A version of the following article appeared in the July 30, 2026, edition of Charlotte in Motion, a Charlotte Ledger newsletter on regional growth.
Need to subscribe — or upgrade your Ledger e-newsletter subscription? Details here.
Poll finds support for expanding I-77 ‘immediately,’ 52%-38%; skepticism of taxes and City Council job performance
A majority of poll respondents said they favor “immediate” expansion of I-77 south of uptown. (Courtesy of CLT Public Relations)
by Tony Mecia
A new poll released today suggests that a majority of Charlotte residents are open to the idea of toll lanes — and that many would like the expansion of Interstate 77 to start ASAP.
Oh, and solid majorities of respondents are down on the Charlotte City Council and think taxes are too high.
“Charlotte voters support transportation improvements that address congestion and favor moving forward with the proposed I-77 South expansion,” said Bryan Holladay of CLT Public Relations, which commissioned and released the poll. “However, they clearly prefer funding the project through tolls paid for by those who use the new lanes rather than through higher taxes.”
The poll of 370 registered Charlotte voters was conducted earlier this month. It found:
Traffic congestion a problem: 82% said they either strongly or somewhat agree that “traffic congestion is a major problem in my daily life.”
Taxes too high: 77% said they either strongly or somewhat agree with the statement that “taxes in Charlotte are too high.”
Disapproval of City Council: When asked if they approve or disapprove of the job the Charlotte City Council is doing, 59% said they disapprove.
Support for I-77 expansion: A slim majority (52%) said they agree with the idea that “Charlotte should move forward with the proposed expansion of the southern section of I-77 immediately.” About 38% said they opposed that idea, and 10% were neutral.
Tolls best way to pay for new lanes: Asked for the best way to pay for new I-77 lanes, the most popular ideas were tolls (50%), a gas tax increase (14%), a property tax increase (3%) and a sales tax increase (2%). About 27% said they were unsure.
None of the questions referenced the points of opposition to expanding the lanes, such as the need to demolish several dozen houses in Black neighborhoods to make way for the widening or whether building toll lanes reduces traffic congestion.
The poll, conducted July 15-18, has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percentage points.