Charlotte launches new Authority to oversee $25.3 billion transit expansion

David Howard leads the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority (MPTA), a 27-member board that the state legislature created late last year to carry out a 30-year transit plan in Charlotte. The plan involves spending of $17.5 billion to boost bus service and construct commuter- and light-rail lines.

The Authority sprang to life after local voters approved a 1-cent sales tax hike in November, pushing the rate to 8.25 cents and took effect July 1. This tax should bring in $19.4 billion across 30 years. Add to that another $5.9 billion in matching federal transit grants. That's $25.3 billion total. Roads will get $7.8 billion, split among the six Mecklenburg towns and Charlotte. The authority gets the rest for bus and rail transit projects, plus service upgrades.

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, the board will take ownership of Charlotte Area Transit System, the existing network of buses, trains, and smaller transit services.

Howard served on Charlotte City Council before working at the U.S. Department of Transportation during the Obama administration. Later, he became chief deputy secretary of the rail division at the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The sales tax hike ranks among the largest transit funding initiatives in North Carolina history. Voters backed it to tackle mounting transportation needs throughout Mecklenburg County. Managing multiple projects over three decades won't be simple. Plans call for commuter-rail construction, light-rail buildouts, and expanded bus routes blanketing the region.

Federal matching grants will bolster local tax revenue, with $5.9 billion in anticipated federal money representing nearly a quarter of the total project budget.

Source: CATS