Thank you, Walt, for that introduction.

• It is an honor to join you for your Annual Fall Meeting.

• Thank you for taking the time to participate in today’s meeting—and for your involvement in such a worthwhile organization as the North Carolina Traffic League.

• I know that DOT counts on your members as valuable partners in providing transportation education and resources to the citizens of our state.

As Walt said, I was named Chief Deputy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation in January.

• Secretary Tippett and I are working together to ensure that the Governor’s goals for the state’s transportation system are realized.

• I’m pleased to report that the North Carolina Department of Transportation has made great progress in our ongoing efforts to provide an integrated state-of-the-art transportation system for the citizens of North Carolina.

I want to take a few moments to share with you our transportation goals and priorities—and the course we have set for the department.

NCDOT is continuing its pledge to help Governor Easley fulfill his vision for One North Carolina by bringing quality transportation to all citizens.

Our mission is to provide a safe, well-maintained and integrated system that provides for the transportation needs statewide.

We plan to achieve this through a series of commitments that will improve and expand our operations—while maintaining the level of service our citizens have come to expect.

• Eliminate the highway maintenance backlog.
• Protect and improve the state’s natural resources.
• Reduce congestion to enhance continued growth in urban areas.
• Provide transportation infrastructure to boost rural economic development.
• Improve operating efficiency by maximizing existing resources and by seeking new ways to perform traditional tasks.
• Plan and expand mass transit.
• Improve rail, aviation, bicycle, ferries and other alternative means of transportation.
• Ensure that all citizens have a voice in transportation decisions which affect them.
• Make sure employees have a safe workplace as they build and maintain our transportation systems.

We have made significant strides towards these goals—and then some.

• In just ten months we’ve have identified new efficiencies within the department that will save both time and money;

• We rolled out a new Transportation Improvement Program after weeks of citizen input;

• We unveiled plans for passenger rail service in the eastern as well as the western part of the state;

• This summer we signed a landmark memorandum of understanding with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and

• We expanded our on-line services at DMV to include address changes and replacement licenses.

We’ve also been working with the General Assembly to help eliminate our maintenance backlog.

• Last month, the General Assembly passed legislation that would move about $420 million during the next three years from the Highway Trust Fund for pavement preservation.

• We appreciate the General Assembly’s recognition of the importance of maintenance to our state’s prosperity and it’s importance for you to know that we are moving ahead as soon as possible with much needed maintenance projects—from the mountains to the coast.

• In November and December of this year, the Board of Transportation is scheduled to approve projects totaling $153 million.

• Construction on these projects will begin as soon as weather permits.

Of equal significance is the progress we’ve made on our agenda for rural North Carolina.

For our rural communities, we are finding ways to enhance growth while still planning for the future.

• We understand that the entire state is realizing the effects of unprecedented growth.

• This means more people on the roads, more traffic and more wear and tear on our highways.

• We also understand that this growth doesn’t necessarily stop at city limits.

• That’s why we are committed to providing the transportation infrastructure necessary to help rural communities deal with transportation demand—as well as the need to attract new industry and jobs.

Our rural agenda began taking shape last month when the department granted a charter to establish the Mid-Carolina Rural Planning Organization—the state’s first RPO, which will cover Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett and Sampson counties.

• RPOs are planning organizations for rural areas—and are meant to be counterparts to our existing Metropolitan Planning Organizations or MPOs.

• They will serve as the local transportation planning resource to rural areas—giving people local transportation contacts and offering citizen involvement in transportation and planning related decisions.

• Functions of the new RPO will include:

• developing long-range local and regional multi-modal transportation plans;

• providing a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process;

• developing and prioritizing suggestions for transportation projects for the State's Transportation Improvement Program;

• and providing transportation-related information to local governments and other interested organizations and persons.

• And just this week, Secretary Tippett announced that the Unifour RPO was established in the Hickory area—encompassing Alexander, Catawba, Caldwell and Burke counties.

• This is good news or our rural communities.

• RPOs will give all citizens a chance to become informed and involved in decisions which impact us all.

As we work on these priorities and our agenda for rural North Carolina, safety remains our top priority.

We are committed to educating everyone about transportation safety through our many safety campaigns and initiatives.

Our Work Zone Safety Awareness Campaign, "Speed A Little, Lose A Lot" continues to reach motorists with an important message about highway safety.

• This campaign, which just ended last month, sought to reduce fatalities in work zones throughout the state.

• The slogan, "Speed A Little, Lose A Lot" illustrates the consequences of speeding through a work zone.

• You could lose a lot---$250—the minimum fine for speeding through North Carolina work zones.

• More seriously, you could lose your life or cause the death of someone else.

DOT also recently had the opportunity to highlight another important safety concern: bicycle helmet use.

• The North Carolina Child Bicycle Safety Act was passed this year by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Mike Easley.

• This law, which became effective October 1, requires all children under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when riding bicycles on streets and highways.

• The Child Bicycle Safety Act is an important piece of legislation that will help protect the lives of North Carolina’s children.

• To help promote this law, the NCDOT offered grants of up to $2000 to law enforcement agencies in each community throughout the state to purchase bicycle helmets for children of low-income families.

• Funding for this new initiative came from $300,000 in federal safety funds provided by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

• I am happy to report that we were able to provide grants to more than 222 law enforcement agencies throughout the state to purchase helmets for their communities.

• Locally, we awarded $2,000 to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Cabarrus County Sherriff’s Office.

• Grants were also awarded to the Gastonia and Gaston County Police Departments—as well as the Matthews, Salisbury and Thomasville Police Departments.

• Bicycle helmets not only save lives, but are proven to reduce head injuries by as much as 80 percent.

• We owe it to our children to do all we can to guarantee their safety.

In keeping with our safety focus, Secretary Tippett last week announced tighter measures for issuing drivers licenses at DMV.

• The new measures require first-time applicants to show proof of North Carolina residency to obtain a license by showing an official government or business document that proves that the applicant lives in the state.

• As part of the new measures, the Driver License Section will work more closely with DMV Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies to crack down on those attempting to apply for a license using fraudulent documents.
• In the future, the department plans to develop an Identification Fraud Help Desk as an internal resource to help examiners validate genuine documents and identify fraudulent ones.

Now more than ever, we are committed to making sure that the license application process is not abused—and that all applicants wishing to obtain a license in this state do so in the proper, legal manner.

As we work to improve and expand our transportation network, safety will continue to be our top priority at DOT.

Before I go, I’d like to update you on some projects of local interest here in this area:

• Widen 8.1 miles of Interstate 77 from Interstate 85 to north of the Charlotte Outer Loop to eight lanes.

• The design-build project includes beefed up shoulders that could be used for bus rapid transit and High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes. Engineers are analyzing current and projected traffic counts to determine if demand for HOV lanes and bus rapid transit lanes exist.

• A contract for construction will be let in November. Completion is scheduled by December 2003, one year ahead of schedule.

• Construction started October 1 to widen 1.3 miles of Independence Boulevard (U.S. 74) from Eastway Drive to Sharon Amity Road to an expressway with a reversible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in the center. Blythe Construction Inc. of Charlotte bid $34.4 million for the project, which is scheduled for completion in November 2004.

• Construction is about 50 percent complete on a 3.3-mile section of the Outer Loop from south of N.C. 218 to north of N.C. 51. The project also includes an interchange at N.C. 218. Completion of the $20.8 million project is scheduled in July 2003.

• Construction is almost half-complete on a 6.7-mile section of the Outer Loop from Brown Grier Road to north of Wilkerson Boulevard (U.S. 29/74). Completion on the $63.2 million project is scheduled in December 2003.

• A contract for construction of 2.3 miles of the loop from north of Interstate 85 to N.C. 27 is scheduled to be let in February 2002.

• Construction started earlier this month to widen five miles of York Road (N.C. 49) from the Buster Boyd Bridge at the South Carolina line to Moss Road (S.R. 1122) to a four-lane divided highway.

• Completion of the $13.4 million contract is scheduled in July 2004. Completion of the Buster Boyd Bridge over the Catawba River is scheduled in December.

As you’ve heard, there is a lot going on in transportation right now in this region.

We are working hard on implementing our agenda and fulfilling our promise to provide citizens with an efficient and safe transportation system--not only here in Charlotte but throughout the state.

This effort involves a number of committed people and organizations—including the N.C. Traffic League.

The N.C. Traffic League has been a voice for transportation interests since 1929 when it was chartered under Governor Max Gardner.

I want to commend your leadership and your membership for recognizing the importance of transportation as a vital element in the economic viability of your community.

Your dedication clearly illustrates your collective commitment to Governor Easley’s vision of One North Carolina.

As we continue to work towards our common goals, let us always be united on behalf of the citizens whom we serve.

Thank you.

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