From RTP to Eastern N.C., President Biden’s Infrastructure Deal is a Game Changer for the State
This once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s infrastructure is going to change the course of our state’s economy and make lives better for millions of North Carolinians.
Cities get stuff done. We manage water, sewers, trash disposal, roads, transportation and much more. As we develop, we need more resources. To put it frankly, North Carolina’s infrastructure has not kept up with our communities.
In Kinston, we need storm resilient infrastructure to counteract the sacrificed lives, homes, and businesses lost amid extreme weather events, including two 1,000-year flood events within just the last five years. And in Morrisville and the Triangle, we need to keep up with traffic and road congestion as our region attracts more businesses, jobs and residents.
Kinston and Morrisville are leading by example to find solutions to our infrastructure needs: Kinston is working with the American Flood Coalition, Kinston Teens, Kinston/Lenoir Parks and Recreation and others on a stream restoration effort at Emma Webb Park to restore our streams and wetlands to help contain and mitigate flood intensity for our town’s surrounding communities.
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy
Morrisville, which recently won the prestigious Smart Cities Readiness Challenge, has turned to technology to address the challenges of travel congestion in our region, including developing a data sharing system that will inform smart investments to our infrastructure and help alleviate traffic for our residents. Additionally, we’re prioritizing increasing availability of electric vehicle charging stations and the hybridization of our vehicle fleet.
These issues don’t just impact our cities. After suffering from decades-long neglect and a systematic lack of investment, North Carolina’s transportation system fails to set us up for success in the 21st century. There are 1,460 bridges and over 3,116 miles of highway in poor condition across our state. North Carolinians who use public transportation to get to work spend an extra 59.9 percent of their time commuting than those who drive, impacting communities of color the hardest. In just the past decade alone, 42 extreme weather events have caused North Carolina to spend $50 billion to repair damages. More than half of North Carolinians live in areas of our state where there’s only one internet provider.
President Biden has understood since day one that the future of our cities and towns is incumbent on how our federal government invests today. He gets that we need to invest in our physical infrastructure in order for communities across North Carolina to compete and win for a generation to come.
That’s why Congress’ recent passage of the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a big deal for North Carolina. This once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s infrastructure is going to change the course of our state’s economy and make lives better for millions of North Carolinians. From investing $7.2 billion for highway programs, $457 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $911 million to improve public transit options, $109 million over the next five years to expand an EV charging network, $100 million to provide broadband coverage to help at the least 424,000 North Carolina residents who lack access, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will keep our state growing and prosperous for years to come.
We are excited to get to work to implement the resources provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal for our communities. President Biden followed through on his promise to work across party lines and invest in our physical infrastructure. North Carolina will reap the rewards of this historic legislation.
Don Hardy is the Mayor of Kinston. TJ Cawley is the Mayor of Morrisville.
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From RTP to Eastern N.C., President Biden’s Infrastructure Deal is a Game Changer for the State
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Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley
Cities get stuff done. We manage water, sewers, trash disposal, roads, transportation and much more. As we develop, we need more resources. To put it frankly, North Carolina’s infrastructure has not kept up with our communities.
In Kinston, we need storm resilient infrastructure to counteract the sacrificed lives, homes, and businesses lost amid extreme weather events, including two 1,000-year flood events within just the last five years. And in Morrisville and the Triangle, we need to keep up with traffic and road congestion as our region attracts more businesses, jobs and residents.
Kinston and Morrisville are leading by example to find solutions to our infrastructure needs: Kinston is working with the American Flood Coalition, Kinston Teens, Kinston/Lenoir Parks and Recreation and others on a stream restoration effort at Emma Webb Park to restore our streams and wetlands to help contain and mitigate flood intensity for our town’s surrounding communities.
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy
Morrisville, which recently won the prestigious Smart Cities Readiness Challenge, has turned to technology to address the challenges of travel congestion in our region, including developing a data sharing system that will inform smart investments to our infrastructure and help alleviate traffic for our residents. Additionally, we’re prioritizing increasing availability of electric vehicle charging stations and the hybridization of our vehicle fleet.
These issues don’t just impact our cities. After suffering from decades-long neglect and a systematic lack of investment, North Carolina’s transportation system fails to set us up for success in the 21st century. There are 1,460 bridges and over 3,116 miles of highway in poor condition across our state. North Carolinians who use public transportation to get to work spend an extra 59.9 percent of their time commuting than those who drive, impacting communities of color the hardest. In just the past decade alone, 42 extreme weather events have caused North Carolina to spend $50 billion to repair damages. More than half of North Carolinians live in areas of our state where there’s only one internet provider.
President Biden has understood since day one that the future of our cities and towns is incumbent on how our federal government invests today. He gets that we need to invest in our physical infrastructure in order for communities across North Carolina to compete and win for a generation to come.
That’s why Congress’ recent passage of the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a big deal for North Carolina. This once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s infrastructure is going to change the course of our state’s economy and make lives better for millions of North Carolinians. From investing $7.2 billion for highway programs, $457 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $911 million to improve public transit options, $109 million over the next five years to expand an EV charging network, $100 million to provide broadband coverage to help at the least 424,000 North Carolina residents who lack access, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will keep our state growing and prosperous for years to come.
We are excited to get to work to implement the resources provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal for our communities. President Biden followed through on his promise to work across party lines and invest in our physical infrastructure. North Carolina will reap the rewards of this historic legislation.
Don Hardy is the Mayor of Kinston. TJ Cawley is the Mayor of Morrisville.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.