If you're looking to support your healthy lifestyle *and* support local businesses, check out this roundup of cool spots we put together with the help of OrthoCarolina.
Hello Monday. It's Michael.
Imagine riding your bike from Uptown to the Whitewater Center, all on a greenway. Or zipping from Matthews to the airport, all on light rail. Or a modern bus network where you’ll never have to wait more than 15 minutes at a stop.
It could happen for you, dear Charlotte resident of the future, if you just come up with $8 to $12 billion.
Why it matters: Today’s infrastructure won’t support the 385,000 or so additional residents who are expected to move to Charlotte by 2040. But the need to invest in it comes alongside two transformative events for transportation: the sunset of a pandemic that may forever change the way we work, and the sunrise for a generation of electric and self-driving vehicles.
- There’s no question we need to invest. But now? And how?
The Charlotte MOVES task force, led by former mayor Harvey Gantt, spent seven months examining the questions last year. They came up with a “transformational mobility network.” Over the next decade, it would add throughout the county:
- 90 miles of new rapid transit corridors (light rail and commuter rail)
- 140 miles of new bus priority corridors
- 115 miles of new greenways
- 75 miles of new bike lanes
- 60 miles of roadway corridor investments
Yes, but: There's that $8 to $12 billion price tag. Half would come from local government, half from state and federal.
- To help pay for the local portion, the task force recommended raising the county sales tax by 1 cent through a November referendum.
- To even get a referendum on the November ballot, though, the local governments need the blessing of the state legislature, a conservative-led body that will have reasonable concerns about raising taxes during an economic downturn.
Barring something unexpected (please, not this year), the mobility plan will be the most important local issue of 2021.
It’s big and complicated, so we're here with a guide to the proposal, the cost, the political pressure, and a little history lesson on past infrastructure investments in today's deep dive:
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Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
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VITALS
Weather: 55. Rain. 80% chance of precipitation.
Stat: 16,000+. That's how many individuals were expected to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, part of a larger goal with Atrium Health to vaccinate 1 million by July.
Do: Try a hot chocolate bomb. This new way to try an old favorite went viral because of TikTok. Now it's at several local bakeries.
Charlottean: Clarence D. Armbrister, president of Johnson C. Smith, Charlotte's 154-year-old HBCU. Armbrister talked about the challenges of leading a university during a pandemic and what keeps him up at night in an interview with QCity Metro.
Happy birthday to Charlotte Agenda members Danielle Andujar, Jackey Chiha, Ann Hannah, Reid Leggett, Terri Murphy-Kempthorn and John Short.
ORIGINALS
Real-deal Philly cheesesteak "whiz wit" coming to Charlotte this spring [Way]
Cheat's Cheesesteak Parlor is hosting cheesesteak pop-ups around the city leading up to its grand opening this spring.
Swanky custom condo in The Ivey's Uptown asks $600K [Crane]
Live above 5Church and Sophia's Lounge in the building that once housed the iconic Ivey's department store.
TALKING POINTS
The state has its first case of the COVID-19 variant, and it's here in Mecklenburg County [web]. The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in the U.K. in December. As of Jan. 22 in the U.S., 195 cases of B.1.1.7 had been reported in 21 states. The CDC says the variant is able to spread more quickly.
Greg Olsen is retiring [WBTV]. One of the most popular Panthers of all time — and one of the most engaged athlete-citizens to ever come through this city — made the announcement on the Fox pregame show before Sunday's NFC Championship game.
Emails show how the county came up with its COVID-19 "directive" [Mecia/Ledger]. Mecklenburg health director Gibbie Harris's Jan. 12 directive kept classrooms closed for an additional month and high school sports shut down. The Ledger has an interesting tick-tock of how it came together in less than 24 hours.
Sen. Thom Tillis cosponsored a bipartisan bill to award officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal [web]. Goodman, who served at Fort Bragg, led the Capitol rioters away from the chamber on Jan. 6.
#PARTNERNEWS
Bank of America: Whether it's saving for retirement or getting smart about budgeting, Bank of America can help you get your finances on track in 2021. Check out their Better Money Habits blog for tips and resources to get you going in the right direction.
Blumenthal Performing Arts: We Are Hip Hop: The Documentary is now available to stream. Set against the backdrop of last fall’s We Are Hip Hop: The Reveal at Camp North End, the 10-minute documentary short from Loyd Visuals tells the story of how the new initiative originated and profiles the Charlotte-area artists and community leaders who came together to make the kickoff weekend possible.
THE CLASSIFIEDS
JOBS
Nurse Aid/Healthcare Tech at Atrium Health.
Lead Software Engineer – Store Mobility at Lowe's.
Esthetician at Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery.
Marketing Account Coordinator at The Plaid Penguin.
Customer Relations Manager at Rose Gold Rebel.
Bi-Lingual Leasing Specialist at Middleton Meyers.
Paid Social Specialist at Union.
EVENTS
Wednesday, January 27: Women Who Code Charlotte Virtual Coffee Chat / Grab a cup of coffee, learn about their mission and hear from a guest speaker / Free.
Want more? Check out our job and event boards. Hiring? Post a job. Hosting? Post an event.
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TODAY'S PHOTO
A couple of Saturday afternoons ago, I stopped by Smelly Cat Coffeehouse in NoDa with my family. I figured we'd just get coffee, but then I saw a small cocktail menu that included this bourbon apple cider.
It made for a warmer afternoon, for sure. It's made with Four Roses bourbon, apple juice, caramel sauce, cinnamon and allspice.
They'll have it on the menu for about another month, a server told me this past Saturday, when I went back to get another one.
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AXIOS LAUNCHES
We pushed back the big launch of our new Axios Charlotte newsletter a couple of weeks to the week of Feb. 8. Moving all of our Charlotte Agenda content over has been a big lift for the tech team, and we figured it's better to do it right than to rush.
On the editorial side, we've been writing test newsletters in the new Axios template. It's been a blast, and we can't wait for you to see it.
One of my favorite parts of the transition has been reading the test newsletters from our counterparts in the other Axios Local cities — Tampa and Minneapolis.
They are launching today, pressing send on the first Axios Local newsletters in the country. If you're like me and just interested in other cities and their wonders and woes, sign up.
Of note: Axios Tampa Bay writer Ben Montgomery has even more good news this week. Tomorrow brings the release of his highly anticipated book "A Shot in the Moonlight: How a freed slave and a confederate officer fought for justice in the Jim Crow South." And when I say highly anticipated, I mean even Oprah said so.
I've been friends with Ben for years. He's as good a person as he is a writer — and he's a helluva writer. So order yourself a copy, and settle in with it.
Here's to a good week ahead.
- Michael
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