Staff Briefs Charlotte City Council on I-77, New Vote Set for September 21st

From REBIC – 9/15/26

During Monday night’s Action Preview section of its regularly scheduled business meeting, the Charlotte City Council received a presentation from staff regarding the proposed I-77 enhancement project. Deputy City Manager Rebecca Hefner provided a historical timeline of the project and City Attorney Andrea Leslie-Fite discussed the impact of S.L. 2026-41 (NC State Budget Legislation). The statute includes language that “establishes new financial consequences for municipalities when an MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) takes a qualifying action to prevent a project from being delivered or funded as originally programmed after predevelopment has begun.”

Here’s a summary of what each councilmember had to say about it:

• Owens – “Every vote is a leap of faith.” She expressed frustration with the state, both the General Assembly as well as the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and wants specifics going forward as it relates to community benefits and feels as though trust has been lost and needs to be rebuilt as the process moves forward.
• Graham – “I don’t want to lose the airport.” He mentioned that he had met with several area mayors as well as many community members who still had concerns but felt that walking away could impact other important matters facing the council and that the relationship with the General Assembly and NCDOT needed to be attended to. He also expressed the sentiment that people needed to get out and vote in order to make a difference.
• Driggs – “Opponents have driven a hard bargain.” He echoed the theme that doing nothing was not an option and that through the process additional benefits were now available to the community that had not earlier been contemplated and that was a good thing. He also reminded council that if they walked away, it would likely be five to ten years before the project could be initiated again.
• Mayfield – She walked through the timeline once again and appeared to criticize Charlotte’s representative to the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO), Councilmember Driggs. When Mayor Harrington interjected that she was short on time, she repudiated the admonishment and continued with her remarks at which point she also criticized Governor Stein and indicated he was responsible for the actions of the NCDOT.
• Mazuera Arias – He expressed interest in relieving congestion and making I-77 safer for users but also criticized the state and mentioned the ongoing condition of distrust. He also expressed frustration that “local leaders continue to be pressured by corporate interests.”
• Johnson – She started her remarks by asking staff to conduct an online poll of the community to determine the level of support. She also said she had only heard from the business community and not from the residents. She also wanted to know what responsibility the state would have in enforcing community benefits associated with the project.
• Watlington – “The relationship with NCDOT and the legislature has soured.” She expressed concern that any community benefits would be nonbinding and that council should not make decisions based on fear. “Sometimes you need to flip the table. Go vote.”
• Mayo – “Eight of the eleven miles of highway run through District 3.” She felt that more information about the project had become available and that this could be an opportunity for her constituents who faced many connectivity challenges related to the highway. She wants to see Bus Rapid Transit incorporated into the project in a significant way as we should be making transportation investments that move people, not just automobiles.
• Anderson – “This is not a good place to be, and we should not be pointing fingers at colleagues.” She appreciated receiving feedback from some of the leaders on the West Side of Charlotte and wants to see community benefits codified in the contract. She expressed concern that council had lost some leverage by walking away from the table and that repaying the potential penalty instituted by the state could adversely affect the city’s bond rating which would impact other important work. She also reminded the gathering that she had grown up on the West Side and that pollution and congestion brought on by a low functioning highway was a problem for residents and getting back to the table could assist in providing a solution to those afflicted.
• Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell – “Trust has been lost.” He wants community benefits to be binding and additional funding to be considered for displacement for both owners and renters. “Doing nothing is not an option.”

I-77 Presentation to Charlotte City Council – September 14, 2026

Video of Charlotte City Council Meeting – September 14, 2026

Rob’s Take: I’m not sure what else I have to add to this. It appears there may be a majority on council who would like to get back to the bargaining table which is a good thing. That’s all we’ve been asking all along. A crucial meeting and vote will take place next Monday, September 21st where council has the opportunity to do just that, continue the discussion. I would encourage anyone who has an interest in joining our effort to show up next Monday. It could be the last opportunity to revive the project. Otherwise, we’ll likely be waiting many years before a solution can even be considered.

And to reiterate, because I think we need to remember this, we’re not asking them to vote on the design, or the final parameters of the project. We’re asking for a vote to move forward. We need to quit inserting catastrophic thinking into something that Charlotte desperately needs and then make sure the execution is the best it can be.