The road ahead
Published September 24, 2014
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, September 24, 2014.
Pat McCrory made his political reputation on the strength of a progressive transportation project — Charlotte’s light-rail system. Conservative critics said it cost too much. They still say that.
The former mayor ran for governor by promising to bring the same long-term outlook to North Carolina’s transportation needs. Last week, he delivered an outline of what he has in mind. Conservative critics will say it costs too much.
McCrory’s 25-year plan envisions advances in highways, rail, ports, airports, mass transit and other areas. As North Carolina grows, its transportation system must meet the demands of a mobile society and fast-moving economy. The state also must catch up with overdue maintenance. Projected costs far exceed available revenues.
“Overall funding levels for investment in transportation infrastructure are insufficient,” the plan says, noting $70 billion in identified needs against $1.5 billion in anticipated annual funding for the next decade. That’s far worse than insufficient; it’s an enormous shortfall, which isn’t helped by the state’s current tax-cutting spree.
The governor plans to reverse that with unspecified “revenue recommendations” he’ll present to the General Assembly early next year — after the elections. He’ll also ask legislators to approve about $1 billion in revenue bonds to kick-start projects where work could launch soon. Many would be in rural areas.
The borrowing plan is problematic. First, the governor doesn’t propose presenting it to voters in a referendum. He should have advanced this idea in time to put it on this November’s ballot. Second, he hasn’t yet identified a revenue source for paying off the debt. When there’s been so much consternation about finding money for schools, universities, unemployment benefits, Medicaid and countless other needs, assuming that $1 billion in transportation debt can be afforded is risky.
Maybe the governor thinks directing much of this spending to rural areas will improve his odds of legislative support. The Senate favors rural interests. Yet, McCrory’s plan notes that 81 percent of the state’s population will live in its major metro areas by 2040. That urban concentration, and the commercial power it represents, will demand the bulk of transportation funding.
Securing the needed money will require strong leadership by the governor, who successfully campaigned for a mass transit tax in Charlotte. This will be harder because Republican legislative leaders believe lower taxes and less government spending will secure future prosperity. McCrory himself has parroted that view since taking office. Now he has to perform a U-turn. Just as he knew Charlotte could not become a leading city with a poor transportation system, he recognizes that North Carolina won’t build a new economy if it can’t move goods and people at mid-21st century speed.
Financing options include public-private partnerships and toll projects. But the state can’t get ahead on the cheap. McCrory must present a vision of the future and persuade the public and legislators it’s worth paying for.
