Widen I-77, a citizens group opposed to the NC DOT’s plan to widen the interstate north of Charlotte by installing high-occupancy toll lanes, attracted a crowd of 60 to 70 people for a meeting at Cornelius Town Hall Wednesday night. Read the full story

Citizens sat one side of the John Mack Center meeting room in rows of chairs holding signs. Elected officials sat at round tables on the other side of the room. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – More than a hundred residents packed a meeting room in Mooresville Wednesday night, many holding signs protesting the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s plan for High Occupancy Toll Lanes, or HOT Lanes, on I-77 from Charlotte north to Mooresville.

About 40 elected and appointed officials from around the region also were there. The Lake Norman Transportation Commission organized the meeting at the Charles Mack Citizens Center to give local officials a chance to learn more about the widening project. Specifically, they outlined the DOT’s plans to contract with a private company to finance, build and operate the toll lane project, through what’s known as a public-private partnership, or P3. Read the full story

The N.C. Department of Transportation and the Town of Huntersville will hold a public meeting and workshop Wednesday afternoon in Huntersville on plans for widening I-77 north of Charlotte. Read the full story

Local officials and opponents of toll lanes on I-77 are continuing to battle it out this week over the N.C. DOT’s plans for widening the congested highway. A public forum on Friday at the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will include remarks by the leader of the anti-toll group Widen I-77 and the director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission, which previously has endorsed the DOT plan.

Meanwhile, a group claiming to represent more than 60 property owners in the Northcross area, off I-77 Exit 25, issued a statement condemning the plan last week. Later, one of its leaders acknowledged that the statement only represented the views of the group’s five-person board, not individual members.

Also this week, state officials have posted a new website at http://fix77now.blogspot.com/ offering background information and documents about the I-77 HOT lanes project. Read the full story

Consultant David Ungemah explains the economics of toll lanes at Cornelius Town Hall Wednesday night. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

CORNELIUS – Lake Norman area commuters are hoping that toll lanes will be the answer to traffic jams on I-77 north of Charlotte, helping to pay for widening the road earlier than planned. But an expert in so-called “managed lanes” told local officials Wednesday night toll lanes aren’t about that – they’re about guaranteeing a faster ride for those who choose to use the toll lanes.

“This is a game changing proposition for our highway capacity,” said David Ungemah, a toll-lanes expert with consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff. Read the full story

Cornelius Commissioners on Tuesday added their voices to those questioning the state’s plans to construct toll lanes to help pay for widening I-77 north of Charlotte. In a 4-0 vote, the board approved a resolution asking the Lake Norman Transportation Commission – a regional lobbying group that includes Cornelius – to study how the jammed interstate might be widened with general purpose lanes instead of tolls.

Read more and listen to an audio replay of the discussion on CorneliusNews.net

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

A grass-roots campaign against plans for High Occupancy Toll lanes on I-77 north of Charlotte is gaining momentum, with a vote last week by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners to reject the idea. The citizens group Widen I-77 is celebrating that vote, and plans another strategy session Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Cornelius commissioners are also scheduled to discuss the issue at their meeting Tuesday night. Read the full story

Consultants and other visitors at Wednesday's drop-in workshop at Cornelius Town Hall looked at maps of the proposed I-77 widening project. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

CORNELIUS – Residents, businesspeople and local officials this week got a closeup look at several versions of a proposal to build high-occupancy toll lanes on I-77 to help relieve rush-hour congestion north of Charlotte.

At workshops in Cornelius Wednesday and Charlotte Thursday, NC Department of Transportation officials and consultants showed maps of the planned route and drawings of what toll lanes might look like. Read the full story