In a transportation trifecta, state and federal officials pledged Friday to accelerate the widening of Interstate 485, pay for a new airport control tower and help extend Charlotte’s light-rail line to UNC Charlotte.
Gov. Bev Perdue joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Sen. Kay Hagan and other officials at the Charlotte Chamber for a roundtable discussion with business leaders.Perdue made official what a state senator announced last month: that the widening of I-485 between Rea Road and Interstate 77 will begin in 2012, two years ahead of schedule.
“It’s great news for this community … but it’s also great news for North Carolina,” Perdue said.
LaHood offered the possibility of more good news.He said President Barack Obama has budgeted $550 billion for transportation issues, a pot that includes billions for high-speed rail and $400 million for light-rail projects such as Charlotte’s.A former Republican congressman, LaHood said he’s optimistic the budget can largely survive the new GOP-controlled House.
“We’re going to work with Congress,” he said. “There’s nothing partisan about transportation. There are no ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat’ bridges or roads. And I believe transportation will be bi-partisan this year.”LaHood called the transportation measure “a jobs bill.””The president is saying if we want to put people to work,” he said, “the way to do that is make these investments.”LaHood was the only Republican on a panel that included Democratic U.S. Reps. Mel Watt of Charlotte and Larry Kissell of Montgomery County.
In a hearing earlier this week, senators questioned LaHood about how the transportation budget’s proposals would be paid for. A spokeswoman for Charlotte Republican Rep. Sue Myrick said a GOP-led House committee is holding hearings on the bill across the country.
LaHood promised Jerry Orr, aviation director at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, to help build a new control tower. And he offered the prospect that Charlotte might get some of the budget’s $400 million to extend light rail to the university area. UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phil Dubois told the secretary the extension would connect “two of the biggest economic drivers” in the area, uptown and the university.
Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff applauded the project. “The growth that this region is going to experience is going to be eye-popping,” he said. “What will really make or break Charlotte is how will they plan for it? Things like the (Lynx) Blue Line extension is how we plan for it.”
LaHood, Rogoff and the members of Congress took a ride on the Blue Line from uptown to South End, passing developments that came about as a result of the light rail.
“Everywhere I go I say it,” LaHood said at the chamber. “If you build it they will come. Any of these corridors become an economic engine.”
The federal government has promised North Carolina $500 million for high-speed rail, including a line between Charlotte and Greensboro. LaHood declined to say whether North Carolina might benefit from the $2.4 billion for high-speed rail the state of Florida rejected Friday. LaHood said he’ll announce next week what the department would do with the money. But he lauded North Carolina’s commitment to rail.
“North Carolina’s got it together,” he said. “North Carolina is going to be in the high-speed rail business because of the tenacious leadership of your governor.”
Posted: Saturday, Mar. 05, 2011
By Jim Morrill
