Yes, Charlotte’s transit plan on the Nov. ballot is better than nothing | Opinion

We like to imagine politics as a straight line, with the left and the right stretching out on opposite ends. In reality, it’s more like a horseshoe. The ends bend back toward each other, and sometimes they end up in the same place.

That’s where we are with Charlotte’s transit referendum, now on the ballot this fall. The proposal to add a one-cent sales tax for transit, roads and buses has brought the political edges together — just not in support.

The far right sees a tax hike and billions in new government spending. The far left sees gentrification and bus riders left out. Others simply see a plan that falls short of the vision they want. “Is it really better than nothing?” they all ask.

The short answer is yes: It is better than nothing.

Now for the long answer. I’m actually more receptive than you might expect to the arguments from county commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell and former city councilman Braxton Winston, who oppose the plan. Rodriguez-McDowell calls the road funding requirements a “poison pill.” Winston describes it as “maximum investment for minimal return.”

Those critiques aren’t without merit, and I could easily tack on a few more. I’ve been highly critical of Charlotte’s transit planning for years, and a lot of those mistakes are still baked into the plan we’ll be voting on in November.

The streetcar, for example, is still a waste of money and a distraction from real mobility needs. The city’s approach to transit in general is still more about economic development than about moving people. And the way the plan would divvy up money between all the different towns seems more like a way to cobble together support than to create a cohesive vision for transportation in the region.

Reality check

But here’s the reality: If this referendum fails, we won’t get another chance like it for a very long time. There is no better plan waiting in the wings.

Getting this measure on the ballot was a herculean task that took something Charlotte hasn’t seen from the General Assembly in years: genuine cooperation. State Rep. Tricia Cotham used every ounce of political capital to pass the PAVE Act, which got the referendum on the ballot, threading a path between Charlotte’s ambitions and the legislature’s conditions.

If voters reject it in November, that door slams shut. The General Assembly will not “play ball” again for years, maybe decades.

That’s a problem, because we’re running out of time to shape our transportation future. Our population is growing faster than our ability to move people. Road funding is limited and construction costs keep climbing. We can’t build our way out of congestion with just asphalt — not in a metro this size, not anymore.

The plan isn’t that bad

That alone isn’t enough reason to support the referendum. But while flawed, this plan does deliver pieces we’ve been waiting on.

We need the Red Line to Lake Norman, a promise broken for decades. We need mass transit to the airport, because every major metro with Charlotte’s ambitions has it. And we need a funding framework that allows us to connect Albemarle, Troutman, Lincolnton, Monroe, and Kings Mountain into a single regional network.

This plan won’t accomplish all of that overnight. But it gives us the indispensable tool to start.

There’s an under-examined part of the PAVE Act that could end up being its most important feature: the creation of a new transit authority. If Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are smart, they’ll fill it with Republicans and business leaders — people who have credibility with state lawmakers.

The General Assembly listens to people it trusts. We’ve seen it. When State Auditor Dave Boliek says the Division of Motor Vehicles needs more staff, the agency gets it, because lawmakers respect his judgment. A strong transit authority could have that same influence, using it to push for future changes that expand rail and improve the system over time.

But none of that happens if the referendum fails. And without it, the dream of mass transit in this region is dead.

No such thing as perfect

Perfect plans don’t exist in politics. The choice in November is between this imperfect plan and no plan at all. Voting no because you hope something better will come along isn’t smart — it’s a gamble that will almost certainly leave us stuck in place.

When we look back decades from now, this vote will be remembered as the moment Charlotte finally took control of its transportation future — or the moment we let it slip away. I know which one I’ll choose.

This November, the answer to “is it better than nothing?” is yes.

Contributing columnist Andrew Dunn is the publisher of the Longleaf Politics newsletter, which offers thoughtful analysis of North Carolina politics and policy from a conservative perspective. He can be reached at andrew@longleafpol.com