On August 25, 1939, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released an American musical fantasy film entitled, The Wizard of Oz. We all know the story, so I won’t bore you with the details, but who can forget the proverbial phrase, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road!” For a young girl lost in a distant land, the yellow brick road provided a sense of hope and direction. Faced with numerous challenges along the way, you had to admire her focus and determined effort to reach the Wizard in the Emerald City.
Israeli tech company, Electreon has created a yellow brick road of sorts. This company may have solved the problem that worries most Americans as we transition from gas powered automobiles, to electric cars. Our primary concerns are the vehicles distance of travel and the convenience of recharging. Let’s be honest. Even in my gas-guzzler, I can pump a full tank, and hit the road within 10 minutes. I love the convenience, and I’m sure most drivers feel the same way. But Electreon has created a concept that may help us by-pass the local gas station altogether.
How? Through wireless road technology that’s based on electrical induction, with copper coils installed in the roadway. The coils transfer energy to a receiver that can be mounted on any electric vehicle such as a truck, bus, or typical automobile. In other words, you have the ability to charge your car while driving!! This is smart technology and it should be implemented throughout Urban America IMMEDIATELY.
On December 8, 2021 President Biden signed an Executive Order that directs the federal government to become carbon neutral by 2050. This order includes generating carbon pollution-free electricity by 2030 and zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Auto makers are already producing electric vehicles and have plans to eliminate gas powered cars over the next 10 years. In fact, Toyota just announced plans to build a $1.3B electric vehicle battery plant in Greensboro. But we still haven’t addressed the pink elephant in the room, and if America wants to make this a smooth transition, it needs to provide an answer that’s BETTER than our current option.
I stated in the blog, “Don’t Get Mad, Get Smart,” that the answers we seek to solve our problems are no longer found in yesterday’s march, but in tomorrow’s meeting room. It would be irresponsible of me to complain about our plight without providing solutions. So here it is. CID’s!! Community Improvement Districts, or CID’s should be organized, voted and approved in East Greensboro quickly. CID’s are similar to a residential HOA where a portion of the taxes paid by the businesses within the district are utilized for the improvement of the community. CID’s are prominent in larger cities, and the allocated resources are used to hire consultants to negotiate deals on behalf of the district. For example, the Cumberland CID in Cobb County Georgia committed $140 million between 1988 and 2019 (www.cumberlandcid.org). Its economic impact has generated over $2.5B for the district. The Cumberland CID has been leveraging private investments to enhance roads, bridges, streetscapes, bicycle trails and recreational infrastructure which is key when trying to attract major companies, and better jobs to the community. So while the infrastructure surrounding Turner Field in Atlanta slowly crumbled, the Braves found a viable option which led to the development of The Battery in the Cumberland Community Improvement District. And after 4 years, and a World Series Championship later, The Battery is arguably the most valuable piece of property in Georgia.
Once East Greensboro establishes a CID, it could begin to enhance its infrastructure by partnering with companies like Electreon. This could encourage companies like Waymo to establish a pilot program for its autonomous vehicles within the district. And with Toyota building a battery plant on the border of Guilford and Randolph County, we could experience economic growth in East Greensboro like our brethren in the Northwest. Most people are unaware that Downtown Greensboro has a BID (Business Improvement District) that acts accordingly and has been the driving force behind its resurgence as well.
With the current administration pushing the Green New Deal for America, now is the time for our local and state government to begin building our own “Yellow Brick Road” down Highway 421. And with a CID in place to enhance the roads, bridges, streetscapes and trails, it’s only a matter of time before East Greensboro becomes the REAL Emerald City.
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