Mr. Foxx Goes to Washington
By now you know Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx wasnominated to become the 17th US Secretary of Transportation.(Quick, how many can you name? No, Phil Amtrak wasn't one.) Its probably a signal that there will be an even greater federal push for light-rail and other urban transit systems.
As mayor, Anthony oversaw ground breaking on the Charlotte Streetcar Project and the extension of the Blue Line, projects pursued on the theory that transitisn'tonly about moving people but promoting development along the transit lines. Assuming the reins at Transportation means he'd supervise considerably more projects of that nature. The department manages funding for about 30 urban rail projects nationwide, much of it provided by the 2009 stimulus. (If only we still had John Henry to knock down those railroad spikes.)
New South Properties of the Carolinas Kenny Smith, a candidate for the Charlotte City Councilwhere the mayor began his own political career in 2005tells us that while hehasn'talways agreed with the mayors policies, he wishes him well in his new post. Its a great day for Charlotte to have our mayor selected to the cabinet, Kenny says. He also put in a plug for votes, asserting that to remain nationally relevant, Charlotte must take the appropriate steps to get our fiscal house in order. Hes pictured here at his campaigns official kick-off last week.
