project continues going forward, get used to more of these accidents.  They will continue to happen.

Select Committee on I77 tolls...and a bunch of other stuff

Late Friday afternoon, Mollie Young (Dir. of Communications, Speaker Moore's Office) sent out a press release finally announcing the formation of the Select Committee within the NC House mentioned by the Speaker back on November 16th.

Back then, it sounded like this committee was going to be specific to the I77 HOT Lanes project.  In fact, it even gave anti-toll opponents a little hope that maybe it was being formed as a way to kill the project.  The announcement of its formation coincided with the planning for the I77 summit which of course didn't draw the Governor and was blown off by Charlotte

The details in the press release should temper any optimism to a great degree that this committee will quickly achieve the desired result.

Here are a a couple of quick observations...

The committee is Chaired by John Torbett of Gaston County.  Torbett has been a good soldier for the pro-toll forces in the House.  Torbett was a co-sponsor of an earlier toll related bill H267.  We've covered the shenanigans around that bill extensively.  See here, here and here for a sampling.  Having Rep Torbett with his hand on the reigns of this Committee should not give the anti-toll crowd a warm fuzzy feeling.  This is the same Rep Torbett who "forgot" to file any campaign reports this entire year and recently had his campaign committee temporarily shut down by the State BOE.

As further evidence this Select Committee is not stacked with anti-toll politicians, you'll find Rep John Fraley's name also on the list.  Fraley is pro-toll all the way as we told you about here.

Finally, unlike the select committee setup by former Speaker Thom Tillis which was focused on ramming through the idea of using Public Private Partnerships which helped give birth to the I77 project, this new committee covers a broad expanse of transportation issues and has a lot more members.  It is hard to see his committee getting to the point of suggesting ways of killing the I77 project any time soon.

Here's hoping that's not the case

Press release and entire committee list below...

Speaker Announces New Transportation Select Committee
Will Review I-77 Managed Lanes Project and Other Issues

Raleigh, NC – Today, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced the House Members who will serve on the newly formed House Select Committee On Strategic Transportation Planning And Long Term Funding Solutions.

“The appointment of this committee is a crucial next step in addressing the growing transportation and infrastructure needs in North Carolina,” Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston) remarked. Torbett will serve as the Committee Chair. “This committee will allow the House to continue to build on the successes we achieved in last year’s budget.  I am humbled by the opportunity to chair the committee and look forward to leading North Carolina into a more competitive future by addressing the needs of our transportation network.”

The Committee will have the authority to look at a number of issues including, but not limited to, current and future transportation projects, such as the I-77 managed lanes project or the I-95 corridor improvements.  The Committee may also study port modernization, rail access, technological advancements in infrastructure construction, autonomous vehicles, and the impact our transportation network has on North Carolina’s global competitiveness and economic growth potential.

“There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and information that deserves scrutiny and reconsideration as we look at how the State is going to fund transportation in the future,” stated Rep. Charles Jeter (R-Mecklenburg), who will serve as Vice-Chair of the Committee. “This committee will allow us the opportunity to review current concerns and ensure future decisions are made with the best interest of all North Carolinians.”

The following House Members were appointed to serve on the committee:

Representative John Torbett (Chair)
Representative Charles Jeter (Vice-Chair)
Representative Phil Shepard (Vice-Chair)
Representative Frank Iler (Vice-Chair)
Representative Jamie Boles
Representative Debra Conrad
Representative Josh Dobson
Representative Nelson Dollar
Representative Jeffery Elmore
Representative John Fraley
Representative Pat Hurley
Representative Linda Johnson
Representative Susan Martin
Representative Michele Presnell
Representative Paul Tine
Representative Rena Turner
Representative William Brisson
Representative Becky Carney
Representative Ken Goodman
Representative Howard Hunter III

The Committee will meet at the call of the Chair, and plans to hold its first meeting the week of December 14th.

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OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
16 West Jones Street | Room 2304 | Raleigh, NC 2

#NCGA House-92: It is ALL about the HOT lanes.

At least that is what you would think from looking at Democrat challenger Chaz Beasley's website. The only issue mentioned on his campaign site home page is his opposition to I-77 HOT lanes project.

Beasley says he intends to file this Thursday at 12:15 p.m. according to his Facebook page.  He will be the first challenger for incumbent Republican Rep Charles Jeter of Huntersville who currently holds the seat.

Beasley repeatedly says "we" have opposed the HOT lanes project since the beginning. However, it is a bit unclear exactly what Beasley means by "we".

A search of the Exit 28 Ridiculousness Facebook page does not show a single comment by Beasley nor does one find anything else where he is on the record as opposing the project or has worked at all with the groups of activists trying to stop it.  That would include on the sites for the Mecklenburg Young Democrats where Beasley served as the immediate past president - a position that would have allowed him a platform to espouse his supposed opposition.

