Money Aimed At The Black Community
City Council Offered Cash To Change Its I-77 Vote.
Normally, if you give a politician money to change his vote — it’s called a bribe.
But the NC Department of Transportation calls the money it’s offering Charlotte — an “incentive.”
The DOT is offering 300-million dollars —- if City Council will change its vote and allow toll lanes to be built on I-77 south.
In a written offer, the money seems targeted at black neighborhoods that fought the project because activists feared it would potentially bulldoze about two dozen homes. But DOT says the 300 million being offered, could help the black community by providing funds to build grocery stores on the west side of town, where stores are scarce.
The money would also pay for more parks and green-ways.
City Councilman Ed Driggs who supports the toll lanes said the offer from the state brings accountability. But he said, “if people who opposed the project insist on saying ‘I don’t trust it, ‘ then there’s the possibility of a bad outcome.” Meaning that if opposition doesn’t change its mind — then the toll-project will not be built.
The proposed toll lanes are supposed to ease congestion on I-77 from uptown to the South Carolina line by providing an additional choice for drivers. But whether motorists are willing to pay a toll in order to save time is a key question. Toll lanes that are north of the city are not used by the majority of drivers on that stretch of road, so congestion is still an issue.
The state, however, is promising that the South-77 project will feature lower tolls, to make the pay-lanes more attractive and hopefully ease the daily traffic tie-ups.
But for now, the bigger question is, will cash from the DOT be enough to buy-off the opponents of the project.
We’ll find out next month when Charlotte city council is supposed to re-consider the toll project
