For decades, municipalities in North Mecklenburg and Southern Iredell counties outside Charlotte, N.C., have debated what to do about their inadequate transportation network, particularly as it relates to North-South connectivity. However, the planning has largely been done in a vacuum within each jurisdiction. Gresham Smith was hired to bring everyone together – six total jurisdictions – to put together a comprehensive plan to address the region’s mobility issues. The result is a long-term blueprint for addressing connectivity issues with specific recommendations on how to address the problem step by step.

Client

Lake Norman Transportation Commission

Location

Multiple municipalities near Charlotte, N.C.

Project Type

Transportation

6

Jurisdictions

750+

Community Participants

1

Comprehensive Transportation Plan

Bringing People Together

Bringing People Together

In 2018, local jurisdictions, including the Towns of Huntsville, Davidson, Mooresville, Cornelius and Iredell County agreed that a comprehensive effort must be undertaken to link their efforts together in a cohesive manner, and they partnered with the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) to get it done. With Gresham Smith at the helm, we held four community meetings in different towns throughout the region. And for those who couldn’t attend, we also collected feedback online through a MetroQuest survey tool and our project website. In all, we engaged with more than 750 community members.
What We Found
What We Found

What We Found

Through our research and input from the public, we determined that a single North-South Parkway wasn’t feasible because of a variety of impediments. Instead, we recommended three alignments to improve mobility, including extensions of some existing roadways and bridges as well as creating more bike- and pedestrian-friendly options. With this blueprint in place, it’s now up to the individual municipalities and the CRTPO to weigh these recommendations and determine next steps for implementation.