On December 1, 2015, CRT’s Executive Director Renee Carter published a guest column for AL.com entitled, “Birmingham’s roads and bridges need serious improvement.” The piece covers regional transportation and economic development, and explores the important role that transportation plays in supporting and promoting economic growth. 

Rather than solely attributing Birmingham’s “economic renaissance” to the emergence of valuable cultural assets and small businesses, Renee encourages readers to also consider the need to transport goods and people across the region. In other words, if we’re going to produce valuable goods, we need to also have a transportation network that can effectively transport those goods to other cities and regions.

Unfortunately, many of our roads and bridges are in poor condition. This point is further illustrated by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham’s 2040 Regional Transportation Plan and the White House’s 2014 report entitled, "An Economic Analysis of Transportation Infrastructure Investment.” Both documents highlight that fact that roads and bridges are incredibly valuable, yet lacking attention.

In closing, Renee issues a request for Birmingham citizens to continue supporting businesses and cultural assets, while also offering additional support for the transportation network that keeps us moving forward.

You can access the full piece at AL.com.

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