Regardless, his emphasis on the project shows the importance of it as a campaign issue.

NC-92 is one of the few competitive districts between the parties in the entire state, so any number of issues could swing the election to one party or another.  If voters believe that Jeter is not doing absolutely everything possible to stop the project, then it could cause enough voters to swing to Beasley simply because he says he opposes it.

Proof of Beasley's actual opposition may not be required.

Feds taking comments on CRTPO...give 'em an ear full.

In the aftermath last week's "I77 Summit", the region's primary transportation planning body, the CRTPO, has become the center of attention when it comes to the I77 HOT lanes project.

The Governor is hiding behind the group, saying the only way he'll consider stopping the project is if the CRTPO tells him to do it.  The NCDOT is saying any newly constituted CRTPO body would not be able to reasonably decide the issue quickly because the body could have several new faces after this month's elections.  If any actionable item did come out of the "Summit", it was Rep Charles Jeter's stated intention to file a bill to reduce Charlotte's influence in the CRTPO when the Legislature reconvenes for its short session next year.  The Charlotte Observer has even recognized that the City's decision to skip the summit looks bad and jeopardizes the legitimacy its current setup as a decision making body.

Charlotte has long used its weighted voting power to effectively make decisions in all but unilateral fashion for the entire region.  As we said in this story here back in 2013, Charlotte often acts like the playground bully effectively saying "we'll take our ball and go home if we don't get our way".

Frankly, there has been little that individuals can do about that setup.  That is, up until now.

WidenI77.org is encouraging the public to send the below email (or any respectful email of your choosing) to the Federal Department of Transportation before December 15.  The quadrennial review period for the CRTPO is currently underway at the Federal level and the DOT is taking comments.

Send your email to Loretta.Barren@dot.gov and let the Feds know how the current setup is effectively allowing Charlotte to milk the surrounding region while not allowing the surrounding region an effective mechanism to stop it - or at least to be treated fairly.

Sample email below...

Subject: CRTPO Public Involvement Process

Dear Ms. Barren-
The CRTPO is in need of reform. During the past several years they have minimized or ignored public input. With a very lop-sided voting structure, one city benefits greatly while the needs of the other towns and the region are ignored.
For example:

• During the July 2015 public comment period, CRTPO received over 700 individual comments opposing the P3.0 TIP.  CRTPO approved the TIP citing, among other reasons, the fact that the TIP had to be approved quickly or they risked losing federal allocation in October.  Therefore, the public comment period was moot.

• While developing the P4.0 project list, CRTPO received over 250 public comments urging adoption.  At their September 16, 2015 meeting, CRTPO took the extremely unusual step of postponing approval. In direct opposition to public comments, CRTPO subsequently removed a project from the list and approved the list at their next meeting.

• On May 23, 2013 CRTPO (then MUMPO) Chairwoman Sarah MacAulay unilaterallydenied all citizens the opportunity to comment during the public comment period. Eighteen had signed up to speak on the controversial I-77 private toll project.

• At their December 12, 2013 CRTPO meeting, TCC staff recommended against including a public comment period for TCC meetings.  CRTPO accepted this recommendation. A public comment period for TCC meetings does not exist.

• The public comment period policy for MUMPO meetings used to be three minutes per person and ten minutes per group. CRTPO revised this to limit the public comment period to twenty minutes total, regardless of the number of speakers or groups.
• Groups wishing to make a formal presentation must notify CRTPO ten days in advance.

• Mr. Ned Curran serves as an alternate delegate for NCDOT Divisions 10 & 12. Curran is also Chairman of the NCDOT Board and CEO of Bissel, a major land developer and property manager in South Charlotte. On August 19, 2015, Curran voted for the P3.0 TIP as the Division 12 delegate. I believe it is a conflict of interest for a major land developer to decide road and transportation improvement projects.

• Ms. Sarah McAulay serves as Chair of CRTPO. On August 19, 2015, McAulay introduced a motion to approve the P3.0 TIP which includes seven Huntersville projects. McAulay owns or co-owns three properties with direct frontage to at least one or more of the projects and six properties in close proximity to one or more projects.  I believe it is aconflict of interest for a CRTPO member to decide road improvement projects from which they may directly benefit.

These comprise serious flaws in the CRTPO’s planning process, have seriously eroded public trust and fail to serve the public interest. Per 23 U.S.C. (i)(5) and 49 U.S.C. 1607 I am therefore requesting you reject CRTPO’s certification until substantial reforms are completed.

Sincerely,

Name

Town