N.C. House Passes Bill to Improve Charlotte Area Transportation System
Last night, the North Carolina House passed House Bill 947, the P.A.V.E. Act, in a 102-6 vote. The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.
What the legislation does:
The legislation allows voters to decide on a potential sales tax increase to fund transit upgrades for the Mecklenburg County region.
The legislation establishes a metropolitan Public Transportation Authority to ensure that the entire region has representation in the governing body.
The legislation restricts the new tax revenue to 60% for transportation projects and 40% for roads.
Background: For the last couple of years, Charlotte area leaders have pushed for a new transportation plan that focuses on additional trains and bike pathways. The General Assembly leadership continued to express skepticism over their proposals because the previous proposals lacked sufficient funding for road infrastructure.
The legislation that passed the House received support from the House leadership and broad support from the Charlotte area business community. It now heads to the Senate, where its future remains unclear. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance thanked Rep. Tricia Cotham for her work in getting this legislation passed.
