Matthews mayor vows to fight for Silver Line rail extension despite funding setback
WCNC
[{'start': '2.720', 'end': '6.480', 'text': 'Big news here. A push to get the'}, {'start': '4.319', 'end': '8.720', 'text': 'Silverline light rail back on track to'}, {'start': '6.480', 'end': '10.400', 'text': 'Matthews. It fell pretty flat on its'}, {'start': '8.720', 'end': '12.400', 'text': 'face after lengthy discussions from town'}, {'start': '10.400', 'end': '14.320', 'text': 'and city leaders across Meckllinburgg'}, {'start': '12.400', 'end': '16.160', 'text': "County. Yeah. WCNC Charlotte's Walker"}, {'start': '14.320', 'end': '18.080', 'text': 'Lawson shows us the reaction from'}, {'start': '16.160', 'end': '20.240', 'text': 'Matthews leaders.'}, {'start': '18.080', 'end': '22.400', 'text': 'It was a firm no from every member on'}, {'start': '20.240', 'end': '25.279', 'text': 'the committee last night except for the'}, {'start': '22.400', 'end': '28.560', 'text': 'mayor of Matthews who was proposing that'}, {'start': '25.279', 'end': '30.560', 'text': '5% increase in funding for the light'}, {'start': '28.560', 'end': '33.600', 'text': 'rail in an effort to bring the silver'}, {'start': '30.560', 'end': '36.320', 'text': 'line back down to Matthews now. Again,'}, {'start': '33.600', 'end': '38.239', 'text': "he said he's growing frustrated as he"}, {'start': '36.320', 'end': '41.200', 'text': 'said an effort to bring the light rail'}, {'start': '38.239', 'end': '42.879', 'text': 'here has been in the works for years.'}, {'start': '41.200', 'end': '44.879', 'text': 'Every town in the county is getting what'}, {'start': '42.879', 'end': '47.120', 'text': 'they want except for Matthews. That'}, {'start': '44.879', 'end': '49.280', 'text': 'frustration boiling over in Matthews'}, {'start': '47.120', 'end': '51.200', 'text': "after Wednesday night's vote kept the"}, {'start': '49.280', 'end': '53.600', 'text': 'brakes on extending the light rail to'}, {'start': '51.200', 'end': '55.360', 'text': 'Matthews while keeping it on track for'}, {'start': '53.600', 'end': '56.879', 'text': "other parts of the county. We don't want"}, {'start': '55.360', 'end': '59.039', 'text': 'the whole pie. We want a piece of the'}, {'start': '56.879', 'end': '61.680', 'text': 'pie and some of our colleagues are'}, {'start': '59.039', 'end': '63.199', 'text': 'getting you know palamode with uh you'}, {'start': '61.680', 'end': '64.879', 'text': 'know whipped cream and a cherry and'}, {'start': '63.199', 'end': '66.720', 'text': "we're asked to be satisfied with the"}, {'start': '64.879', 'end': '68.560', 'text': 'crumbs. The Silver Line originally'}, {'start': '66.720', 'end': '70.560', 'text': 'planned to run from East Charlotte to'}, {'start': '68.560', 'end': '72.560', 'text': 'Matthews was cut back in a revised'}, {'start': '70.560', 'end': '74.880', 'text': 'transit plan, ending the line at'}, {'start': '72.560', 'end': '76.880', 'text': 'Bojingles Coliseum. Hope for reviving'}, {'start': '74.880', 'end': '78.640', 'text': 'the project came back on track last'}, {'start': '76.880', 'end': '81.119', 'text': 'month when a bill was filed in the state'}, {'start': '78.640', 'end': '83.200', 'text': 'house by Republican Tricia Gotham,'}, {'start': '81.119', 'end': '85.600', 'text': 'allowing for more flexibility in how'}, {'start': '83.200', 'end': '87.520', 'text': 'transit tax money is spent. All I was'}, {'start': '85.600', 'end': '90.320', 'text': 'asking for last night was to see how'}, {'start': '87.520', 'end': '93.040', 'text': 'much more rail we could build um towards'}, {'start': '90.320', 'end': '94.960', 'text': 'Matthews if we added another 5%. But'}, {'start': '93.040', 'end': '97.119', 'text': 'many leaders across the county said'}, {'start': '94.960', 'end': '99.119', 'text': "stick to the playbook. I just don't"}, {'start': '97.119', 'end': '101.520', 'text': 'believe that that dealing with that and'}, {'start': '99.119', 'end': '103.200', 'text': 'doing another study or taking time to do'}, {'start': '101.520', 'end': '105.360', 'text': 'that is worthwhile at this particular'}, {'start': '103.200', 'end': '107.680', 'text': 'time. Mayor Higgun says the fear of'}, {'start': '105.360', 'end': '110.560', 'text': "another study shouldn't derail Matthew's"}, {'start': '107.680', 'end': '113.040', 'text': "chances. We've already spent between 45"}, {'start': '110.560', 'end': '114.320', 'text': 'and $50 million on engineering plans for'}, {'start': '113.040', 'end': '115.840', 'text': "this portion of the rail. So, I don't"}, {'start': '114.320', 'end': '118.320', 'text': 'think we need a whole lot more studies.'}, {'start': '115.840', 'end': '119.759', 'text': 'We know where it will go um'}, {'start': '118.320', 'end': '122.399', 'text': "preliminarily. You know, we're like at"}, {'start': '119.759', 'end': '124.240', 'text': 'the 30% design phase now. Now, Mayor'}, {'start': '122.399', 'end': '126.560', 'text': 'Hickden says he will fight to bring the'}, {'start': '124.240', 'end': '128.799', 'text': 'light rail down here for as long as he'}, {'start': '126.560', 'end': '128.799', 'text': 'can.'}]