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HOT Lanes on I-77. Widen I-77 Goes To Raleigh. Apr 3, 2013. What is a HOT lane?. Vehicles w/three or more occupants use lane for free All others pay toll electronically “Congestion pricing” Designed, built, operated, financed for profit by a private company (P3) 50 year contract
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HOT Lanes on I-77 Widen I-77 Goes To Raleigh Apr 3, 2013
What is a HOT lane? Vehicles w/three or more occupants use lane for free All others pay toll electronically “Congestion pricing” Designed, built, operated, financed for profit by a private company (P3) 50 year contract Trucks prohibited
The Problem Congestedstretch of four lane road from exit 23 to exit 36
A GP Lane Estimate A ballpark cost for two GP lanes from exit 23 to exit 36: $80- $130M Source: “I-77 HOT Discussion with Cornelius Town Board”, email from Bill Coxe to Andrew Grant, Oct. 10, 2012
The Current HOT Lane Proposal 27.5 Miles of HOT Lanes Cost: $550 Million Source: “I-77 HOT Lanes Project Overview NCSITE Lunch N’ Learn”, August 21, 2012; “I-77 Widening Update”, MUMPO (Bill Coxe), Sept 19, 2012; “Billions invested in Roads”, Charlotte Observer, Jan 14, 2013
GP vs HOT GP HOT 13 Miles $80- 130M (est) 27.5 Miles $550M
Why the difference? Majority of travel time savings Majority of Cost Source: RFP
HOT Lanes and Congestion • HOT lanes rely on congestion • “Congestion Pricing” means more congestion = more toll revenue
HOT Lane Revenues Source: “Managed Lanes: More than a Revenue Tool”, Parsons Brinkerhoff, 2013
Some other factoids • Automated Vehicle Occupancy Verification… • …doesn’t exist • MAP 21 Legislation… • Grants categorical exclusion to every capacity addition within the existing ROW… • Puts GP lanes on same legal footing as toll lanes
Toll Lanes on I-77: • Cost much more than GP lanes • Ensure congestion instead of relieving it • Limits our ability to make future I-77 improvements • Locks us into an agreement with a private company for 50 years • Will negatively impact our economy
Speaker Thom Tillis on Tolling I-77 "I think the takeaway is that… the choice is (a high-occupancy toll lane) project ... or no improvements to I-77 for 15 or 20 years." Source: “Tillis: Toll Lanes or Wait 20 Years for I-77 Widening”, LKN Citizen, March 27, 2013
Speaker Thom Tillis on Tolling I-95 What else are y’all worried about? … because if it happens to I-95… We can’t actually discredit the effort to use toll roads by going out and starting to backtoll existing roads. We’re not going to toll I-95. …sales taxes subject to a vote of the people… …We’ve got to do it in a smart, responsible way. …We understand how this affects your industry… …Retail industry, everybody else… We’re going to have to look at alternative revenue sources… …why wouldn’t it work for 77?
According to Speaker Tillis… • Fiscal Realities • State doesn’t have the money • Fuel tax receipts are declining • Political Realities • Federal • Local • State
NC’s First Toll Road… In twenty years the TriEx is projected to carry half the traffic I-77 does today. Source: Toll Road News, Dec 29, 2012
Cost Breakdown I-77 Toll Lanes -$M Source: “Billions invested in Roads”, Charlotte Observer, Jan 14, 2013
Toll Lanes vs GP Lanes Public Funds: $170M GP lanes: $80- $130M So there is enough public money. But can we use it for GP lanes?
