The dangerous inequity of I-77’s ‘ghost lanes’

The first Sunday of Advent often begins with these words from the prophet Isaiah: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” People who show up for the baby Jesus wonder what road construction has to do with anything and I usually quickly explain that these are metaphors. Isaiah isn’t talking about actual roads. There’s nothing sacred about highways.

But this year, I wonder. I live in Huntersville and frequently drive in and out of Charlotte I-77. Since toll-lane construction began, I’ve already been involved in one head-on collision. My car was totaled, but, miraculously, I was unhurt. It was a crash, but it wasn’t an accident. The car that hit me was confused by the ghost lanes. During construction, the lanes have been shifted and repainted so often on some stretches that it’s hard to tell the difference between temporary markings and previous ones that have been painted over and are now “‘ghosting” through. The way is not plain or smooth and when vehicles are traveling 70 miles an hour, ungraded and unclear lines cause crashes.

I wasn’t hurt and I had insurance, so my crash only cost me a few hours and a couple of thousand dollars. But I wonder about the three other drivers who were involved. Two were on their way to work as a line cook and a delivery driver. Their cars were totaled, too. I wonder if they missed that shift, and so missed a pay check and then maybe a payment or two. We all know it’s nearly impossible for some to afford to live in this area, even if you work two full-time minimum wage jobs. No one was hurt in my crash, but I wonder if the unexpected expenses snowballed into a different kind of tragedy like job loss or eviction.

The irony of it all for me is that parts of I-77 now very much resemble the straight, plain clear highway Isaiah described. But not the parts that I drive on. The toll lanes opened recently — and all of those lanes have crisp white lane markings, fresh deep black pavement, long smooth merge lanes and perfectly graded edges. The free public lanes are still a mess of ghost lines, abrupt 100-yard merge lanes ending in concrete barriers and ungraded grooves so extreme that the Huntersville police recently advised motorcyclists not to use them. There was a fatal accident just last week.

I used to think that there was nothing sacred about a highway. I used to think roads were mundane secular concerns. I was wrong. Roads are sacred. They connect us to one another. They give us access to common spaces and opportunities. Roads are what make us a community. Good roads can change lives. And so can bad roads. Poorly maintained crowded highways are more than an inconvenience—they’re frequently fatal.

Many of us have accepted the fact that Charlotte is a city where people with more money can pay to travel more rapidly. But driving on a safe clear well-marked highway shouldn’t be a luxury. Taxpayer funded “free” lanes shouldn’t be torn up and casually maintained in service of toll lanes. Economically disadvantaged citizens — who have already been priced out of living in the city — have to spend hours commuting every day. But no one should have to risk their life just to get to work.

We already know that depending on where you’re born in Charlotte, your life takes a very different path. Now that’s no longer just a metaphor. Those who can pay get a safe well-marked highway. And those who can’t pay … well, there’s always the prophet Isaiah.