In fall 2024, the Charlotte City Council debated whether to back the N.C. Department of Transportation’s controversial plan to partner with a private developer to build new express toll lanes on Interstate 77 from uptown to South Carolina.
The toll lanes on I-77 in north Mecklenburg were – and still are – politically toxic. Council members were worried that the sequel would be even worse than the original, with drivers upset at sky-high charges.
But Charlotte’s point person on transportation, City Council member Ed Driggs, reassured them that an upcoming vote would only be one small step. There would still be time to reverse course and back out…