Stimulus money - how much we'll get

The N.C. Department of Transportation said Tuesday it will get an infusion of $838 million from the stimulus bill - $735 million for roads and bridges, $103 million for transit.

This isn't exact, but it looks like Division 10 of the DOT - which includes most of the Charlotte area - will get about $70 million for highways. The Charlotte Area Transit System will probably get $22 million.

For CATS, that's a big chunk of money - about as much as the half-cent sales tax generates for capital projects each year. But it's unlikely to spent on building any new rail lines. The money may be spent on renovating a bus maintenance garage or the uptown transit center. CATS may also buy new buses with the cash.

The Charlotte office of the DOT has said it won't attempt to build part of the outerbelt with the money. Instead it will use the money for smaller projects.