NS’ Crescent Corridor has wide bipartisan support on Capitol Hill
Written by jrood
In recognition of the critical importance freight rail transportation offers shippers throughout the U.S., Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor program has been endorsed by 60 legislators on Capitol Hill as 2010 begins.
"Norfolk Southern’s
Crescent Corridor program comes at a critical time for our nation’s economy,
environment, and transportation infrastructure," said NS CEO Wick Moorman. "The
Crescent Corridor will stimulate job growth, economic development, and local
tax revenues, while delivering substantial public benefits for communities and
shippers. We are grateful for the wide bipartisan support the Crescent Corridor
is receiving on Capitol Hill."
Members of the U.S.
Congress supporting the Crescent Corridor are:
Alabama: Sens. Shelby and
Sessions. Reps. Rogers, Aderholt, Griffith, Bachus and Davis.
Delaware: Sens. Carper and
Kaufman. Rep. Castle.
Georgia: Sens. Chambliss
and Isakson. Reps. Westmoreland, Johnson, Deal, Gingrey and Scott.
Maryland: Rep. Bartlett.
Mississippi: Sens. Cochran
and Wicker. Reps. Childers and Harper.
New Jersey: Reps. LoBiondo,
Garrett, Lance, Pascrell, Payne, Rothman and Sires.
North Carolina: Sens. Burr
and Hagan. Rep. Myrick.
Pennsylvania: Sens. Specter
and Casey. Reps. Brady, Fattah, Gerlach, Murphy, Shuster, Schwartz, Dent,
Holden and Platts.
Tennessee: Sens. Alexander
and Corker. Reps. Roe, Duncan, Wamp, Gordon, Davis and Cohen.
Virginia: Sens. Webb and
Warner. Reps. Wittman, Nye, Scott, Perriello, Goodlatte and Boucher.
West Virginia: Rep. Capito.
The Crescent Corridor is an
existing 2,500-mile rail network supporting the supply chain from Memphis and
New Orleans to New Jersey designed to handle more rail freight traffic faster
and more reliably, creating or benefiting some 73,000 jobs by 2030, and producing
these estimated annual benefits:
• $326 million in tax
revenues to states and communities
• 3 million long-haul
trucks diverted from interstates
• $146 million in accident
avoidance savings
• 1.9 million tons in CO2
reduction
• $575 million in
congestion savings
• $92 million in highway
maintenance savings
• 169 million gallons in
fuel savings
This past September, lead
state Pennsylvania, joined by Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia,
applied for federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
Program. The application seeks $300 million in support of new independent
intermodal facilities at Memphis, Birmingham and Franklin County, Pa.; and the
expansion of intermodal terminals in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Track
improvements in the five partner states will include 10 passing tracks, 557
individual speed improvements and 393 miles of track improved with upgraded
rail.
