Charlotte staff outline mobility plan, say $55 million pilot ready and present long‑term 30‑year funding vision

City transportation and general‑services staff told the Charlotte City Council at a retreat session that a new, place‑based approach to mobility is already producing measurable, short‑term results and can be scaled to a long‑range, 30‑year investment program if a regional sales‑tax proposal gains approval.

Ed McKinney, who led the staff presentation as the city manager’s office project lead, said the idea is to pair targeted street, sidewalk and transit‑stop investments with broader policy aims such as housing access and economic opportunity. “We want to prove to the council and the community what we can do with this money,” McKinney said, describing a team‑of‑teams approach that puts procurement, design, construction inspection and community engagement at the table early.

The staff described an initial, council‑funded $55 million bond that produced two test areas — Harrisburg Road and Arrowood — where the city has moved quickly on “tier 1” projects. McKinney highlighted a Harrisburg quick win: “We built 350 linear feet of sidewalk,” he said, and showed an internal sign marking the…