By 2030, the population in our state is expected to grow to 12 million, making North Carolina the seventh most populated state in the nation. North Carolina currently faces significant challenges to maintain and improve statewide transportation, especially as the growing population places increased demand on the transportation system. Investing in the transportation system is crucial for quality of life and economic growth, and will yield a significant return on investment as it provides a resource for years to come.

The North Carolina Chamber is proactively working to address the long-term transportation challenges in our state. We have developed the Coalition for a Prosperous Future to join the voices of key stakeholders throughout the broad-based business community with other aligned organizations to advance comprehensive solutions around this critical issue. The Coalition met yesterday and was briefed by NCDOT on Governor McCrory’s 25 Year Transportation Vision. Additionally, we discussed potential initiatives to drive the business community’s priorities around this issue.

Join the effort – We want to expand the Coalition to include as many employers as possible in the driving of long-term transportation solutions for our state. If your organization is interested in joining the Coalition for a Prosperous Future, please contact Jake Cashion.

Additionally, the NC Chamber Foundation has commissioned a deep-dive study to provide options for generating long-term, sustainable revenues for infrastructure investment and provide the economic impacts each option would have on key industry sectors. The study will be released late this fall and provide even more targeted information as we work to develop the most effective strategy to invest in our transportation system today and tomorrow, in order to yield the most significant return on investment.

We will continue to share additional updates leading up to the 2015 Legislative Session, as this is a top priority on the 2015 JOBS Agenda.

Gary J. Salamido
Vice President, Government Affairs
North Carolina Chamber