WELCOME
WELCOME TO FLASHPOINT JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S TRANSIT TRANSIT PLAN AND MORE
SHOW CITY COUNCILMAN TARK
BAKARI LARKIN EGGLESTON.
GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU AS ALWAYS
.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
SO YOU HAVE A SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION WHO CHARLOTTE'S
A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY SAYS OUR TRANSIT PLANS
MUSIC TO HIS EARS.
GRANTED, THESE ARE WORDS IN DC
WORDS MIGHT MIGHT NOT CARRY
QUITE AS MUCH AS THEY DO IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD BUT
BUT IT DOES SHOW OVERALL
SUPPORT AND APPRECIATION FOR
FOR FOR WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO DO AND EVEN THE
PEOPLE BEHIND YOU FOR YOU IN
CITY COUNCIL, DOES THAT GIVE
YOU SOME OPTIMISM AND I'LL
BEGIN WITH YOU .
YEAH, AND I THINK HAVING A
FORMER MUNICIPAL LEADER IN THAT
ROLE AS HE DID PREVIOUSLY WITH
FORMER MAYOR THEN SECRETARY
ANTHONY FOX, I THINK THEY
UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR A
ROBUST AND COMPREHENSIVE
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK AND SO
HAVING SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN A
FORMER MAYOR, I THINK HE GETS
IT AND I THINK HE KNOWS WHAT
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
AROUND THE COUNTRY NEED AND SO
I THINK HE'S THE RIGHT GUY FOR
THE JOB AND IT'S A PARTICULARLY
APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR SOMEONE
WHO'S BEEN A MAYOR.
ALL RIGHT.
TO BRING US UP TO SPEED FOR
FOLKS WHO AREN'T FOLLOWING
THIS, YOU'LL HAVE ABOUT THAT
DOESN'T PLANS FUTURE PLANS THAT
YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
WHERE DO THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW
WITH THE MOBILITY PLAN?
I KNOW IT LIKE OTHER PLANS ARE
SORT OF ON HOLD.
YEAH.
I MEAN THERE'S SO MANY
DIMENSIONS AND DYNAMICS TO
THIS.
THERE'S ULTIMATELY THE FUNDING
QUESTIONS THAT SPAN EVERYTHING
FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL OF WHICH
WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHERE
THAT'S GOING TO GO, WHICH
OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS A CRITICAL
PIECE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
MONEY WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
AND WHAT THE THE THE GUARDRAILS
FOR THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
ULTIMATELY WOULD BE THERE ON
THE STATE LEVEL DYNAMIC VERY
MUCH IN LIMBO, IN FLUX BETWEEN
THE TOWNS AND EVERYTHING THAT
HAS TO BE IN AGREEMENT THERE AS
WELL AS THE REGULAR VOTERS
DESIRE THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A
REFERENDUM.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF
THOSE FACTORS AND REALLY A LACK
OF CONSENSUS PAIRED WITH THE
CENSUS ITSELF AND THE POTENTIAL
DELAY FOR THE ELECTION, I I
THINK THE THE ONLY THING WE
KNOW RIGHT NOW IS CHARLOTTE
NEEDS SOME TRANSFORMATIONAL
INVESTMENT IN HOW WE MOVE
PEOPLE 20 AND 30 YEARS FROM
NOW.
BUT HOW WE DO THAT AND HOW WE
BUILD THE COALITION TO JUSTIFY
IT IS STILL VERY MUCH AN OPEN
QUESTION.
LURKING TAKED JUST MADE THE
POINT I MEAN I REMEMBER HE MADE
THE POINT ABOUT LACK OF
CONSENSUS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO
GET OTHER TOWNS ON BOARD.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET EVERYBODY
ELSE ON BOARD.
YOU'VE GOT TO DO THE ONE CENT
SALE TAX.
I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING
PARTS HERE.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CONSENSUS
.
I REMEMBER AS A CITY COUNCIL
REPORTER BACK 10 12 YEARS AGO
WITH ANTHONY FOX, I REMEMBER
THEM TALKING ABOUT THE
STREETCAR TRYING TO GET FEDERAL
GRANTS FOR THE STREETCAR AT THE
TIME AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE
EVERYBODY ON ON THE SAME PAGE
THAT YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES DIDN'T
WANT TO WORK WITH YOU BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO WORK WITH ENTITIES
THAT ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD
AND IS THAT A CONCERN THAT
PUTTING OUR BEST FACE FORWARD
WE ALL NEED TO GET ON THE SAME
PAGE YOU WE'VE GOT A FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATION NOW THERE'S NOT
A BIGGER PROPONENT FOR RAIL
THAN PRESIDENT BIDEN.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT
AND SO WE'RE IN A POSITION TO
CAPITALIZE ON THAT ENTHUSIASM I
THINK AND WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF
THE GROUNDWORK TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE READY.
THE STREETCAR THAT
YOU MENTIONED, THE SECOND PHASE
OF THAT WILL OPEN TO PASSENGER
SERVICE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF
MONTHS.
AND SO I THINK WE ARE HAVING
THOSE CONVERSATIONS NOW.
