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“I keep going over a sentence. I nag it, gnaw it, pat and flatter it.”
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ATM Insider |
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| July/August 2005 |
TALKING TRANSPORTATION: "I was never very conscious of [my father] as a politician, during these early years, but I did know he was a highway builder."
Source: Margaret Truman about Harry S. Truman
WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE?
Message from the Executive Director
Passage of Transportation Bill a Positive Step, But the Journey Continues: Last week, something very exciting happened in my life. It was both a "whew" moment and a poignant one as well. I was at the Caterpillar Inc. plant in Aurora, Ill., when President Bush signed the $286.5 billion federal transportation bill... Read the full message
Envisioning I-26
In Northeast Tennessee, officials, transportation advocates and business leaders fought for the completion and official designation of I-26 in their area for many years. Their story includes tips on dealing with the feds. Read the complete story
News and Wrap Up
This year's legislative session proved once again that the issue of adequate transportation infrastructure funding is among the top priorities elected officials historically keep bringing to the fore on Capitol Hill. Read the news round-up
Passage of Transportation Bill a Positive Step, But the Journey Continues
Last week, something very exciting happened in my life. It was both a "whew" moment and a poignant one as well. I was at the Caterpillar Inc. plant in Aurora, Ill., when President Bush signed the $286.5 billion federal transportation bill and I thought of the countless hours spent and the many factions of people who worked toward that day. But I was also able to see through the eyes of American workers how new legislation impacts them. The plant is where much of Caterpillar's highway construction equipment is manufactured and, away from the fray of D.C. and in the heartland of this country, it was promising to see how robust transportation funding boosts our economy.
Days earlier, Congress had left town with a flourish. After being late by almost two years, it finally completed action on the reauthorization of federal highway and public transportation programs. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) provides much-needed funding for the nation's roads, bridges, and transit systems.
As it is with every piece of legislation, this bill does not have what everyone wanted. It is, however, a step in the right direction. Still we must not let this be the end of our efforts in promoting surface transportation investment. This moment in time, in truth, is really only the beginning.
Why? Revenues into the Highway Trust Fund are estimated to continue on a downward slide - yet the nation's transportation needs continue to grow. More revenues will to have to be found to meet these growing infrastructure demands.
Many of you worked hard to ensure your communities got the most out of this bill. You should be congratulated. Enjoy August, but remember our work is not done. ATM will continue its efforts to promote transportation investment that meets our nation's transportation needs and use the ATM Insider to communicate with you periodically.
It is impossible for us to spotlight all of our members' efforts and stories, but when we can, we want to share these unique case studies and bring full circle what this funding means on a regional level. The passage of the federal transportation bill, for instance, contained the necessary language to extend the designation of I-26 past Kingsport, Tenn., toward the Virginia state line and in this issue, we share with our members the story of getting I-26 designated in Northeast Tennessee.
Remember, your work and voice help cast a much-needed light on the issue of transportation. You are ATM and we hope we can count on you to continue the effort!
-ED MORTIMER, Executive Director, Americans for Transportation Mobility
A Look at I-26 and Northeast Tennessee
* History Lesson: Appalachian Highway Corridor "B" was designated in the 1960s to run from Columbus, Ohio, to Asheville, N.C. This corridor was slated to be improved to [a] four-lane divided highway status along the existing U.S. 23 with funding provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission, according to the Johnson City (Tennessee) Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization.
* Smart PR: Among the recent marketing materials distributed by the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber of Commerce in Tennessee was the four-color glossy 2004-2005 Relocation Guide. With a focus on issues such as attractive housing costs and a low rate for violent crimes, it also reminds on the transportation side that: "We are located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Northeast Tennessee with Interstate 26 passing through the center of Johnson City and connecting to Interstate 81."
* The Numbers Game: The 2000 Census revealed a 16 percent population growth in Washington County.
* The Infrastructure: Highways are not the only measure of adequate transportation infrastructure in Northeast Tennessee and nearby communities. A newly opened cargo terminal is among the improvements at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. The area population within a 75-mile radius of the airport was last reported at about 2.9 million.
