AASHTO Officials want more Federat focus on transportation.
Press Release Summary:
According to AASHTO President Larry L. Brown, revenue may be lost unless transportation system gets tune-up. He cited inseparable aspects of transportation and economy and stressed need for investment. Brown is hosting transportation officials from across country this week in Natchez for AASHTO Spring Meeting. Primary goals of this 5-day conference are to focus on next multiyear highway and transit authorization bill, climate change, and approaches to working in tough budget times.
Original Press Release:
Ports Play Critical Role in Current and Future Economic Recovery
AASHTO Officials Want More Federal Recognition for Freight and Capacity Needs
(Natchez, MS)-Inland and Gulf Coast ports in the state of Mississippi pumped more than $6.2 billion into the state's economy in 2009, producing 46,000 jobs and a payroll worth more than $1.8 billion, according to statistics released today at a news conference held in conjunction with the Spring Meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
Standing at the Port of Natchez overlooking the Mississippi River, AASHTO President Larry L. "Butch" Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, said, "Through the port, up and down the Mississippi and through its important rail and road connections, goods are moving to and from Europe, Africa, Latin America, Canada, Asia, and points around the U.S. The result is business for Mississippi companies; jobs and income for Mississippi workers; and tax revenues for Mississippi governments."
But Brown said that unless the transportation system gets a tune-up, this revenue may be lost. "The simple fact is: no transportation, no economy. They are inseparable. And right now our transconomy is limping badly. We must invest to maintain and strengthen the American transconomy."
Brown coined the word "transconomy" to put greater emphasis on the need for more investment in all transportation modes. Brown is hosting transportation officials from across the country this week in Natchez for the AASHTO Spring Meeting. Primary goals of the five-day conference are to focus on the next multiyear highway and transit authorization bill, climate change, and new approaches to working in tough budget times, among other issues. The current extension of the existing authority for highway and transit programs ends December 31, 2010.
"We need a new, comprehensive, multiyear authorization bill that gives state and local governments the level of investment needed to maintain and modernize all transportation modes," said Susan Martinovich, AASHTO vice president and director of Nevada's Department of Transportation, during the news conference. "We may not have a port in my state, but our ability to move freight is critical. We have warehousing and distribution hubs in both Reno and Las Vegas that need to function efficiently or our nation's supply chain grinds to a halt."
Joining the AASHTO officials was Natchez Port Director Anthony Hauer, who said that his port puts $50,000 a month into the local economy. "This small port is tied to the Mississippi River, a major rail line, and highways that move goods across the country and around the world. Greater federal investment will help create good-paying American jobs as we seek to compete in the global marketplace."
Brown added, "We've got an important message to deliver to Congress and the American people. Transportation equals jobs and economic growth."
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow AASHTO on Twitter @ aashtospeaks