TARIQ MENTIONED POTENTIAL DELAY
IN THE ELECTION.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY AN INEVITABLE
DELAY IN THE ELECTION YET WE
JUST DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE.
BUT I THINK THAT AS MUCH OF
FRUSTRATION AS THAT MIGHT BE IN
SOME REGARDS IT'S GOOD BECAUSE
IT GIVES US MORE TIME TO WORK
THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS
LIKE CREATING MORE CERTAINTY
FOR RESIDENTS OF NORTH
MECKLENBURG AND IREDELL COUNTY
AROUND POTENTIAL RED LINE
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN LOCK
STEP WITH OUR NEIGHBORS BOTH IN
THE COUNTY AND OUTSIDE THAT WE
WANT TO MOVE FORWARD THE
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
AND WE ARE READY IF THOSE
FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE THERE FOR
US TO CAPITALIZE ON THEM.
I WANT TO BEAR DOWN JUST ON
THAT ONE POINT REAL QUICKLY.
I SAW IT ON TWITTER.
I THINK WHERE I SAW I SAW ON
TWITTER THIS PAST WEEK THAT
EVIDENTLY THAT NORFOLK SOUTHERN
LINE ONLY IS USED LIKE ONCE A
WEEK AND THEY'RE NOT LETTING US
USE IT.
HOW DOES THIS ALMOST HAPPEN?
IT'S WHAT'S NEEDED AND IT'S A
LOT LONGER THAN WE CAN GET INTO
A SEGMENT RIGHT NOW.
BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME
BACK AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S
NECESSARY IS THERE LOOKING FOR
A LONG TERM LEASE ON ANOTHER
CORRIDOR AND THEY'RE KEEPING
THIS CORRIDOR AS FRANKLY AS
LEVERAGE BUT ALSO SO THAT
THEY'VE GOT OPTIONS AND SO WE
NEED TO WORK WITH NORTH
CAROLINA RAILROAD LEADERSHIP TO
MAKE SURE THEY CAN HAVE THE
ASSURANCES THEY NEED ON THIS
OTHER CORRIDOR THAT COULD
POTENTIALLY FREE UP WHAT THE
FUTURE RED LINE COULD BE.
SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE
ONGOING.
TARK YOU'RE GOING TO SAY
SOMETHING?
YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY THE
SAME THING WHICH IS EVEN THOUGH
THEY DON'T USE IT AS MUCH AS
MIGHT SEEM PLAUSIBLE RIGHT NOW,
IT IS VERY MUCH A LOGICAL THING
FOR THAT COMPANY TO BE HOLDING
ONTO THAT BECAUSE THESE ARE
MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT CORRIDORS
FOR THEM AND IF ONE GOES DOWN
OF WHICH THEY DON'T HAVE A
WHOLE LOT OF CONTROL THEY DID
THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE IT
IN THAT PRIMARY LINE THIS IS
THAT THAT THAT KIND OF
CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR ALL
MAJOR BUSINESSES LIKE THIS IF
YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTINGENCY
PLAN AND YOU DON'T HAVE
CONTROL, YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE.
SURE.
YOU'VE MENTIONED OUTSIDE THE
BOX THINKING I MEAN YOU'RE
TALKED ABOUT EVEN THE IDEA OF
TUNNELS UNDER UPTOWN.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS
I'VE ALREADY STARTED DIGGING
THEN I'VE BEEN ON PROVIDENCE
ROAD FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS
JUST WITH THE SHOVEL BUT IN
REALITY WHICH THAT'S APRIL
FOOL'S JOKE IN REALITY I'VE
JUST BEEN ON A MISSION TO
FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN
DISRUPTIVELY INNOVATE AROUND
TOWN AND ALTHOUGH I'VE BEEN
PREACHING IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS
I THINK JUST SAYING IT ISN'T
ENOUGH LIKE IT'S NOT IT'S NOT
PERMEATING IN THE WAY THAT WHEN
WE'RE BUILDING THESE TWENTY AND
THIRTY YEAR OUT PLANS AND ARE
STILL TALKING ONLY ABOUT RAIL
AS LIKE THE FUTURE OF HOW WE'LL
MOVE PEOPLE AND NOT JUST
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR THE 20
40 PLAN WHERE WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT WE NEED A GROCERY STORE
OR A BLOCKBUSTER OR A BARNES
AND NOBLE ON EVERY CORNER.
SO IT'S WALKING DISTANCE.
IT DOESN'T ANTICIPATE WHERE THE
FUTURE IS GOING TO GO.
SO AS I'VE REACHED OUT AND MADE
MY CASE FOR THE BORING COMPANY
AND HAD SOME MEETINGS AND
TRYING TO GET ELON MUSK'S
ATTENTION TO HEY, WE NEED TO
INNOVATE HERE IT'S LESS ABOUT
IS BORING TUNNELS AND TRAVELING
UNDERGROUND AT ONE HUNDRED AND
FIFTY MILES AN HOUR.
THE ACTUAL SOLUTION AND IT'S
ACTUALLY MORE ABOUT ARE WE
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX?