* City Life: In 1999, the National Civic League awarded the Tri-Cities TN/VA region the All-America City designation, an honor that is only given to 10 communities per year. And in the mid-1990s, Money Magazine named the tri cities of Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol the 33rd best community or metropolitan area in America.
* Healthy Healthcare Industry: The Asheville, N.C., metropolitan area and the Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol, Tenn., metropolitan areas have an approximate buying power of $16 billion with a tri-cities retail economy of about $3 billion-plus and a healthcare industry of almost $4 billion and 50,000 jobs.
Country Roads May Take Them Home But Chamber in Northeast Tennessee Looks to I-26 for Economic Development
Any driver who has watched a road project unfold recognizes the familiar phases: the surveyors on the side of the road, the lanes that are shut while a shoulder is widened, new paving on a smoldering night or striping on a crisp morning and then, almost suddenly, new signs. But these scenarios are just the tip of the iceberg. In a journey that can take decades, hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of hours of work by transportation experts, lobbyists, elected officials, regional coalitions and business leaders, a road is not just a road.
It is a path to the future.
Nowhere is this truer than in Northeast Tennessee where the mountains and the highways miraculously merge and attract travelers from near and far.
In August of 2003, I-26, an interstate that the area had steadfastly worked toward since the 1980s but had anticipated for years prior to that, was officially designated along with a new corridor from Sams Gap at the state line to Mars Hill, N.C. It was a landmark moment for several reasons:
* One, I-26 is seen as a gateway for growth;
* Two, it is a culmination of a long-standing goal to link Johnson City, Tenn., and Asheville, N.C.;
* Three, the Appalachians have been a historical draw for centuries; and
* Four, securing interstate status for a road means a higher level of commitment from the federal government, including more funding.
In June 2003, the Johnson City Business magazine called the opening of I-26 a "new era of access" and months later, the Johnson City Press editorialized that the "traffic count proves I-26 can be boon to this area." But for area transportation advocates, I-26 is not just a road that has garnered media attention.
Completion of the new route signals a crossroads for a region vying to compete in a macro economy and during an era in which municipal leaders turn to best practices and savvy programs to help cities become the best they can be. It's true that many on Capitol Hill might laud robust transportation funding while a conflicted national media labels it "pork," but for many municipalities, transportation infrastructure improvements equal a foundation for economic vitality.
"[I-26] proves that you can have a vision and with that vision we are being nourished as opposed to perishing without one," says Gary Mabrey III, president and CEO of the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber of Commerce. (That vision might be more recent history, but legend has it that in 1919, an N.C. state senator stood on a stump at Sams Gap and proclaimed that a wide and smooth highway would one day run between Johnson City and Asheville.)
Through the Eyes of Those Who Made I-26 Happen
In the 1980s, a "Directions 2000" campaign by the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber of Commerce helped solidify the goal for an interstate connection through the mountains and signaled a round of needed changes.
Those included plans to four-lane U.S. 23 from Erwin to the state line and securing an additional designation as I-181 for the portion from Kingsport to Johnson City. (I-81 is a major interstate that runs from Virginia to I-40.) The section from Johnson City to the North Carolina state line was dedicated in July 1995, later becoming part of the I-26 system when it officially opened in 2003.
But the caveat here is that after many years of work and $400 million-plus spent by Tennessee and North Carolina, word came in 2002 through N.C. to Northeast Tennessee that the Federal Highway Administration wasn't planning on officially designating I-26 any time soon. (The hold-up was a segment in Asheville that has since been designated "Future I-26.")
Thus began a rally to ensure that the I-26 designation was realized, according to Mabrey and Alan Bridwell, director of marketing and technical services for the Johnson City Economic Development Board.
Case in point is a quickly drafted letter from 17 Tennessee legislators in January 2003 to new Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely that reiterated their support of "the designation of the U.S. 23/I-181 corridor through our area as Interstate 26 upon completion of North Carolina's new freeway from Sams Gap to Mars Hill."
