The mayors of Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville pushed back Wednesday night against a Charlotte Area Transit System request that they lobby together for federal money.
Working with Charlotte for federal dollars, the mayors fear, might sacrifice a planned commuter rail line to northern Mecklenburg.
"I feel like we're being thrown under the bus," said Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte.
Three years ago, CATS planned to first build a $300million commuter rail line to Lake Norman, followed a year later by an 11-mile, $1.1billion Lynx Blue Line extension to University City.
Rising construction costs and the recession have wrecked those plans. CATS now only has money to pay for one new train line, and even that might be a stretch.
What prompted the discussion was lobbying efforts that some say are competing against one another.
CATS is seeking $24million from Congress to pay for engineering work for the light-rail extension. That money is in a Senate spending bill, but not in a House bill.
Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory believes part of the problem was that the region's congressional delegation was also seeking money for Charlotte's streetcar, and the light-rail funding fell through the cracks. In addition, the Lake Norman Transportation Commission has its own federal lobbyist, informing lawmakers of the commuter rail line.
"We are starting to see renegade groups on behalf of themselves, or towns," McCrory said. "It will cause confusion."
At Wednesday's Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting, CATS asked members to set legislative priorities for the upcoming year. It called for additional lobbying for earmarks for the light-rail extension. It also said the transit system should lobby to include other transit projects in an upcoming transportation bill.
Because the light-rail extension was specifically mentioned, while the commuter rail line wasn't, some were upset. "This document suggests politely there is a prioritization," Tarte said. "There is no basis for that."
This spring, former CATS chief executive Keith Parker said the transit system should wait at least a year before deciding whether to build the commuter line or the light-rail extension.
He floated the possibility of still being able to build both at once, though that option appears dead.
The light-rail extension is favored by a majority of Charlotte City Council, which has veto power over CATS' budget.
It's also the only project that, at this time, is eligible for federal funding. CATS hopes the Federal Transit Administration will pay for half of the construction costs and the state will pay for 25 percent.
CATS said recently the light-rail extension might not open until 2019. The transit system might need an additional three years to save enough money to build the train line.
The original opening date was 2013. The MTC Wednesday voted to defer any decision on its legislative priorities until its next meeting.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement