Good morning.
Thank you, Rep. Sexton, and thanks to all of you for inviting me here today.
My eight years serving as a member of the Board of Transportation gave me first hand knowledge of North Carolina's transportation issues, and how they affect our citizens daily.
My professional experience as a CPA and my years in public service will help guide me as I carry out the aggressive agenda I have laid out for the department.
When I took the oath of office as Secretary of Transportation I made a commitment to the citizens of this state to provide them with a quality transportation system that includes all modes of travel.
Such a transportation system is key to the continued prosperity of our great state and to fulfilling Gov. Easley's vision for One North Carolina.
Generations before us worked hard to build a highway system that earned North Carolina the nickname "The Good Roads State," but this system is deteriorating.
That's why my first priority is maintenance and reducing the maintenance backlog.
I will make every effort to find creative ways to address this pressing need because we owe it to the citizens of North Carolina to provide them with a safe and well-maintained highway system.
Already, I have implemented internal efficiencies at DOT - including limiting purchasing to essential goods and participating in the hiring freeze on vacant positions.
These cost saving measures will go toward meeting some of our critical needs such as maintenance.
North Carolina has experienced rapid growth during the past several years, particularly in our urban areas.
To continue our success in attracting industry to these areas, we must relieve the traffic congestion they are experiencing.
Just as Gov. Kerr Scott pledged 50 years to move North Carolina's citizens "out of the mud," we must now plan aggressive solutions to get our citizens out of the traffic jams.
I am committed to developing a mass transit system in our urban areas to relieve this congestion, but we also are moving forward with critical highway improvements.
The need for new roads is as great as it ever has been.
Any of you who live in or travel through Greensboro know what I'm talking about.
The highways are clogged, but we have a lot highway construction going on in the Triad to help relieve this congestion.
Let me take a minute to briefly update you on some of those major projects.
Highway construction and mass transit are both long-term solutions that take years to complete, so we also are looking at short-term ways to manage highway congestion such as HOV lanes and Intelligent Transportation Systems.
One way we are using ITS is the traffic cameras in Winston-Salem and Greensboro that monitor highway traffic, and can be viewed from the DOT web site.
While our urban areas have experienced tremendous growth over the past several years, our rural areas are struggling to attract industry and prosper.
There is a tremendous need in our rural communities for road infrastructure that will attract industry and provide jobs for those currently employed in our declining agricultural-based economy.
Our farm roads must now be transformed to become the spokes of the economic development wheel.
To attract industry, we must build quality arteries that provide convenient access to our major highways.
We are in a position in these areas to be proactive and lay a foundation that will allow these communities to prosper without sacrificing the quality of life that makes them unique.
The department will continue to devote its energies to improving rail, aviation and bicycle and pedestrian facilities across the state.
These solutions are not only good for our economy, they also are good for our environment.
We are privileged to live in a state that has a wide variety of wildlife and an abundance of natural beauty, and we cannot take this privilege for granted.
That's why, as we carry out our work, we will be mindful of caring for the precious God-given natural resources entrusted to our care.
From protecting trout streams to restoring wetlands and using recycled materials in construction projects, I have seen first hand how we can not only protect our environment, we can make it better.
Proper planning will help us preserve the things that we hold dear and make our state attractive to industry and the many visitors we have each year.
That's why yesterday I named a Deputy Secretary for environment, planning and local government affairs, and I have charged him with expanding our environmental and planning efforts.
He also will work with local governments, communities and environmental groups during the planning of transportation projects.
I pledge to you that we will leave no one out, and ensure that all North Carolinians have a voice in the transportation decisions that affect them.
I know that by working with leaders like you and thinking creatively, we can meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Together we can fulfill the vision of a transportation network that meets the needs of our citizens and is unequalled by any other state.