Transportation Parity Isn't a Maybe - It's a Must
Bridwell began working in the transportation arena in 1974 and as experts go, he's a titan. He is one of the key people that leaders in Northeast Tennessee turned to when they built a case that a chamber coalition was able to take in early 2003 to Washington, D.C., to ensure that the designation didn't languish.
"It took us a lot of efforts with the federal highway department and talking with the congressional delegation and others to ensure that what was complete was going to be designated and to say, 'even though there is a segment that is going to be called Future I-26, that should not preclude the highway administration from going ahead and designating the part of I-26 that was up to standards,' " recounts Mabrey.
Pivotal to its reasoning was that the route had already served as an interstate detour when I-40 was closed for months in 1997 east toward Asheville and west toward Knoxville when a rock slide blocked the road. But there were also other arguments - one, for instance, that I-73 had been incrementally designated in North Carolina.
"Davy Crockett said, 'Be sure you're right. Then go ahead,' " Mabrey adds. "We have known then, we know now and our attitude and approach is when we're right, we go ahead. ...And I think that's the attitude of folks here in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina. This is where the frontier started. This is where folks made their great journeys west and developed this country and developed this nation and we carry that attitude forward today. The pioneer spirit began here and the pioneer spirit for the 21st century is alive and well."
No question, the pioneer spirit is alive and well in this unique and lush part of the United States. The area continues to attract major corporations and transplants and its business leaders view an evolving transportation infrastructure as part of the economic paradigm. Johnson City - which more than a century ago started as a train depot - is today a bustling center of change. A vibrant business community, affordable real estate and convenient access are among the area's appeal.
"To me, the 21st century highway, no pun intended, is the Internet - it's fiber - and at the same time though, you still are going to have to ship item A to point B in the most cost-effective way possible. And whether that's air, land, rail, water or whatever, transportation services, the modality to get from point A to point B in the most cost-effective, safe, hopefully environmentally and aesthetically pleasing way, I think that's just going to be a watchword forever," says Mabrey.
He adds: "I understand and believe that the Interstate 26 project was one of the better examples of how to protect and enhance the environment and at the same time open that natural beauty for progress and business and economy to all who would ever fly in or drive in or come to this region. To me, that's the best case study I can think of."
From an economic standpoint, it appears that the opening of I-26 will meet Northeast Tennessee's forecasting. Though complete statistics have not been compiled, anecdotal evidence of increased business, better routes for distribution companies and a heightened tourism industry bode well. The I-26 Welcome Center in North Carolina, for example, saw a 60 percent increase in visitors from December 2003 to December 2004, according to Bridwell.
They'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain
A native of Johnson City, Mabrey has spent the majority of his life in the Northeast Tennessee region, with the exception of a stint in the military during the Vietnam era and time spent pursuing a career in city management. Through the years, he has learned the value of working with top-notch professionals who are as knowledgeable about the big-picture as they are about the minutiae.
Bridwell, now a transportation expert-cum-Web-guru, is one of those.
Recently, Bridwell pursued getting the mapping service NAVTECH to change out its information to include proper numbering and the I-26 designation so sources such as mapquest.com and Rand McNally would have the most current information. (He knew that the work wasn't over just because I-26 received the "designation" stamp of approval from the feds.)
Mabrey and Bridwell aside, it is impossible to list the players who have been involved in the I-26 project. A snapshot view, however, provides a historical look into how road advocates become steersmen who guide projects through the support-building, planning, legislative and funding processes.
On the Tennessee side, the list includes Eddie Williams Jr., a former professional baseball player who (along with his North Carolinian counterpart Mac McGough) strove to see U.S. 23 upgraded to interstate status. Kudos are also given by sources to the late James H. Quillen, a longtime member from the area of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Lamar Alexander administration in Tennessee and its inclusion of a roads package on a priority list in the 1980s and its help in getting additional sections built between Johnson City and Erwin via a statewide gas tax increase; Gov. Ned McWherter, whose administration helped ensure that the four-lane freeway in Tennessee was built to the North Carolina state line; and most recently, Congressman Bill Jenkins.
