North Carolina
has seven million licensed drivers - most of whom are frustrated by potholes
and traffic tie-ups. We have one of the
nation's largest state-maintained highway systems and it used to be one of the
best. Unfortunately, we are not
successfully maintaining or improving this system to the best of our ability -
and the result is hurting our state's people.
A solid highway infrastructure improves the quality of life for
families. It also improves the
economy.
I'm focused on providing the right infrastructure to meet the
state's growing transportation needs by increasing transportation funding,
particularly for
New
Hanover
County
and other areas in on the
Cape
Fear
Coast
. Doing so will stimulate economic development,
enhance tourist opportunities, and improve the overall quality of life for the
people in our district.
Along with roads, a major
infrastructure concern for the coastal areas is
North Carolina's
ports in
Wilmington
and
Morehead
City
.
The volume of international trade coming into the ports is expected to
double by 2020 and we must be ready to provide quality services and maximize
our potential to succeed in this area. The
Port
of
Wilmington
has unique advantages that make it nationally attractive: including direct
access to Interstate 95 and 40.
In the future,
North Carolina
's coastal
regions will be faced with a growing population that will bring more vehicles
and people to the area, putting a greater burden on our infrastructure. I look forward to fighting for highway
funding in upcoming legislative sessions - taking proactive measures and fixing
these issues now.
