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> Congestion Relief/Intermodal Funds
Land Use:
Congestion Relief/Intermodal Funds
Our Position: support
Bill Number: H2363 = S1894
Sponsor: Rep. Carney (D-Mecklenburg)/Sen. Stevens (R-Wake)
Legislative Session: 2008
H2363, the Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transport Fund, is a smart and strategic path forward to serve a growing population, modernize infrastructure, provide air quality benefits and support economic development.
This bill will:
Move People More Efficiently: Expand public transportation options in rapidly growing communities
66% of the projected growth in North Carolina will occur in urban areas, which will need more transportation options to drive economic development, reduce congestion and create new jobs. Public transportation provides an affordable mobility option for low and middle income families dealing with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, and a time-saving option for all commuters dealing with increasing congestion and travel times to and from work.
Public transit operations and public transportation capital projects top the list of job creation among all transportation projects—more than road and bridge maintenance and repair, more than new highway construction and capacity.
For every dollar taxpayers invest in public transportation, six dollars in economic return are generated.
Charlotte’s LYNX light rail line already anchors nearly two billion dollars in new development—creating more jobs and local tax revenue.
Move Goods More Efficiently: Expand commercial rail and port service
Railroads reduce congestion and roadway wear and tear and provide jobs in rural areas. Moving goods by freight will increasingly become more economical as fuel prices continue to increase.
Short line railroads are essential to the economy of North Carolina. Agriculture and commerce depend on reliable and extensive short line railroads.
Status
Ref to House Transportation; if fav, Finance
Action Needed
Contact your member of the House or Senate Transportation committee and encourage him or her to support a forward-looking transportation future for NC!
Contact
For more information contact Christa Wagner, Government Affairs Director or Serra Aktan, Stanback Intern at (919) 833-8467.
Background
Since the 1920s, North Carolina has been known as the “Good Roads State.” In the twenty-first century, North Carolina can also become the “Good Transportation State” – increasing mobility, decreasing congestion and moving North Carolina into the future with a robust transportation network based on choice, efficiency, fairness, and cost-effectiveness. The North Carolina DOT currently spends less than 3% of a 3.9 billion dollar budget on rapid transit and other multimodal projects. 48 of 50 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. are planning or building public transportation projects. Does North Carolina want to be left behind? A March 2008 Elon University poll of North Carolina residents found that over 80% of those surveyed selected public transportation services as an effective way to relieve congestion, while a majority of NC residents surveyed would choose to commute via public transportation options if available.
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