The Raleigh Report
from the office of Representative Marian McLawhorn
January 14, 2010
As our state grows, it has become increasingly important for us 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.
(See attached document "Division Funding" for a breakdown – Pitt County is in Division 2)
_To see a list of projects, please go to: http://www.ncdot.gov/_templates/download/external.html?pdf=http%3A//
www.ncdot.org/download/recovery/1511_Certification.pdf
_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, please go to: http://www.ncdot.gov/_templates/download/external.html?pdf=http%3A//www.ncdot.gov/download/recovery
/1511_Certification_Transit_Urban.pdf
_ 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:
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 tetra nitrate. 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.
Notes
_North Carolina tax officials stepped up their efforts and collected $427 million in back taxes from scores of businesses in the past six months. The Department of Revenue targeted 400 corporations with large outstanding tax bills and negotiated settlements with 236. The department had set a goal of collecting $150 million in back taxes. The additional money is expected to help cover any anticipated budget shortfall this year.
_Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry mobile devices, has confirmed that the company plans to open a research-and-development facility in the Raleigh area. It is presently unknown how many jobs the arrival of RIM will bring to North Carolina.
_ Power equipment manufacturer Husqvarna has announced that it will add 160 jobs and a $2.75 million expansion in Charlotte. Husqvarna is moving its North American headquarters from Augusta, Ga., to Charlotte. The overall average annual wage for the 160 new jobs will be $79,453, not including benefits.