The Strategic Mobility Formula A new law reforms and modernizes how major road projects are prioritized and funded in North Carolina. The Strategic Transportation Investments Act, sponsored by Representative Bill Brawley of Mecklenburg County, will govern the use of state and federal funds for state transportation construction and capital needs. The old distribution formula, which dates back to 1989, relies heavily on clout, favoritism and political patronage to determine which roads, bridges, and highways get built — and it’s been more a function of politics than of any real demonstrable need. For years, areas with powerful members of the General Assembly have benefitted from new transportation infrastructure while other areas of the state have languished. “We’re not taking money away from rural areas…what we are doing is connecting rural areas to urban areas in a way that benefits everybody.” — Representative Bill Brawley The new law changes that dynamic by prioritizing each new project based on its objective economic development value, removing politics from the process. “Businesses want to invest where states have their act together and where they have a strategy and a long-term vision, and that is exactly what we have done,” said Governor Pat McCrory The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) presented the Governor with a set of statistical projections that ultimately required the legislature to make substantial reforms in infrastructure investment for the long term and the Strategic Transportation Investments Act is their response to this challenge. The new law sets out a vision that addresses emerging economic and cultural realities, provides a model for reaching solutions, and moves the whole of North Carolina to a more sustainable path. The reforms include careful consideration of economic development, the impact on job creation, public and private funding mixes, changing construction needs, and the use of data-driven metrics and local input for planning and setting priorities. According the the DOT, the ten year plan estimates funding for 260 projects which will create 240,000 jobs over that period and will become effective starting in July 2015. To read more about the new law and how it affects North Carolina, please read the full article on my website at nchouse116/the-strategic-mobility-formula/
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 19:23:28 +0000
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