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'There's common ground' | Mayor Pro Tem pushes compromise on transit

On Flashpoint, Braxton Winston said to "get dirt moving."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte's Mayor Pro Tem sees a path forward on the city's stalled $13.5B transportation plan.

"I have high confidence that we will get there because at the at the end of the day, the Charlotte region is the economic lungs of this state," Braxton Winston said on WCNC's Flashpoint.  

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First introduced in 2020, the transportation plan includes an east-west silver light rail line, commuter rail to north Mecklenburg County, greenways, bike lanes and more. The plan relies on a one-cent sales tax increase, which requires the approval of state lawmakers and eventually voters.   Raleigh lawmakers have recently expressed skepticism over its emphasis on expanding transit instead of expanding roads.  

Winston said he'd support a "roads-first" alternative if it gains the support of regional and state stakeholders.

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"I don't want to wait, you know, for decades to get dirt moving, when we have problems that have solutions that can be started now," he said. 

"There's common ground here, this is not a political debate."

SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW SUNDAY AT 11 A.M. ON FLASHPOINT, ONLY ON WCNC CHARLOTTE.

Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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