NewsOK
BY CHUCK MAI
Published: September 10, 2011
“Houston — we have a problem.” When considering the peril Americans face as a result of our deteriorating transportation infrastructure, I am reminded of astronaut Jim Lovell's famous words during the ill-fated Apollo 13 space mission of 1970. At that time, a team of men and women from Mission Control worked under tight deadlines to undertake a historic rescue. Members of Congress need to take similar action today. In 1970 it was a mechanical failure. In 2011 it is a failure to act.
Congress faces a hard deadline of Sept. 30 to extend the federal transportation program. Failure to do so could have a devastating impact on mobility and the safety of the traveling public. Forty years ago, immediate action was necessary to ensure the safety of three American astronauts — the same urgency is necessary today to ensure the safety of millions. Once the immediate crisis is averted, Congress can continue the real work of developing a new, long-term transportation bill that will help meet 21st-century transportation needs.
Every business sector depends on a safe and efficient transportation system. In Oklahoma, transportation is the backbone of our economic well-being. Delaying significant investment and necessary program reforms until the next Congress will not benefit our state, or the nation's economy, safety or quality of life. Action is needed now so the Oklahoma Department of Transportation can proceed with planned and proposed capital improvement projects with greater certainty... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Sat, September 10, 2011
by John Cox