A north Mecklenburg commuter rail gains traction, but transit sales tax still a tough sell

A sprawling commuter rail line throughout Mecklenburg County — traversing Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and center city Charlotte — has emerged as a focal priority in the region’s push to bolster transit, plus connectivity through greenways and bikeways.

The Red Line was not previously the hallmark of the transit tax plan, which has often touted the Silver Line stretching across Mecklenburg, Gaston and Union counties. Initial estimates show the expansive transit program would cost $8 billion to $12 billion, half funded locally.

The fate of the LYNX Red Line, now top of mind for Charlotte, was already a thorny topic for north Mecklenburg leaders, who told Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles last month they were concerned about a proposed “1 cent for mobility” tax that could be on the ballot in November. And late last month, the Board of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted to oppose any sales tax increases, President W.E. “Bill” Russell wrote in an editorial to Cornelius Today.

Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Charlotte’s assistant city manager and planning director, emphasized Monday the Red Line could see swift traction — assuming the General Assembly approves that sales tax figure.

If the sales tax figure is shot down or reduced, Charlotte leaders will need to reexamine their ambitious plans to create an interconnected networks of trails, as well as pedestrian and cycling routes, to accommodate the region’s skyrocketing population growth, Jaiyeoba said.

“We believe that frankly speaking, of all the lines — Gold Line, Silver Line, Blue Line extension to Ballantyne and the Red Line — the Red Line is actually the most affordable of all those corridors,” Jaiyeoba said in a press briefing Monday afternoon. “It’s going to cost you about $600 or so million, if not less, because it’s commuter rail. ... It’s usually not as expensive as a light rail system to build.”

His comments come as the city works to galvanize support for a sales tax referendum among Mecklenburg County commissioners, local mayors, community groups and the private sector, among other key stakeholders. By next month, Charlotte leaders would turn to the General Assembly in Raleigh for legislative approval — and then spend the summer educating Mecklenburg voters about their need to invest in public transit.

New information on the Red Line may forge an inflection point for Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam, Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox and Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla. In their Jan. 6. letter to Lyles, they were frustrated by the lack of a “guarantee for tangible projects for north Mecklenburg, in particular a light rail project (Red Line) connecting north Mecklenburg to Charlotte and the rest of the CATS system.”

But City Manager Marcus Jones said conversations with town managers in north Mecklenburg are still rocky a month later.

“I would say nothing has changed. It’s going to be very difficult to get this coalition together,” Jones said during Monday’s Charlotte City Council meeting.

He said town administrators are intrigued by transportation elements intended for the county and towns, not just Charlotte.

In a survey of 400 Mecklenburg residents in late January, half of respondents said they would support a sales tax increase to to fund public transportation infrastructure. The bulk of respondents were from Huntersville, with no participants from Mint Hill.

Funding allocation

Kelly Flannery, the city’s CFO, told Charlotte City Council members on Monday that about 70% of the 1-cent sales tax revenue would be earmarked for countywide bus and rail transit.

The other 30% of the revenue is intended for Mecklenburg’s greenway system, plus roadway improvements and trails for Charlotte and Mecklenburg’s six towns, Jaiyeoba said.

The ratios offered the clearest description to date of how funding would be allocated across a string of smaller mobility projects, though it still to early to know the precise investments. The timeline is also unclear, though Jaiyeoba said the projects will be strategically staggered to avoid disruptions to residents.

A slightly lower sales tax, such as three-quarters of a cent, would not scuttle the entire plan, Jaiyeoba told reporters. Yet a larger reduction, such as a half-cent sales tax, would be “tough” — and potentially make the plan a no-go, he acknowledged.