New poll finds narrow majority support I-77 South expansion
A portion of Charlotte voters see traffic congestion as a major problem in their daily lives, with a narrow majority supporting an expansion of Interstate 77 South, according to new polling by local public relations firm, CLT Public Relations.
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Half of the voters polled chose tolls charged to drivers who use the new lanes as the preferred funding method for the expansion.
The findings come as the debate surrounding the I-77 South tolls project rages on. The North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said in a letter Tuesday that up to $300 million in community investments could be unlocked if the controversial project is restored.
“These investments will help offset impacts that come from the proposed project, and to some extent, address the lingering impacts on the corridor from the original construction,” Johnson wrote.
[Latest: NCDOT pushes $300 million in community benefits if I-77 tolls project restored]
The survey looked at voters’ opinions on a variety of topics including their views of the Charlotte City Council, taxes in the city and the recently passed transit sales tax referendum. CLT Public Relations commissioned the poll, which was conducted between July 15 and July 18.
According to the poll, less than 20% of respondents supported any form of tax increase to support the project.
“The results show that Charlotte voters recognize transportation as an important issue and believe congestion has become a significant part of everyday life,” said Bryan Holladay, principal of CLT Public Relations. “While voters support expanding the southern section of I-77, they also make it clear that how projects are funded matters.”
The lobbying and advocacy firm’s clients includes groups like the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition and the Apartment Association of North Carolina.
A majority of the poll’s respondents were white with around one third identifying as Black. Around eight in ten voters who responded were homeowners. Almost half of the respondents were listed as Democrats with the rest made up of Republicans and unaffiliated voters. The poll did not specify where respondents lived.
About 370 registered Charlotte voters were contacted, with an effective sample size of 258 respondents. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percentage points. The poll is the first analysis on feelings in the city since the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization announced it will reconsider whether to support the I-77 South toll project in September.
The state’s plan to add toll lanes on an 11-mile stretch from uptown to the South Carolina border to address congestion continues to be highly debated. The Charlotte city council voted to rescind support for the project earlier this year after it faced increasing scrutiny from neighbors that would be directly impacted.
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Council member Malcolm Graham, who voted to rescind support, said in a public forum the state had “fumbled the ball” when it came to working with the community.
The new poll found around seven in 10 voters were aware of the council’s decision to rescind support for the project. Eight in 10 respondents also agreed traffic congestion was a major problem. At the same time, the survey showed nearly six in 10 voters disapproved of the job the city council is currently doing overall.
It comes as the already high stakes conversation surrounding the project has recently entered a new phase. Last week, state officials were invited to a meeting with community leaders to discuss a path forward.
NCDOT said in a recently released letter that if the project is approved it could bring community benefits like new jobs as well as investments in bike paths, greenways and recreation spaces.
But the private meeting has since drawn scrutiny from neighborhood leaders and advocates who say the community’s fundamental concerns remain unaddressed.
“Meaningful community engagement is essential,” Sustain Charlotte, Action NC and McCrorey Heights Neighborhood Association said in a joint statement. “But when elected bodies have already reached a decision after extensive public input, efforts to reverse that decision should occur through an open public process — not through private meetings with selected participants.”
“Charlotte deserves an open conversation about the future of transportation that includes all affected communities and respects the role of the region’s elected representatives.”
The survey also asked voters if they supported last year’s transit sale tax referendum. The highly contested referendum passed last year with 52% of the vote.
The one cent sales tax will fund billions in road, rail and bus projects. Officials have said it will be instrumental in delivering long discussed projects like the Red Line commuter rail to the region. Supporters have noted how transformative the referendum will be for the region, but opponents questioned if the plan does enough for transit-dependent communities and to avoid displacement.
According to the poll, voters remain closely divided on the transportation sales tax despite its passage. Both those in favor and opposed to the referendum were deadlocked at 46%, each.
Correction: The headline and lede for this story was updated to more accurately reflect the poll conducted.
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This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 5:05 AM.
