RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that 140 transit projects across the state will receive more than $103 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These funds will enhance or expand transit options in both rural and urban communities. A list of projects is attached.

“These JobsNOW recovery projects will help create and sustain jobs and provide needed economic development and mobility in counties throughout North Carolina,” said Perdue. “Not only will they put people to work, they will take people to work.”

Twenty-one urban transit systems will receive more than $70 million for 77 projects. The largest allocation, at $20.8 million, goes to Charlotte Area Transit System’s North Davidson Street bus facility. In addition, two metropolitan planning organizations (Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO and Capital Area MPO) elected to designate $5.1 million for transit projects instead of highway and bridge projects.

Projects in rural areas across the state totaled more than $33 million. Three projects benefit transit efforts statewide, and 63 are designated for rural transit systems/areas of the state. These projects are expected to create or retain more than 3,200 jobs.

“Transit projects are a critical part of our transportation infrastructure,” said Transportation Secretary Gene Conti. “Enhancing, expanding and maintaining our existing transit options expands our ability to serve the people of the state.”

NCDOT received a total of $838 million through the ARRA, including $735 million for highway and bridge projects. To date, NCDOT has allocated more than 90 percent of the highway and bridge money received to projects across the state.

Gov. Perdue and Secretary Conti also are working with Sen. Kay Hagan, Rep. Mel Watt and the rest of North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation to pursue discretionary grant money included in the ARRA to use for the $300 million replacement of the Yadkin River Bridge on I-85 in Davidson and Rowan counties. Later this summer, the state also will apply for discretionary funding under the ARRA for the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which runs through North Carolina.

For more information about recovery funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Gov. Perdue this week ordered the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety and the State Highway Patrol to implement new travel record keeping protocols for security details assigned to both the governor and lieutenant governor.

“I’ve pledged to run an open and transparent administration,” said Gov. Perdue.  “This new protocol will provide clear direction for how the State Highway Patrol executive security detail collects and retains travel records.”

The new travel record form will include detailed information about each trip outside of Wake County taken by the governor or lieutenant governor when a member of the executive security detail provides protection.

“Governor Perdue has made it clear that her entire administration should operate with the highest standards of openness, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” said CCPS Secretary Reuben Young.

All records will be maintained by the State Highway Patrol for four years after the governor or lieutenant governor’s term, at which point they will be transferred to state archives.

Governor Bev Perdue will honor the 60 State Troopers who have died in the line of service during the past 80 years, including two in 2008.  She will also take part in the laying of the wreath at the memorial.

The service will take place at 2 p.m. Monday at the State Highway Patrol Academy, 3318 Garner Road, Raleigh.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue announced today an additional 64 highway and bridge projects totaling about $209 million that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The projects identified to date total $679 million, more than 90 percent of the $735 million in recovery money North Carolina has received for highway and bridge improvements.

“North Carolina is leading the nation in efforts to expedite the selection of projects and get them under way as quickly as possible to get our people to work,” Perdue said. “Given our current economy, it is critical that we are using our recovery money to help put people to work and create much-needed economic growth for our communities.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation generates $6 in economic impact.

Based on these figures, the additional projects announced today are expected to help support more than 6,000 jobs and contribute nearly $1.3 billion to the economy. Overall, the projects announced to date are expected to help create and sustain more than 20,000 jobs and generate more than $4 billion in economic development.

The N.C. Department of Transportation had already identified about 70 highway and bridge projects to be let to contract between March and June through recovery funding. Eleven projects totaling $65.1 million were awarded to contract in March. The projects announced today will be let to contract over the next 12 months.

Earlier this month, Perdue was joined by Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and other local officials at a groundbreaking event for a recovery project that will widen U.S. 158 in Camden County. The $6.1 million contract was awarded to RPC Contracting Inc. of Kitty Hawk.

NCDOT has worked with local planning organizations across the state to determine which projects will be funded, taking into consideration the equity formula set by the N.C. General Assembly. Some areas have chosen to dedicate their share of the money to a single large project instead of multiple projects, and other regions are still in the process of determining which projects will be funded. In addition, the state’s largest metropolitan planning organizations have received direct allocations of recovery money and they are working to identify projects to be paid for through this funding.

Gov. Perdue announced in February that she will also pursue discretionary grant money included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to use for the $300 million replacement of the Yadkin River Bridge on I-85 in Davidson and Rowan counties. Perdue and Transportation Secretary Gene Conti are working with Sen. Kay Hagan, Rep. Mel Watt and the rest of North Carolina’s congressional delegation to obtain funding. 

NCDOT is continuing to work with its local partners to identify projects to be funded through the remainder of the available money, including public transportation projects funded through the $103 million North Carolina received for transit improvements.

A list of the second round of economic recovery projects is attached. Additional information about recovery funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina  and a list of all projects to date is also available at www.ncrecovery.gov and  www.ncdot.gov.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti says federal stimulus money is paying to keep workers on highway projects that otherwise would have been scrapped because of state budget shortfalls.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports Conti told an audience of transportation officials Wednesday that the state DOT has seen a 4 percent drop in revenue from gas taxes and a 22 percent drop is taxes from new car sales.

Conti says the state expects a $300 million drop in tax revenue, but plans to get more than $700 million in stimulus money for highway projects.

Conti says one project the state wants to get stimulus money for is a roughly $300 million new bridge for Interstate 85 over the Yadkin River south of Greensboro.

The US 70 Corridor Commission will host a Legislative Breakfast Meeting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Building Cafeteria at 16 West Jones Street in Raleigh. Representatives from the NC House of Representatives, NC Senate, Governor’s Office, and NCDOT Administration have been invited to attend.

The purpose of the meeting is to share background information on the Commission and to illustrate progress on several projects along the corridor.

The US 70 Corridor Commission (Super 70) is a united effort to create positive change along Highway 70, in Johnston, Wayne, Lenoir, Jones, Craven, and Carteret counties. The coalition of government agencies is working together to attract the needed resources to realize a shared vision for the corridor. The vision is to enhance the State’s economy through the development of a US 70 freeway linking the Port of Morehead City to the North Carolina Global TransPark and Interstates 40 and 95.