National Gateway Supports Virginia’s Transportation Goals
Roanoke, Va. – December 9, 2010 – The National Gateway will help drive the future success of Virginia’s transportation plan and encourage growth in the Commonwealth and its Hampton Roads port complex by opening competitive double-stack freight rail access to the Port, a representative of the critical infrastructure initiative told attendees of the Governor’s Transportation Conference last night.
“The National Gateway will deliver more than $900 million in public benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Quintin Kendall, resident vice president of state government affairs for CSX Transportation, the lead supporter of the National Gateway coalition. “By expanding market access potential, the National Gateway positions Virginia to be more competitive in the global economy while minimizing highway congestion and delivering environmental benefits.”
Speaking on a panel “Setting the Stage for the Future: A Review of Virginia's Multi-Modal Strategic Plan,” Kendall outlined the economic, environmental and traffic benefits of the National Gateway, a public-private partnership that will enable key freight rail routes to carry double-stack trains between mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest.
The National Gateway delivers $22 in public benefits for every dollar of public funds invested. The project will help create more than 50,000 jobs, stimulate activity at Virginia’s ports, reduce fuel consumption in Virginia by 290 million gallons, lower CO2 emissions by more than three million tons and minimize highway congestion by diverting 2.3 billion truck miles from the roads to freight rail by 2030.
The Governor’s Transportation Conference (http://vatransconf.org) held December 8-10 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, offers transportation leaders from across the state and around the nation an opportunity to discuss Virginia’s transportation challenges and innovative solutions.
The National Gateway is supported by more than 70 public officials of both parties, including six governors, 39 Members of Congress and 28 state elected officials.
To learn more about the National Gateway, visit www.nationalgateway.org. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Nat_Gateway) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationalGateway).