How Charlotte plans to get cars off the road (Axios)
Imagine if half of Charlotte’s residents got around by walking, biking or taking transit. That’s what city leaders want to achieve by 2040, according to a plan released Friday that outlines what a future in our growing city could look like with more infrastructure focused on people, not just cars.
The Strategic Mobility Plan consolidates existing transportation plans into one document. In addition to reducing vehicle trips, the plan also looks to make roads safer and intends to eliminate traffic-related deaths. The city wants to invest in four areas to achieve those goals: Transit, streets/roadways and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
“The goal is to get those modes on equivalent footing with driving your car,” says Eric Zaverl, urban design specialist with nonprofit Sustain Charlotte. “Why it’s so easy to drive today is you have a network of streets and highways. We don’t have a network of transit corridors or a safe, easy bike network.”