July 2007 Newsletter
Gap funding update
Gap funding to supplement the proposed tolls for Triangle Expressway remains our top policy and funding priority of the year. The entire Wake delegation sponsored gap funding legislation (H1937 and S1054), along with several legislators from Durham, Franklin, and Granville counties. See here for a list of all sponsors and other information.
There are a variety of options to provide the revenue for gap funding and it is still unclear what the source of gap funding will be. What is clear is the importance of gap funding to completing the proposed Triangle Expressway turnpike freeway. We will need to support any reasonable plan that emerges in the legislature for accomplishing gap funding.
Hello "NC" 540
The newest section of the Raleigh Outer Loop opens this Saturday, July 14 – and it won’t be I-540. The section from NC 55 east to I-40 will be called “North Carolina 540” or “NC 540” and sport the diamond shape symbol instead of the Interstate shield. The reason: most of that section is slated to become a turnpike (if gap funding can be worked out, see above) and the Turnpike Authority would prefer to not have a future toll road be signed as an Interstate.
China might get a little closer
The Alliance is supporting a nonstop flight from the Southeastern United States to Shanghai, China. Currently, no nonstop flights are available to China from any southeastern state. Atlanta is a front-runner for a flight that would commence in 2007/08, and with 15 nonstops to Atlanta, the busiest airport in the world, an Atlanta-Shanghai flight would be a nice connection for RDU.
And the planes here are getting bigger
After a five year absence from the Triangle, United has brought back its Boeing 737s to RDU. United now operates five daily nonstop mainline flights from Raleigh/Durham: two to Washington Dulles International, two to Chicago O’Hare International and a new nonstop to Denver. The Dulles and O'Hare flights had been served by regional jets for the past several years. RDU will formally welcome back the United Airlines mainline station in September.
2007 Annual Meeting—mark your calendar
The Alliance 6th Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 29 at the Embassy Suites in Cary. All Alliance members receive a courtesy invitation. Advance sponsors for this event include Time Warner Cable, AT&T North Carolina, Martin / Alexiou / Bryson, HNTB, and SRI Surgical.
Please call Stephanie at 919-664-7062 or e-mail stephanie@letsgetmoving.org if you would like to join the growing list of sponsors for this event.
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