Bill > H641

This bill seeks to modernize North Carolina's transportation funding and project selection process by making several key changes. The bill expands the definition of transportation projects to include more multimodal options like bus rapid transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements across different project categories (Division Needs, Regional Impact, and Statewide Strategic Mobility). It adjusts the funding allocation percentages, reducing Statewide Strategic Mobility Projects from 40% to 30% and increasing Regional Impact Projects from 30% to 40%, while mandating that at least 20% of funds be distributed to non-highway projects. The bill also modifies the project selection criteria by removing some traditional highway-focused metrics like lane width and congestion, and adding new criteria such as accessibility, connectivity, vehicle miles traveled reductions, and environmental quality. Additionally, the bill allows counties to conduct referendums on local sales and use taxes for public transportation, with the potential to levy up to 1% instead of the previous 0.25%. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility and comprehensive considerations in transportation planning, emphasizing multimodal transportation, environmental sustainability, and local community needs.