CRTPO Begins Search for New Director

Leadership search begins as the Charlotte region faces transportation funding decisions, modeling questions and renewed scrutiny over billion-dollar infrastructure priorities.

The same day North Carolina’s state budget was signed into law, opening the door for billions of dollars in government spending and transportation investments, the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) announced it is searching for a new director to lead the region’s most influential transportation planning agency.

The timing of the announcement raises questions about leadership continuity at an organization responsible for helping determine how transportation dollars are prioritized across one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.

The City of Charlotte posted the CRTPO Director position on Tuesday, July 7, seeking a leader with experience in transportation planning, regional politics, federal funding programs and managing complex infrastructure decisions. The salary range is listed at $114,294 to $164,298.

The new director will oversee the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) responsible for transportation planning across Mecklenburg, Iredell and Union counties, representing 24 member jurisdictions and more than 1.6 million residents.

CRTPO does not build roads or operate transit systems. Instead, it plays a central role in deciding which transportation projects are prioritized for future funding by developing long-range plans, evaluating transportation needs and coordinating with state and federal agencies.

That work is guided by technical forecasting tools, including the Metrolina Regional Model (MRM), a computer-based travel demand model used to predict how people will move throughout the region.

The model estimates daily travel patterns based on population growth, employment projections, household data, transportation networks and travel surveys. It forecasts where people will go, how they will get there, what time they will travel and which routes they are likely to use.

The MRM covers a 12-county region stretching across North and South Carolina, including Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell, Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly, Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties, portions of Catawba County, York County and part of Lancaster County.

Those forecasts influence decisions involving major highway expansions, transit investments and other transportation projects that can carry multibillion-dollar price tags.

Leadership change follows transportation controversy

The director search comes shortly after CRTPO became the focus of a major regional transportation dispute involving the proposed Interstate 77 South express toll lanes project.

In May, CRTPO voted to withdraw support for the project after months of debate among elected officials, transportation advocates, business leaders and residents.

Supporters argued the project was needed to address congestion along one of the region’s most heavily traveled corridors. Opponents questioned the cost, toll structure and impacts on communities along the corridor.

Following the decision, the North Carolina Department of Transportation warned that the region could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation funding connected to the project.

The controversy placed renewed attention on how transportation priorities are established, how forecasts are developed and how regional agencies balance competing demands from taxpayers, commuters, businesses and local governments.

What comes next

According to the job posting, the next CRTPO director will be expected to rebuild trust, strengthen regional partnerships and guide the organization through future transportation decisions.

The position description emphasizes transparency, public engagement, financial stewardship and the ability to communicate complex transportation decisions to the public.

The search also comes as Charlotte and surrounding communities continue experiencing rapid growth, increasing traffic congestion and pressure to determine how limited transportation dollars should be spent.

As CRTPO prepares to select its next leader, questions remain about the future direction of regional transportation planning — and whether the agency’s next chapter will bring more public confidence and accountability to decisions that affect millions of residents.

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