The website CharlotteGasPrices.com is reporting that gas prices today are 73.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 2.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The average retail gasoline prices in Charlotte have fallen 4.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.74/g today. This compares with the national average that has stayed flat, moving just 1.1 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.87/g.
Joseph Coletti of the John Locke Foundation gave a presentation today to the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee. Read the press release after the break.
“More money is not the only issue, or even the most important issue,” Coletti added. “Spending what we have more wisely is the key, by acting to delay or delete funding for the most cost-ineffective projects and moving that money into maintenance needs.”
The Mint Hill Police Department hosted a DWI Checking Station March 12 on Albemarle Road. The checking station, which was a multi-agency event in conjunction with Governors Highway Safety Program, netted 56 violations, including a whopping 22 for no operator license. Other violations: DWI-6, Open Container-3, Drug Violations-6, Driving While License Revoked-2. There were also 17 other violations. The agencies that participated were Mint Hill PD (Host), NCSHP, CMPD, Huntersville, PD, Matthews PD, Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, Pineville PD, and Cornelius PD.
Matthews announced this week that improvements to N. Trade Street and Matthews Mint Hill Road will begin March 1, weather permitting. The work on N. Trade Street is designed to make the street more pedestrian friendly and beautify the downtown area. Crosswalk and sidewalk improvements will be completed as part of the plan. Both N. Trade Street and Matthews Mint Hill Road will be repaved. The project is expected to take one month. Staff is working to minimize the impact on businesses and residents. Continue reading »
Mint Hill mayor, Ted Biggers, was elected new chairman of the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) Wednesday evening.
Biggers takes the place of Lee Myers, former mayor of Matthews.
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If you are new to the area, you may not know much about Fatman Fabrications in Mint Hill. The hot rod fabrications company held its annual auto show/gathering/concert today on the company’s grounds near The Park on Fairview. Founder and President Brent VanDervort started the hot rod fabrications business in 1985 and has since built up a nice reputation in hot rod circles across the country.
From the company’s Web site:
Brent and an older brother restored a 1930 Model A pick up as a high school car and even took their Driver’s Test in that car. Having built over 20 cars for himself and friends as a side job over the previous 17 years, building hot rod parts seemed a natural progression.
Tired of having to use Highway 218 or the clogged Highway 74 to get to the beach? It might not be much longer before the Monroe connector is built. On Wednesday, the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) endorsed Alternative D as the preferred alternative route for the Monroe Connector/Bypass and to support the proposed interchange at US 601. MUMPO is responsible for overseeing the development of the transportation system in Mecklenburg and Union Counties. The bypass is scheduled to open in 2013.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License by Ted Abbott
Finding out if an accident will delay your morning commute is as easy as looking at your cell phone.
The N.C. Department of Transportation now offers travel information for motorists and ferry passengers on Twitter, a free social-networking Web site.
“A quick check of Twitter can make for a quicker trip to work,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “State government and our DOT are using 21st century technology to connect you to up-to-date travel information so you don’t start or end your day in a frustrating logjam or bottleneck.” Continue reading »
Crews are installing a traffic light at the intersection of Brief Road and Highway 218.
Starting June 15, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities contractor will replace and extend an existing 8-inch sewer pipe that serves several downtown businesses near the Trade Street/John Street intersection in the heart of downtown Matthews.
The project, expected to last up to two weeks, will involve a 4-day traffic detour from June 15-18, between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm. The new sewer pipe needs to be replaced to alleviate service problems with the existing line. Building the new line a little bit longer than the current one will allow additional downtown businesses an alternative way to connect to the system and enhance their existing sewer service. Continue reading »
Matthews Police responded to a vehicle collision on US 74 at Interstate 485 today around 12:30 pm. The initial investigation shows that a 2005 Honda Accord, occupied only by one person was traveling eastbound on US 74 at a high rate of speed when it crossed the center median. A 2007 Infiniti G35, also occupied by one person driver, was traveling westbound on US 74 when it was struck head-on by the Honda. The driver of the Honda sustained fatal injuries upon impact. The driver of the Infiniti was transported to Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte where he was treated and released. Continue reading »
Matthews Police are investigating a fatality on Independence Boulevard at Interstate 485. Two vehicles were involved. Traffic is blocked on both sides of Independence at this time.
Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that the N.C. State Highway Patrol and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program are kicking off Operation Slow Down/No Need 2 Speed to catch speeders on North Carolina’s highways. Local law enforcement agencies will join troopers from now through April 12 to encourage drivers to slow down and follow the speed limit.
“North Carolina law enforcement will be going after speeders who recklessly endanger our citizens,” said Perdue. “Speed is the leading cause of crashes on our highways. I urge motorists to slow down and obey the speed limit. ” Continue reading »
