Nine of 11 Charlotte City Council members said Monday night they support pausing the Interstate 77 toll lanes project in face of intense neighborhood opposition. Mayor Vi Lyles agreed to move up council’s discussion of the highway to the city’s retreat Monday, instead of waiting until a March 5 committee meeting.
Toll lane opponents packed the City Council chamber, with signs urging the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization to “STOP the I-77 Expansion now.” They were loud and boisterous.
McCrorey Heights neighborhood president Sean Langley said the opponents have one request.
“Our ask tonight is very simple: Pause the project,” he said. “Let’s have meaningful community engagement. But our ask tonight is to pause this project.”
After roughly a dozen people spoke against the project, all council members in attendance agreed they wanted a pause — except Ed Driggs. He’s the city’s point person on transportation and helped guide the toll lanes through initial council approval in October 2024.
Council member Renee Johnson asked if she could sign the petition from the dais. She pushed for the City Council to vote on seeking the pause Monday night, but she needed all 11 members to agree to place something on the agenda that quickly. Driggs was the one vote against.
But while the council can ask for a delay, it may need to take tougher action — by ordering Driggs to bring forth a resolution to CRTPO to stop the project. Charlotte would then need two or three additional local governments on the body to join them.
The controversy stems from the fall of 2024, when Driggs got unanimous council support to back the N.C. Department of Transportation’s plan to build the toll lanes with a private contractor.
At the time, several council members were hesitant about moving forward. Driggs told them they would get opportunities to say no.
But the approved resolution said that the CRTPO could change its mind on I-77 until the DOT issued a Request for Qualifications from contractors. That happened in August 2025.
Two months later, the DOT issued detailed draft maps for the highway, and many west Charlotte residents were furious.
Council member Dimple Ajmera, on Monday, wanted to know “Who tied our hands and why?”
Council member LaWana Mayfield did not attend Monday's meeting.
While most people spoke against the toll lanes Monday, several members of the business community attended. Ann Brooks with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance said it’s important to listen to the community, but that the $3.2 billion expansion needs to move forward.
