The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

28 Members of Congress Sign Letter Supporting Completion of Interstate 69

Posted on May 21, 2009 at 12:13 PM

The Delta Grassroots Caucus commends the 28 Members of Congress who have written a letter to Chairman James Oberstar of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure urging completion of the Interstate 69 national freight and passenger corridor, and requesting support in providing long-term dedicated funding to complete I-69. It is very important for all supporters of I-69 to express appreciation to these Members of Congress in your newsletters, communications with Congress, statements to the press, getting the word out to members of your organizations.

Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) are leading this bipartisan effort as the I-69 Congressional Caucus Co-Chairs, and many other Representatives from the Delta region are strongly supporting it, including Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Rep. Travis Childers (D-MS), Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA), Rep. John Fleming (R-LA), Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. John Tanner (D-TN), and others. We also want to thank Carolina Mederos of Patton Boggs in Washington, DC for her continuing dedication to this cause and for disseminating so much valuable information about I-69.

I-69 will be a major artery for the transportation system of the Delta region and our nation as a whole. It will traverse Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, western Tennessee and western Kentucky, serving as a major national and international route connecting to Canada and Mexico. It serves 17 of the top 25 seaports, 13 inland waterway ports, 15 of the top 25 cargo airports, as well as every major railroad. Completing I-69 will provide economic development in many of the most impoverished counties in America in the Delta, while increasing transportation efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, and cutting travel time and costs, while promoting trade and economic growth all along the corridor.

Costs of completing the portions of I-69 in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana will be $7.9 billion. There are over 10.5 million people living below the poverty level in the Corridor states, and seven of these states have poverty levels below the US average.

In the section from Houston to Indianapolis alone, I-69 will create 27,000 jobs, add $11 billion in wages and produce $19 billion in value added through 2025. It is projected that it will save 3,100 lives and avoid 158,000 injuries and 409,000 property damage accidents over that period.

We want to give a special thanks to Johnnie Bolin, executive director of the Arkansas Good Roads Transportation Council, for doing a great job of going to bat for I-69 and we greatly appreciate his efforts.

We include the text of the letter below and again ask you to commend these Members of Congress for their support of I-69. There will be a similar effort in the Senate in the coming weeks for I-69. Thanks—Lee Powell, Delta Grassroots Caucus

TEXT OF CONGRESSIONAL LETTER TO HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE:

May 19, 2009

Dear Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica:

We strongly support the Interstate 69 national freight and passenger corridor and ask your support and assistance in providing long term dedicated funding to complete I-69.

We support the Projects of National and Regional Significance Program and ask the Committee to provide sufficient funding to complete I-69. While most of the Interstate System was built through the Interstate Program, the Program’s termination left the I-69 states trying to construct this national asset without dedicated federal funds. The cost of completing I-69 exceeds the federal-aid formula apportionments of all the I-69 states. Even if they used all their federal formula funds for I-69 and did no other work, the would still not have enough to complete it.

I-69 serves the nation. Two sections of the system – I-69 from Port Huron, Michigan at the Canadian border to Indianapolis and I-94 to Detroit and Chicago – were opened under the Interstate Construction Program. Another section was completed and opened in Mississippi in October, 2006. Work is underway on the rest of the Corridor. From Indianapolis, I-69 connects Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. A $7.9 billion federal investment will complete I-69 in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana during the period of this reauthorization. Another $3.3 billion will advance I-69 in Indiana and Texas; and $3.1 billion will upgrade I-69/I-94 in Indiana and Michigan.

I-69 serves 17 of the top seaports, 13 inland waterway ports and 15 of the top 25 cargo airports. Every major railroad connects to the Corridor. Completion will increase transportation efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, travel time and costs, while facilitating trade, providing intermodal connectivity, relieving congestion and promoting economic growth. It will reduce the trip time between Port Huron, Michigan and Laredo, Texas by 8 hours.

The corridor traverses over 111 counties and hundreds of municipalities, directly serving over 23 million people. There are over 10.5 million people living below the poverty level in the Corridor states. Seven of the I-69 states have poverty levels below the U.S. average. In the Houston to Indianapolis segment alone, I-69 will create 27,000 jobs, add $11 billion in wages and produce $19 billion in wages and produce $19 billion in value added through 2025. In the same section it is projected to save 3,100 lives, avoid 158,000 injuries and 409,000 property damage accidents. Completion of I-69 will significantly enhance safety and efficiency along this key freight corridor reducing emissions and stimulating economic productivity.

We appreciate the Committee’s continued support of I-69 and ask it to include a dedicated funding mechanism to complete I-69, a key national freight corridor and intermodal link essential to enhancing U.S. global competitiveness in the 21st century.

Sincerely, {Signatures of 28 Members of Congress}