Thank you Marshall for that introduction.
I attended your Annual Meeting in March -- and it's an honor to be here again today.
And I'm glad some of our legislators could join us this morning.
Senator Broyhill and Representative Crawford -- it's good to see you.
NCCBI has worked so hard on behalf of our citizens, and I'm glad we have an organization that recognizes the need for a strong economy.
We're one of the fastest-growing states in the nation.
Last year more than 12,000 companies located or expanded facilities here.
That created more than 39,000 jobs and invested more than $7.5 billion in our economy.
And North Carolina is making connections.
From airports and deep-water ports to highways and rail service -- our transportation network is one of the most advanced in the country.
We boast:
You know that to prosper, we must address issues such as transportation.
And it's appropriate that you asked me to speak today -- because today marks the beginning of National Transportation Week.
It's important to recognize how transportation affects our lives and our economy.
From driving to work, to your kids riding their bicycles -- from taking a ferry ride along the coast or taking the Piedmont train on a business trip to Charlotte -- transportation touches our daily lives.
For more than 60 years, the gross domestic product has grown in direct relationship to the increase in travel across the United States.
A robust economy requires a transportation system -- and workers -- that are capable of sustaining it.
And, in turn, an efficient transportation system allows companies to lower transportation costs -- which lowers production costs and raises profits.
For every one-dollar that the U.S. spends on transportation -- we get two dollars and 30 cents back into the economy.
For every one billion the nation invests in transportation -- 42,000 jobs are created.
Transportation can bring together all that makes North Carolina special to us -- our people, our communities and our regions.
Transportation is a key element of Governor Easley's vision for One North Carolina -- where every community and every person matters.
As Secretary, Governor Easley charged me with developing an aggressive agenda for improving transportation that helps revitalize businesses and brings more industry to the state.
At the top of my list is MAINTENANCE.
Many of you have heard me talk about this before, but it is a critical issue in our state.
To keep up with our growing population, we must better maintain our highways that we build.
It's common sense to protect our investments -- and to plan for the future.
That brings me to my next priority -- mass transit.
Last Friday I attended the Rocky Mount Train Station Dedication.
The station once served the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and is now a key part of the city's historic district.
DOT worked with the city to restore the station with grants from the Federal Highway Administration, federal enhancement funds and local matching funds.
The station is a gateway to eastern North Carolina -- more than 38,000 passengers used the station last year.
It's vital that we invest in our train stations to provide citizens and visitors with safe and inviting facilities to welcome them to our towns and state.
And promoting transit helps relieve one of the state's most pressing challenges -- traffic congestion.
Our ability to move goods and services in an effective and cost-efficient manner is critical to our high standard of living.
However, traffic congestion threatens to put the brakes on economic growth in the years ahead, because it will slow the delivery of goods and services -- leading to increased costs for consumers.
That's why soon I'll announce some major efforts the Department will undertake to help ease traffic congestion in several of our urban areas.
Since 1982, highway travel has increased ten times faster than new lane capacity -- and the annual costs of traffic congestion are rapidly increasing in our nation's urban areas.
The best way to relieve traffic congestion is through a comprehensive set of strategies that should include:
Your new coalition -- NC Go! -- is proof that this organiziation wants to help alleviate congestion on our highways.
That's why we must look to mass transit to improve congestion -- and help us better plan for the future by offering citizens an alternative to the car and reducing air pollution.
As we look at transportation needs statewide, we must also address the challenges facing our rural areas.
Typically, our urban areas have experienced great economic growth while our rural communities have lagged behind.
That's why I'm committed to providing the transportation infrastructure necessary to help these communities better attract industry and jobs.
We have a lot to be thankful for in the state -- most notably is our precious environment.
We're working hard to preserve wetlands, protect wildlife and provide funding for projects that enhance our surroundings.
For example, we're providing $3.2 million to N.C. State University to repair and enhance Rocky Branch -- a creek that was at one time known as the state's most polluted urban stream.
We're partnering with the university -- as well as Sea Grant, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the EPA on this.
We'll stabilize the stream, improve the water quality and increase natural habitats for urban wildlife.
And through federal enhancement funds, we'll create a greenway system along the stream corridor that will provide 6,100 feet of bicycling, jogging and pedestrian paths throughout the campus.
Work will begin next month.
This is just one of the many enhancement projects we have planned across the state.
Improving our natural resources will continue to be a top priority in the Department.
As you know, funds are tighter than ever across state government.
At DOT we're tightening our belts and cutting costs.
To help address needs, we're taking a hard look at operations across the board.
I've been collecting ideas from employees for efficiencies and cost savings.
We're evaluating these ideas now and will implement those that can help us the most.
Any savings we generate will be put directly toward critical needs -- starting with maintenance.
Speaking of efficiencies, I'm glad to know that we'll hear a report from the Dye Management Group on DOT's cash management.
The Department has been working on ways to get more projects out and reduce these cash balances.
So as you can see, we're planning today for the challenges we'll face tomorrow -- but we can't do this alone.
You can help us move forward.
I need for you to be transportation advocates.
Let these goals on the Agenda Cards at your seats become YOUR GOALS.
I'll be calling on some of you to help us in our efforts.
It's essential that we continue our dialogues with business leaders to plan for growth and transportation improvements.
Together we can build the transportation system and quality of life that promises a new generation more jobs, more services and more opportunities.