On the way to NYC

I do mean to ask my wife why she booked a weekend trip to NYC in February... I think she has forgotten how cold it can be. Anyway, sometimes you need to leave Charlotte to appreciate Charlotte.

We Charlotteans (been here 14 years, guess I am one now) like to complain about traffic, schools and taxes. I'm going to take them on, one by one. Traffic and the Big Apple are a good place to start.

When I arrived here 14 years ago, I heard complaints about the traffic. Leaving a city that moved nearly 18 Million people per day, I had a somewhat different perspective. I still do- as I travel, I see real horrors in traffic. In New York, traffic backups frequently extend more than 4 hours. Yes, 4 hours, and a typical daily commute is probably more than an hour each way. All the routes out are clogged.

In Los Angeles about a year ago, I was meeting a Charlotte client who lived there. Asked about the traffic, she said at any time, day or night, you should be prepared for a 2 hour traffic jam. Sure enough, on day 4 I drove about 15 minutes to a place, stayed about 1/2 hour and spent the next 2 hours getting back. There were no alternative routes through many of the mountain/ valley roads, no shortcuts.

Then I visit the Washington, DC area, have you ever travelled on their beltway?495? I remember when it first came and how it was faster to go around the city... well not anymore, the last few times we went to my brother's home, north of Washington, we go through downtown Washington, because while the traffic is sometimes heavy, it moves.

One thing is for sure though, there are more cars then there are roads here in Charlotte... and it is getting worse. I think the Charlotte area is about 5 years behind in its roads, and the challenge is to not let it fall further behind.

So the 5 minute trip of 14 years ago now takes 10 minutes-- twice as long--but I think if converted into New York Minutes-- not the fast kind-- it would be a 40 minute drive on Long Island. I'll keep the ten minute drive.

So here are the roads we need the most. Need your help here:
1. Please, COMPLETE 485, and do it NOW! 2014 won't do! This will take pressure off all of our interior arteries.
2. Add and addtitional 4 lanes, 2 each direction from 485 at Providence Road, over to 77. This section had backups the first day it was openned, now about 10 years ago.
3. Widen Providence Road to 4 lanes to Route 84.

What would you add to this list? Some of my northern friends? Brawley School perhaps? How about 150 across the top of Lake Norman, a mess most anytime...