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Resolution of the Wilmington City Council in Opposition of the Use of Tolls as a Financing Method for Costs Associated with the Replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
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LEGISLATIVE INTENT/PURPOSE:
WHEREAS, the Cape Fear memorial Bridge was first opened to automobile traffic on October 1, 1969; and,
WHEREAS, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, since its opening 1969, has been the primary link for US 17, US 76, and US 421 between Brunswick and New Hanover counties; and
WHEREAS the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has been an indispensable conduit for regional transportation and economic development throughout the counties of Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender, which on average accommodates more than 65,000 trips per day; and,
WHEREAS, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is a critical element in facilitating freight movement to and from the most efficient port in North America, the Port of Wilmington; and,
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has identified the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge as a structure in need replacement due to its age and cost of maintenance; and,
WHERAS, the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization passed resolution on February 23, 2022 to urge consideration of all possible options to include tolling and previous proposals to fund the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge; and,
WHEREAS, the NCDOT’s proposed replacement alternatives and design considerations for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge currently include the use of tolling as a viable financing alternative; and,
WHEREAS, the payment of tolls has not previously been employed as a financing method for the replacement of any existing transportation facility anywhere in the history North Carolina; and,
WHEREAS, tolling the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge would impose a disproportionate financial burden on Wilmington and southeastern North Carolina relative to any other area of the state; and,
WHEREAS, tolling would also have an incredible negative impact on the commerce that uses the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge on a regular basis; and,
WHEREAS, tolling would have a disproportionately acute negative impact on traditionally disadvantaged persons.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT, that the City Council for the City of Wilmington wishes to express its overwhelming resolve against the use of any tolls as a financing method for costs associated with the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Wilmington City Council hereby challenges the State of North Carolina, through the NCDOT, to derive a more equitable funding alternative for the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, one that ensures the economic vitality of the region without placing disproportionate costs on the users of an already existing vital regional transportation link.
Sincerely,
Mayor Bill Saffo
Mayor Pro-Tem Clifford Barnett
Councilmember Charlie Rivenbark
Councilmember Kevin Spears
Councilmember Luke Waddell
Councilmember David Joyner
Councilmember Salette Andrews