Elected leaders seek solutions for orphan roads
City of Charlotte leaders prioritize fixing orphan roads in Mecklenburg County
City of Charlotte leaders have agreed to set aside funding for fixing orphan roads in Mecklenburg County if the one cent sales tax for transit projects moves forward. The city council relented on the issue after members of the Metropolitan Transit Commission made the orphan road problem a priority.
Increasing concern over orphan roads
Elected leaders at the local and state levels have started paying more attention to the proliferation of orphan roads ever since WBTV started investigating the issue in 2023. A 2016 analysis of orphan roads from NCDOT found there were 76,745 roads open to the public not maintained with taxpayer dollars.
Push for bipartisan action
“I can’t think of a more bipartisan issue than us wanting to ensure that we have safe infrastructure for our residents to travel on,” said Mecklenburg County Commissioner and MTC member Leigh Altman. Altman was part of the MTC push to include funding for orphan roads in a new interlocal agreement between Charlotte and other Mecklenburg County towns.
Dangerous road conditions
WBTV’s previous reporting on orphan roads has identified dangerous road conditions that can damage vehicles. For example, Grand Palisades Parkway is privately maintained even though it serves as an evacuation route during a hurricane or a disaster at the Catawba Nuclear Station.
Legislative efforts to address the issue
In 2023, state legislators sponsored several bills to fix orphan roads. State Senator Deandra Salvador sponsored a bill to fund repairs for Grand Palisades Parkway to get it transferred to public control. State Senator Vickie Sawyer filed a bill to create a new method of ensuring roads meet necessary standards to be transferred to state or local transportation departments. However, these bills have not gained momentum.
Creation of a legislative committee
In 2024, a bipartisan bill was filed to create a legislative committee to study the orphan road issue and come up with possible solutions. The bill was referred to a committee in May and has not been discussed further.
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