SELC urges North Carolina to expand future DOT funding beyond highways

With the North Carolina legislature poised to weigh in on the next major round of transportation infrastructure funding, SELC and our partners are asking that more than just 3% of the proposed $3 billion in bonds go toward non-highway projects like public transportation, bike, and pedestrian enhancements.

A story in Sunday's Asheville Citizen-Times outlines the issues at hand as the legislature considers whether to place the bonds on the ballot for voter approval later this year. Of note is the disconnect between the proposed funding and the governor’s stated Transportation Vision, which prioritizes expanded access to mass transit and enabling North Carolina to become a premier place for walking and biking. Nonetheless, non-highway projects including aviation, ferries, public transit, pedestrian, and bike projects are slated to receive just $50 million, compared to $1.35 billion designated for highway projects.

“Governor McCrory has a golden opportunity to be forward thinking and make North Carolina a more attractive state, but seems instead intent on continuing the same out-of-touch highway-centric policies that belong in the past,” said Kym Hunter, a staff attorney in the Chapel Hill office.

Click here for a copy of the letter sent by SELC and partner organizations to Governor McCrory and members of the state legislature.