Growth in population means required growth in transportation
NC Department of Commerce has created an economic vitality index, that compares the performance of counties to the national average. The top two counties in the state are Wake and Durham, with Orange, Chatham and Johnston all in the top 10, and all above the national average. Of note, 89 of our state’s 100 counties are below the national average.
The Triangle’s population growth overall continues to be of national stature. The Raleigh-Cary metro ranked 10th overall on a percentage growth basis, with an annual growth rate of 2.4%
There was a recent commentary in the New York Post about transportation. The author, Andrew Miller, noted that “For most of the 20th century, North America responded to rising demand in any area by expanding capacity. We didn’t treat congestion as a permanent condition to be managed, but as a signal to build.” He also noted that “Mobility determines where people can work and which cities can grow. When it becomes unreliable, the costs are borne quietly — missed opportunities, lost productivity, narrower horizons — but they are real.”
The author was referring to airports and air travel, and argued that a cause of the plane crash last month in New York (at LaGuardia Airport/LGA) was due to insufficient capacity in the air system. My sense is that the author’s logic would also apply just the same to our metropolitan arterial network. The point remains that in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, we have to continue to invest and lead on transportation. The regional business community remains laser-focused on ensuring that vital mobility investments are in place for our growing market.
Let’s get moving,
Joe