Jenkins' chief of staff, Brenda Otterson, said that Jenkins' office helped navigate the process and secure support at the critical time when the designation hung in the balance.
Through formal letters, background supplied by area leaders and transportation experts from Tennessee and support from the area chamber, Jenkins and his staff worked with organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to guarantee the designation.
"There were a few times I remember mowing the yard and I was thinking, 'Good grief, I don't want have to go back to Nashville [the state capital].' I thought we'd already done this," muses Bridwell. "I thought back to a couple people that started it early on and how hard they worked and they were no longer around to see it conclude. But Gary and I and some of the rest of us were. About every time I think of those guys, [I think] we're going to reload and come back."
Deemed one of the most important infrastructure projects for Northeast Tennessee in recent decades, executives like Mabrey and Bridwell weren't about to give up.
Appealing their case on the federal level included some valuable takeaways they'd like to share with other ATM members:
- Recognize that there is a dichotomy between the legislative process and politics but always respect the process.
- Proceed with thoughtfulness and "a sense of the long haul" that's in store and then utilize the political aspect by building relationships with administrative people, such as Senate staffers.
- Employ a coalition mentality.
- Realize that there may not be a "manual" somewhere that tells you what to do when you deal with the feds and understand you may be dealing in relatively uncharted waters in some highly unique instances.
- Have entities in place that can eloquently present your case and don't rely on some "diversionary route in a smoke-filled room."
The Make-Up of Mabrey
If you looked up the term high-achiever in the dictionary, you might very well find a picture of Mabrey. He oversees a chamber with nearly 900 members and is responsible for a $1.2-$1.3 million budget. And his professional accomplishments, as well as his volunteer efforts, run paragraphs long and include serving on the U.S. Chamber Board of Directors. He is also past chair of the United Way Campaign and past president of the United Way Board.
But it is also clear that humbleness is on his personal CV. He reminds that "there is not any 'I' in team" and recently told a Rotary Club that "any time you see a turtle on top of fencepost, you know he had to have some help to get there."
Despite the praise he gives others, Mabrey is still an impressive maverick of sorts. He helped spearhead "Vision 2025: Communities Connected," a sweeping two-state "vision" for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that looked at a plethora of issues, from transportation to education. Based on citizenry input, Mabrey points out that "it wasn't just a bunch of power structure businesspeople sitting around looking where we needed to be in 2025."
Citizens from 60 communities, 17 counties and two states were asked about what issues they saw as most important for their communities in the future. More than 1,000 people shared their ideas and in the end, 7,000 "informational bits and pieces" went into the final overview. Ideas were gathered at public meetings, through surveys that were mailed in and via the Internet.
Now "Vision 2025" - which deals primarily with quality-of-life issues, a buzz-phrase for this new millennium - is part of what guides leaders in Northeast Tennessee as they move toward tomorrow. But for Mabrey, there are other key lessons that guide him.
He says his 18 years with the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber have helped instill in him the philosophy that there must be a "we" in whatever is done and that one should strive to maintain a balance between growth and preserving the elements that draw people to an area. He also says that being "inclusive" provides a barometer on how to proceed and there should be a "diverse group around the table."
"The bottom line is when you run into a situation where you want growth and others don't, then you have to become an even more effective communicator and you have to take time to speak with them individually and sit with them around coffee tables and sit with them around other meeting tables to ensure that they understand fully the impact of the position that you're taking or fully the impact of what it means to them," explains Mabrey.
"So what happens when people say, 'we don't want that?' ...You become even more patient and persistent and as Davy Crockett said, 'If you think you're right, you go at it from different angles in order to bring them along,' " he concludes. "And maybe you have to go all the way up to the top of the ledger sheet and bring them down slowly but surely to the bottom line that you've been sitting on for days or weeks or months."
WHAT'S IN THE NEWS?
Not a sunny situation: The Federal Aviation Administration has urged officials at the airport that serves Sun Valley, Idaho, to make improvements to runways and other facilities to better accommodate regional jets, the Associated Press reported June 16, 2005. But a proposal to move the airport from its current spot to a site 25 miles away is being met with opposition from the area's key destination resort, proving that transportation projects can involve long and arduous debates that become costly.
