Republican Pat McCrory arrives in the Executive Mansion next month with lots of critiques of North Carolina's transportation system. He's also giving optimism to people seeking reforms and stronger revenue sources to pay for road construction.
McCrory has plenty of ideas gleaned from his 14 years as Charlotte's mayor and as a two-time candidate for governor. He thinks cities are unfairly punished when they spend money on interstates. He's also shown he's not afraid to take risks, like 15 years ago when he backed a light rail line in Charlotte and a sales tax referendum to help pay for it.
McCrory's biggest transportation challenge as governor may be how to close a projected $60 billion gap between revenues and expenditures through 2040. Conventional solutions would require higher taxes.
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