 HOME | BLOG | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | PAST ISSUES | ADVERTISING RATES | RACK LOCATIONS N.C. Mobility Fund helps Chatham, rural counties By Randy Voller Long ago, our leaders set policy and encouraged transportation investments that we benefit from today. Legendary Governor Kerr Scott made it a point in the late 1940’s to address the rural issue with poor-quality dirt roads in the Tar Heel State. Decades later, Governor Jim Martin pushed forward the idea that no North Carolinian should live further than 10 miles from a four lane highway and championed a 5.25 cent per gallon motor fuels tax hike to help step up road construction. These were bold policy positions that responded to the needs of the people and moved North Carolina ahead. And although we can occasionally become myopic about the needs of our fellow North Carolinians, this is not an area where we can stick our head in the sand. Transportation networks are linked and by their nature regional and cross political and NCDOT district boundaries. For instance, transportation projects in District 8 logically connect to those in District 7, which means sidewalks and bike lanes on U.S. 15-501 in Chatham County need to cross district lines and connect to sidewalks in Orange County. Transportation networks leaving Chatham County need to connect to similar and high quality contiguous networks in the eight surrounding counties and not become influenced by nor mired down with petty politics and pork barrel projects. The Governor’s proposal will address some of these aforementioned issues by requiring that a new open and transparent prioritization model be created and developed in collaboration with local governments, stakeholders and the public. It is 2010 and North Carolina needs to support policies that will provide the flexibility to address the changing demography and transportation requirements of the Tar Heel State. A good idea would be a fresh look at the current equity formula for the allocation of transportation funding in our State as well as the implementation of Governor Perdue’s. Governor Perdue’s Mobility Fund could generate revenue for transportation and economic development projects of all shapes and sizes throughout North Carolina regardless of whether they are rural or urban and will create opportunity, logistical consistency, and most importantly jobs. I have spoken to my fellow Mayors in Chatham County, Goldston Mayor Tim Cunnup and Siler City Mayor Charles Johnson, and they also support the forward thinking of Governor Perdue and NCDOT Secretary Gen Conti. As a team we all strongly urge other leaders to support this new program, too. Randy Voller is Mayor of Pittsboro |