Appalachia needs to merge transportation, development
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Designing transportation projects with economic development in mind is the next task for improving the economy of the Appalachian region, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said Monday.
“Appalachia needs this marriage of transportation and development expertise,” Mineta said during a meeting with economic development specialists, engineers and academics from across the region.
“Studies show that the corridors in the Appalachian highway system have created thousands of jobs by making the region a better place to live, work and invest,” he said.
“They’re stimulating tourism and helping move goods and people more efficiently through the mountains of Appalachia.”
Rep. Nick Rahall II and Anne Pope, federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission also addressed the group. Mineta then toured the Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute at Marshall University.
The institute’s mission is research into transportation and economic development issues in Appalachia, and it will serve as a clearinghouse for all university-based transportation centers to coordinate their work.
Pope said bringing the worlds of transportation and development together “is a logical next step in the process.”
Transportation projects need to extend beyond highway construction, Mineta said, and focus on intermodal transportation.
“Roads are only part of what is necessary to link the people and businesses of Appalachia to national and global markets and supply chains,” Mineta said.
Huntington is a good example, with its two navigable rivers, access to multiple rail carriers and interstate highways, he said.
“The Port of Huntington is one of the busiest ports in the United States,” the secretary said.
Linking transportation and economic development expertise was one proposal that came out of a 1999 transportation and trade report sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
“Highways are no longer sufficient to help Appalachia’s communities compete in the global marketplace,” the report said.
“In the 21st century, the region’s growth and prosperity will depend on its ability to develop integrated intermodal transportation.”