According to Speaker Tillis… • Fiscal Realities • State doesn’t have the money • Fuel tax receipts are declining • Political Realities • Federal • Local • State
HOT Lane Funding- Federal What do the Feds Say? Source: NCDOT
From the NCDOT Q: “Does Federal funding (NHPP) receive a higher priority due to HOT lanes?” A: ”We are going to get the same amount… from the feds funding regardless of what projects we build. The feds play no part in the selection process for projects that use NHPP funding.” So the Feds are a non-issue… Source: NCDOT
According to Speaker Tillis… • Fiscal Realities • State doesn’t have the money • Fuel tax receipts are declining • Political Realities • Federal • Local • State
The Buck Stops Where? • Davidson Mayor John Woods: “We are under the direction of the state. The town of Davidson doesn't manage I-77, nor does the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County or Iredell County.” -Huntersville Herald, Jan 31, 2013 • Speaker Thom Tillis: The state doesn't decide where to spend money in the regions. Rather those decisions rest in the hands of (MUMPO). -Lake Norman Citizen, Mar 27, 2013
MUMPO Priority #93 Source: 2035 LRTP
Speaker Tillis on MUMPO • “Unless the local entity prioritizing roads changes that (prioritization), the only way you could potentially move up is to move other things down.“ - Mar 27, 2013 (emphasis added) Well Guess What…
MUMPO Criteria Are A’ Changin’! 2/3 of possible points 1/3 of possible points Source: Potential LRTP Roadway Project Priortization Process, RS&H, Feb 2, 2013
MUMPO Tier 1 Impact on I-77 GP Lanes Priority Highly Negative Highly Positive Source: Potential LRTP Roadway Project Priortization Process, RS&H, Feb 2, 2013; MUMPO LRTP Roadway Ranking Methodology, approved 11/14/07
MUMPO Tier 2 Impact on I-77 GP Lanes Priority Source: Ibid. Highly Positive Highly Negative I-77 General Purpose Lanes Poised to Be Much Higher Priority
A Question • IF… • …the 50 year P3 contract is supposed to be signed by Dec 2013 BUT… • …the new MUMPO ranking won’t be completed until May 2014, THEN… Shouldn’t we wait four months for the new MUMPO rankings before signing a 50 year contract? Toll Lanes WILL be an Election Issue in November…
According to Speaker Tillis… • Fiscal Realities • State doesn’t have the money • Fuel tax receipts are declining • Political Realities • Federal • Local • State
NCDOT on Toll Lanes “My perspective on why express (toll) lanes should be how we addfuture capacity to all our interstates is founded on… the reality of declining revenue….” -James Trogdon, COO NCDOT (emphasis added)
Mobility Fund Criteria Weighting Mobility Cost-Benefit measured by the estimated travel time savings the project will provide divided by the cost to the Mobility Fund. Multimodal/Intermodal measured by whether the project provides an improvement to more than one mode of transportation Weighting 80% HOT Lanes are worth an extra 20% Source: Connect NCDOT The State of North Carolina WANTS to Build Toll Lanes
Mobility Funding Source: “Mobility Fund Project Scoring,” NCDOT, 2012
Speaker Tillis on Tolls "That option (to use mobility fund transfer money on I-77) is not on the table," Tillis said. "If Wilmington, for example, says, 'We are ready for a managed lane project, let's take the mobility fund money and transfer it for that use if (the Lake Norman area) isn't ready to do that," the money will go there.
State Priority- As Is Priority What if MUMPO Supported GP Lanes? Source: Prioritization Scores for Roads, NCDOT
State Priority w/MUMPO Priority Priority With Local Support, I77 Moves to the Top of the List…
State Priority Based on Merit Priority Competing on Merit, There’s a Clear Winner…
Speaker Tillis on Tolls • Toll lanes or no lanes for 20 years • No Mobility Funds • No Support from MPO
I-77 Is Just the Beginning Source: Charlotte Region Fast Lanes Study, Presentation to NCTA, Mar 3, 2011
Toll Roads are a Poor Way to Pay for Construction • Operating Costs & Profit • Pennies on the dollar goes toward construction • Only those willing/able to pay extra will have access to good infrastructure and yet… …NCDOT is looking at $40B+ in toll revenues from 2020- 2040 Source: NCDOT 2040 Plan
Summarizing All the necessary elements are coming together to build GP lanes… Funding ($170M) Local priority (MUMPO) Enabling environmental legislation (MAP 21) …except the State of North Carolina wants to build toll roads So why does Thom Tillis want to build toll lanes?
What Can I Do? Call/email Thom Tillis: Thom.tillis@ncleg.net 919-733-3451 Follow us wideni77.org and FB Sign the petition Take a petition Vote!
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