Taxation and proliferation: Illustrating how dire the need for transportation infrastructure overhauls have become, speakers at a transportation summit on Virginia's transportation problems said that tax increases may help but they cannot solve the state's dilemmas outright. Factors such as a spike in traffic congestion, aging roads and bridges and widespread land development have created an "overwhelming" need, according to the June 18, 2005, edition of the Richmond-Times Dispatch.
Boning up on the issue: Citing equity in federal funding returned to California, transit monies and air pollution programs, the state's two senators and 50 members of the House signed a letter June 22, 2005, that asked the House-Senate Highway Bill Conference Committee to support the state's transportation funding needs. Sen. Dianne Feinstein called transportation the "backbone" of California's economy, according to US Fed News.
Traveling down the wrong road? A national study shows that the Oklahoma City metropolitan area has the 10th roughest urban roads in the nation with nearly half of its primary roads and highways in poor condition, the Muskogee Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat reported June 27, 2005. And what that means for area motorists is also disheartening: Oklahoma City drivers pay $636 more each year due to vehicle deterioration caused by rough roads, higher maintenance needs and fuel consumption.
Transportation - the perennial issue: Surfacing as a sign of how important the issue of transportation funding has become both regionally and nationally, transportation is among the hot-button issues gubernatorial candidates are being asked about in Virginia. Independent Republican candidate state Sen. Russell Potts told the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) July 15, 2005, that: "We cannot use general fund money to pay for highways. The four core services of public education, higher education, healthcare and public safety must be paid for out of the general fund. New revenues have to be created for transportation."
Nevada hits gold with federal transportation funding: The Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada) ran an article July 16, 2005, about the rebuilding of a 17-mile stretch of the legendary Virginia & Truckee Railroad near Gold Hill. The newspaper reported that the project is now underway after "years of anticipation and hope." A reconstructed line that will link Carson City with Virginia City is slated to be a major regional tourist attraction. The initial phase's price tag for the reconstruction was covered mostly through federal transportation funding.
Keep your promises: The Daily News of Los Angeles reported July 17, 2005, that "a group of Moorpark businesses and civic leaders has launched a campaign aimed at pressuring the state to follow through on a long-standing promise to improve the 23 Freeway." Relying on a grassroots campaign called the "Go 23 Now! Coalition," the intention is to rally support for a critical expansion project that has lagged because of a lack of funding.
The waiting game: The Star Tribune (Minneapolis) informed its readers July 20, 2005, that transportation projects were on a legislative laundry list of work that didn't get finished or approved in the recent session. Median barriers and the long-delayed extension of Highway 610 were among those left on the wayside.
Not just Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Transportation funding and homeland security were the top issues on Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's agenda during his first trip to Capitol Hill since becoming mayor, the Associated Press reported July 20, 2005. He is the first Hispanic leader of the country's second-largest city in more than a 100 years and his top priorities include $400 million for a car pool lane on the "constantly congested" 405 freeway.
History on the right track: In Illinois, the McHenry County Board unanimously passed a resolution that it would serve as the sponsor for Union's Illinois Railway Museum so it could apply for a share of $50 million in Illinois Department of Transportation funding set aside for projects that preserve transportation. The news came in the July 20, 2005, edition of the Chicago Daily Herald.
Connecticut breathes sigh of relief: Congress clearing the TEA-21 bill is good news for cities and states across the United States. One of those is Connecticut, the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Conn.) reported July 28, 2005. In passing the bill, the state will average $496 million annually in federal highway and mass transit funds over the six-year life of the bill - which is around $80 million more than under the current funding formula.
THE ATM WRAP-UP
Our "Last Word": "As technology developed, elevated steam railroads, cable-pulled cars, electric streetcars, and underground electric trains all became common, and many of these developments were pioneered in the U.S. All operated on rails, and it wasn't until the 1910-1920 period that improved street pavement and internal combustion engines led to the widespread introduction of buses." (Source: American Public Transportation Association)
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