Transportation News, Volume 29, Number 4, January 2004 Page: 2 of 12
12 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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TNews Online:
http://crossroads/org/pio/tnol.htmTxDOT contributes to vibrant economy
by Mike Behrens
Executive Director
Every day on our roads, rail lines, at our ports and in the airspace
overhead, thousands of goods and products move through the state to
assure Texans of a quality way of life - and to keep our economy
healthy.
All this happens in large part because of what we do every day at
TxDOT. We provide one of the finest transportation systems in the
world. In the process, we help drive the Texas economy.
That's hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods and products
spanning numerous industries: agriculture, construction, oil and gas,
manufacturing. In everyday terms, that means you have milk in the
refrigerator when you want it, the paint you need to freshen up your
house on the shelf at the home improvement store, fuel in the pump at
the gas station down the street, and the medication you expect the
pharmacist to have on hand to treat that illness.
Safe and efficient transportation systems in the age of just-in-time
delivery among businesses - and a similar expectation with con-
sumers - are vital to our economy. They also help get us to our jobs,
our kids to school and our exports to market.
Our state's economy wouldn't be the same without such a system.
A key example is the pivotal role played by transportation in helping
Texas land the $800 million Toyota production plant in San Antonio,
which will begin construction this year. Gov. Perry made sure the deal
took place by funding Toyota's request for a second rail line at the
plant. The Transportation Commission, for its part, made sure that mil-
lions of dollars in roadway expansion and improvement funding went to
the San Antonio area to assure the efficient movement of employees,
supplies and the pickups that will be manufactured there.
Some 2,000 jobs at the Toyota plant alone will boost the local econ-
omy. The plant is expected to add $2.4 billion to the Texas economy
over the next decade and more than 5,000 additional jobs from sup-
port businesses that spring up as a result of the plant's Texas location.
If we think about it for a while, we can all come up with scores of
activities and services that wouldn't take place without our current
transportation system. A few examples are:
Taking off from work on a Friday afternoon for a weekend out of
town
Having a safe evacuation route from hurricanes or tornadoes
* Receiving daily mail and package delivery
* Knowing that emergency vehicles can arrive at the scene in time
to save lives
We've come a long way from the day in 1937 when Texas' first farm-
to-market road was built (in Rusk County) to help bring the farmer out
of the mud so he could sell his products in the marketplace. Yet the
concept of acting as a catalyst for commerce, prosperity and a good
quality of life remains high on our list of imperatives at TxDOT.
We link Texas with the world. As a result, our state's vibrant econo-
my can continue to grow while we at TxDOT help make everyday life
happen for the state. Thank you for all that you do, day in, day out. O
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Texas. Department of Transportation. Transportation News, Volume 29, Number 4, January 2004, periodical, January 2004; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth307482/m1/2/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.