5 Things to Know: PAVE Act Passes NC House, Advancing Charlotte’s Transit Hopes

PAVE Act Passes NC House, Advancing Charlotte’s Transit Hopes

House Bill 948, known as the PAVE Act, successfully passed through the NC House on Wednesday. The bill, introduced by NC Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg), would allow Mecklenburg County voters to decide whether to raise the sales tax by one cent to pay for a multi-billion-dollar roads and transit plan that would include the planned Red Line commuter rail to northern Mecklenburg County. 

If approved by voters, the new funding would be split across key transportation priorities: 40% for road improvements, 40% for light rail expansion, and 20% for bus service upgrades. A light rail extension to Matthews was included in earlier drafts of the county’s transit plans but later removed from the bill. 

Sustain Charlotte praised the PAVE Act’s passage: “The NC House’s overwhelming 102-6 vote to pass the local option sales tax bill brings us one big step closer to giving residents the opportunity to invest in a more connected, accessible, and thriving future.” 

Former Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston, however, isn’t so enthusiastic about the PAVE Act. A fervent supporter of building more transit infrastructure, Winston decried the bill as including too many limits on spending. 

“I am opposed to this bill, not the larger idea of a transit plan,” he wrote on Twitter. “This bill will not facilitate the development of a transit system in Charlotte that is the foundation for a regional transit system. This has turned into a political football which will make Meck County more unaffordable AND won’t provide the return on investment that people who need transit deserve.

“[Mecklenburg County] should use the [quarter-cent] tax we are already entitled to [without] strings on our bus system and the red line,” he continued. “Pass it. Then, we do the work [the city of Charlotte] was unwilling to do to create a regional action on rail.”

In its statement, Sustain Charlotte acknowledged the limits of the PAVE Act that Winston referred to. 

“As with any major policy effort, this legislation is a compromise. It limits the share of funds that can be used for rail transit to 40%, instead of the 80% needed to fully fund our previous rail plan,” the statement read.

“As a result, the Silver Line cannot currently be built all the way through East Charlotte and into Matthews using this funding source alone. We will continue to advocate for additional resources to extend the Silver Line and ensure that more communities — especially those historically underserved — can benefit from rail in addition to the major bus and road improvements the sales tax would fund.”

City Council to Vote on Street Vendor Regulations

Charlotte City Council will likely vote on changes to the city’s street vendor ordinance changes that have been a topic of debate among business owners, vendors and city officials in NoDa and Uptown, according to the newly released agenda or the body’s upcoming Monday meeting.   

Read more: City Poised to Enact Regulations on Street Vending in Charlotte

Staff is proposing that council include the neighborhood in its existing Congested Business District designation, which would limit how street vendors can operate in the area. Street vending is illegal in Congested Business Districts unless otherwise allowed through special programs such as one in the Tryon Street Mall, which allows vendors to apply for permits at a cost of $350 annually, recently increased from the previous price of $165.  

The proposed changes would include a similar program in NoDa called the NoDa Market, which would operate as a six-month pilot program to start. It’s not clear in the proposed language if the NoDa Market refers to a specific space where vendors will congregate or if the city will spread out the designated spots and assign a vendor to each one, as is the case with the Tryon Street Mall program. 

If approved, the NoDa Market pilot program would commence no later than Aug. 15. Council will also vote on Monday to increase the fine for vendors who operate without a permit inside a Congested Business District from $10-$50 to a maximum $500 fine. 

Animal Care & Control Hosts SOS Adoption Event

Amidst an ongoing overcrowding crisis that saw the Animal Care & Control (ACC) caring for more than 1,000 animals at the beginning of the week, the organization is hosting a Save Our Shelter adoption event, the final push in its weeklong relief effort. 

ACC began waiving all adoption fees on June 15 as part of this extended effort. At the launch of Save Our Shelter Week, the organization reported 375 animals in its shelter, 598 animals in foster homes and 82 dogs on staycation. 

ACC set a goal to adopt out 250 pets between June 15-21 and as of Friday afternoon had reached 143 adoptions — well above the agency’s usual pace. 

“We need one final big push tomorrow to reach our goal of 100 more adoptions,” read a release on Friday. 

Today’s event will take place primarily at the main shelter located at 8315 Byrum Drive from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., though if you don’t fall in love with any animals over there, the satellite shelter at 2700 Toomey Avenue will also be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Read more: CMPD Animal Care & Control Opens Satellite Shelter Amidst Crisis (2023)

NAACP Issues First Presidential Snub in 100+ Years for Charlotte Convention

For the first time in 116 years, the NAACP will not invite the sitting president of the United States to its national convention, scheduled for July 12-16 at the Charlotte Convention Center. 

During a press conference on Monday, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said the Trump administration’s policies conflicted with the organization’s values, citing its attacks on DEI initiatives specifically.

“Right now, it’s clear — Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights,” Johnson’s statement read. “He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. 

“The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections, he has illegally turned the military on our communities, and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government,” he continued.

The NAACP National Convention, which is returning to Charlotte for the first time since 1996, is expected to draw tens of thousands of guests from around the country.

Atrium Sets Opening Date for First Hospital in Cornelius

Atrium Health Lake Norman, the newest hospital from the Carolinas’ largest health care system, will begin accepting patients on July 1, according to a release on Thursday. 

The nearly 200,000-square-foot facility located on 33 acres in Cornelius will include a 24/7 emergency department, a state-of-the-art labor and delivery floor, operating and procedure rooms, a laboratory and an on-site pharmacy, according to the release. 

Additional specialties include Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute orthopedic services, Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute adult cardiovascular services, One Health OB-GYN services, and concierge medicine. 

“This hospital was designed with community at the heart,” said Brian M. Wofford, facility executive at Atrium Health Lake Norman. “From the layout of patient rooms to the healing garden, every detail reflects our commitment to the healing journey and providing the best possible care for this community.”