ARE WE THINKING BEYOND THE
SEVERAL TOOLS THAT WE'VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST
THIRTY YEARS WHEN THEY'RE ON
THE VERGE OF 5G AND AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES AND FLYING WE DON'T
KNOW WHERE PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY
BE MOVED IN MASS NUMBERS IN
TWENTY AND THIRTY YEARS FROM
NOW.
BUT WE BETTER START ACTUALLY
TRYING TO THINK ABOUT IT
OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE
HUGE, HUGE BETS ON BARNES AND
NOBLE, NOBLE AND BLOCKBUSTER
TYPE APPROACHES TO LAST
QUESTIONS ONE FOR EACH OF
YOU TARK MENTIONED IT BUT
LURKING WHERE DO THINGS STAND
WITH THE TWENTY FOUR YEAR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
THE TRANSIT PLAN IS SORT OF
PART OF IT AS WELL BUT WE ARE
WE KNOW IT'S SORT OF GOT CAUGHT
UP IN CONTROVERSY SINGLE FAMILY
ZONING AND THAT SORT OF THING
PUT ON HOLD THE VOTE WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE THIS MONTH.
NOW IT'S BEEN PUSHED BACK.
YOU KNOW IT'S A BIG PIECE OF IT
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF WE BUILD
OUT THIS TRANSFORMATION
MOBILITY NETWORK IT IS GOING TO
SHAPE AND STEER THE DIRECTION
IN THE WAY IN WHICH OUR CITY
GROWS GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT IS A BIG PART OF IT AND
WITH SOME OF THAT WE HAVE TO
SAY HOW WILL OUR CITY LOOK IF
WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT
MOBILITY AND HOW WILL IT LOOK
IF WE DON'T THE 2040 PLAN HAS
BEEN IT WILL NOT BE AN END OF
APRIL BUT IT WILL BE AN END OF
JUNE.
BUT NOW AT THE EARLIEST WHICH I
THINK ALLOWS THE COUNCIL AND
THE COMMUNITY SOME TIME WHEN
THE NEXT DRAFT COMES OUT WHICH
WE'RE EXPECTING IN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF WEEKS TO REALLY DIG
INTO THAT SEE THE CHANGES THAT
HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE FIRST
DRAFT AND HAVE AGAIN HAD THIS
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN
REFINE THE DETAILS OF THAT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LASER
FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING THE GOALS
THAT IT SEEKS TO ACHIEVE AND IT
DOESN'T AND AND MITIGATE SOME
OF THE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE
IMPACT IT COULD HAVE.
TARK FINALLY NEWS THIS WEEK
ROBIN HOOD IS EXPANDING HERE TO
CHARLOTTE.
YOU ARE OF COURSE BIG IN THE
FINTECH WORLD.
I ASSUME WE'RE HOPING TO
SEE MORE OF THIS.
YEAH, ROBIN HOOD IS JUST THE
JUST THE KIND OF NEXT STEP IN
THE EVOLUTION OF CHARLOTTE AS
POTENTIALLY YOU KNOW AS TECH
WAS TO SILICON VALLEY PERHAPS
FINTECH IN JUST THE NEXT LEVEL
OF INNOVATION IS TO CHARLOTTE
AND WE WORKED HARD MANY, MANY
PEOPLE FOR THE LAST TEN MONTHS
TO MAKE THIS A REALITY THAT WE
GOT TO ANNOUNCE THIS LAST WEEK
WITH ROBIN HOOD BRINGING THREE
HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE JOBS
HERE.
THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS IN
ANNUAL NEW SALARIES THAT ARE
GOING TO HELP IN EVERYTHING
FROM OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT,
UPWARD MOBILITY AND I JUST
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE AS ROBIN HOOD
KIND OF PLANTS THEIR FLAG HERE
AND THEY ARE ONE OF ARGUABLY
THE BEST KNOWN FINTECH BRANDS
ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW.
WHAT OUR NEXT WIN IN OUR WIN
AFTER THAT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE
IT JUST GETS A LITTLE EASIER
AND A LITTLE EASIER EACH TIME
TO SPEAR FISH AND EXPLAIN WHY
CHARLOTTE INDEED HAS A LOT TO
SAY NOT JUST AS A THIN GUY BUT
ALSO AS A CITY COUNCILMAN.
I MEAN YOU'RE TELLING THE FOLKS
OF CHARLOTTE EXPECT MORE OF
THIS.
I WOULD SAY THIS IS THIS HAS
ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING A LOT
AND ROBIN HOOD PROBABLY MARKS
THE MOMENT OF LIKE EVERYONE OH
,I'VE HEARD OF THAT THING
BEFORE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND I
THINK IT WILL JUST WE'LL LOOK
BACK ON IT MARKING A MOMENT IN
CHARLOTTE'S HISTORY OF WHERE WE
WENT FROM A BANKING POWERHOUSE
GROWTH TO MAYBE WE HEARD ABOUT
SOME FINTECH TOO.
ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S BANKING
AND FINTECH IN COMBINATION AND
IT'S JUST UBIQUITOUS HERE ALL
DR. STARK, THANK YOU BOTH.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING