As our state grows, it has become increasingly important for us to improve our transportation system.
Crowded roads and long delays detract from our quality of life and decrease our sense of safety. Transportation projects help decrease those delays and right now they also bring much needed jobs to North Carolina.
There are a number of transportation projects already underway that are funded by federal stimulus dollars. These projects will aid our state’s economy and go a long way toward the improvement of our bridges and highways. The following information is meant to shed some light on how federal stimulus dollars are being spent on transportation projects across the state.
If you have any questions, or if I can be of assistance, please feel free to contact me. Thank you as always for your interest in the work of the General Assembly and state government and thank you for your support.
Overview
To date, the State of North Carolina has received approximately $816 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for transportation and transit-related projects. In total, the NC Department of Transportation has identified 474 projects across the state that will receive Recovery Act funding.
Highway Infrastructure Program
The state received more than $735 million in Recovery Act funding for Highway Infrastructure. This funding will support more than 334 contracts totaling more than $948 million that have been awarded for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina since March. According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs; and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation generates $6 in economic impact.
To see a list of projects, please go to: click here.
To see a map of projects, please go to: http://www.ncdot.org/recovery/recoveryprojects/
Transit Projects
In total, the state received about $103,304,000 million for Transit Capital Assistance, which will support 140 transit projects in rural and urban areas across the state:
As of June 23, 2009, $70,248,738 has been used to fund 70 transportation projects in urban areas across the state. The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Capital Area Planning Organization have supplemented the state’s amount with $5.1 million of their funds. For a complete list of urban transportation projects, click here.
As of July 2, 2009, $33,055,500 has been used to fund 63 transportation projects in rural areas across the state. For a complete list of rural transportation projects, please go to: click here.
Yadkin River Bridge
NC DOT is applying for a grant from the US DOT to replace the Yadkin River Bridge. The total amount available is $1.5 billion under the Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Transportation System. When awarded, projects will range from $20 – $300 million nationally. No awards have been made.
Southeast High-Speed Rail
NC DOT has submitted a package of 90 rail projects totaling about $4 billion under the $8 billion (available for the nation) Assistance for High Speed Rail Corridors and Intercity Passenger Rail Service program.
Notes
The Perdue Administration’s plan to speed up road construction on Interstate 485 now has the approval of the State Attorney General’s office. In short, the plan is to engage contractors to help with financing and to pay the companies back over 10 years. State Treasurer Janet Cowell questioned the Department of Transportation’s legal authority to add to the state’s debt. However, the Office of State Attorney General, Roy Cooper, has determined that the Perdue administration’s plan to finance Interstate 485 construction around Charlotte appears to be legal under a 2006 law passed by the General Assembly.
The Morehead City port was shut down on Tuesday after a forklift operator accidentally punctured containers filled with the highly explosive substance pentaerythritol tetranitrate. This substance is often used in military explosives and found inside blasting caps, and it is the same explosive used in the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt. The spill prompted officials to issue a voluntary evacuation order that was lifted by late Tuesday. According to officials, none of the highly explosive substance got into the water surrounding the port of Morehead City.
Annual 7th Senatorial District Public Forum
Job Creation and Economic Growth: Moving Past the Recession
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Senator Doug Berger, Representative Lucy Allen and I would like to invite all citizens, civic leaders and public officials in Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren counties to attend the annual 7th Senatorial District Public Forum on Thursday, January 28, 2010. This event will be held in the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus in Henderson beginning at 10:00 A.M. We hope to end the forum by 2:00 P.M.
This year’s forum will be entitled “Job Creation and Economic Growth: Moving Past the Recession” and will focus on North Carolina’s current job creation and economic growth status. Lunch will be provided for all participants. You will have an opportunity to let Senator Berger, Representative Allen and me know your concerns for the upcoming short session of the North Carolina General Assembly convening May 12, 2010.
Presenters for this workshop will include the following:
Secretary Keith Crisco, North Carolina Department of Commerce
Dr. Scott Ralls, President, North Carolina Community College System
Mr. Billy Ray Hall, President, N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
We hope that you will respond to this invitation by calling or emailing any one of the sponsors by January 21, 2010. This event is FREE and open to the public.
Please RSVP to one of the following offices by January 21st:
Senator Berger, (919) 715-8363 or email
Representative Allen, (919) 733-5860 or email
Representative Wray, (919) 733-5662 or email
Meetings/Events
I plan to attend the following meetings/events:
Please invite me to attend your county, city, community or civic, etc. meetings or events.
As I’ve said many times before, I hope you will continue to let me know how you feel about the issues that are being debated by the North Carolina Legislature and the challenges you and your family are facing each day.
By working together, we can make Northampton, Vance and Warren Counties and all regions of North Carolina a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Please remember that you can use the General Assembly’s website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and access other information. The site also contains detailed information about the state budget and legislative schedules.