1. Putting NC on the right track
Suggested outlet:News& Observer
By Jim Hunt
Yesterday,CSXannounceditsplanto buildthe CarolinaConnectorintermodal rail terminal inRocky
Mount, andas a lifelongpublicservantof NorthCarolina,Isincerelyhopethe people of the Twin
Counties –and across the state – appreciate the magnitude of thisopportunity.
From fourtermsas NorthCarolina’s governor,myexperience asa leaderhastaughtme to recognize
promisingdevelopmentopportunities.CSX’sterminalisbeyondpromising:itis a transformational
infrastructure projectthatwill positionNorthCarolinaasa major logisticshubanddrive economic
developmentstatewide.
The CarolinaConnector(CCX) will bringhundreds,potentiallythousands of jobs – short- andlong-term–
to easternNorthCarolina, addhundredsof millionsof dollars tothe state economy,make North
Carolinaevenmore competitiveforbusiness,lowerhighwaycongestionandimprove airquality
throughoutthe state.With so muchto gain, Rocky Mount, andthe state as a whole, should joinme in
celebratingthe CCXproject.
The most obviousadvantage of the newfacilityisthe benefitforNorthCarolina’sbusinesses:inastate
heavilyreliantonhighwaytransportation,anintermodalrail facility thatswapstrucktrafficfor more
efficienttrains isessential toloweringtransportationcostsandhighwaycongestion. Rail isthe most
environmentallyfriendlymode of landtransportation,withone freighttraincarryingthe loadof 280
trucks. A more developed intermodal freightsystemmeansthatNorthCarolinabecomesevenmore
competitiveforattractingbusinesses tothe state throughlowerlogisticscosts;CCXwill lowershipping
costs byup to 40 percentand increase accesstoboth national andglobal markets throughourstate’s
ports.
CCX will create jobstoo,whichare crucial to the economic future of ourstate.Constructiontobuildthe
facilitywill generate250 to 300 jobsalone,withatotal of 1,500 statewide jobsfromsecondary
industriesovertime.InRockyMount,CCX will create terminal jobsonsite thatpaywell:anaverage of
$60,000 annually.Thisdeal hasthe potential totransformthe economiclandscape of the state andgive
thousandsof capable workersinthe areathe opportunityforagood job.

2. I alsounderstandthe importance of examiningall anglesof these projects,whichmeansthinking
beyondjustthe businessimpacts.CCXisthe rare projectthat makesgreat businesssenseandoffers
significantenvironmental benefits:by shiftingfreightfromtruckstotrains,CCX will reduce congestion
on the highwaysbyeliminating 19 milliontruckmileseachyear.Asaresult, CO2 emissions dropbyan
estimated655,000 tonsin NorthCarolina.
A projectthat trulybenefitsthe state though,isone thatgivestangible benefitstothe peopleof North
Carolina.CCXwill bring$310 millionin publicbenefitsovertime.That’sasignificantinvestmentthat,to
put itfrankly, RockyMount,like muchof easternNorthCarolinadesperatelyneeds.Withthe highest
unemploymentrate of all majormetropolitanareasacrossthe state, and a significantportionof citizens
livingbelow the povertyline, the region needsthe boostCCXwill bring.CCXwill helptoputeastern
NorthCarolinaback ontrack, transformingthe area intoa keylogistics hubforthe entire region.
CSX alsohasa strongreputationof investinginandpartneringwiththe communitiesitoperatesin. For
example,atasimilarterminal inNorthwestOhio,CSXemployeesjoinedHabitatforHumanityina new
buildproject,providedalocal highschool witha new computer labandequipment,andcontinueto
supportcommunityeventsandlocal organizations.
It’squite rare thatan opportunitywithsomanybenefitsandsofew downsidescomesalong,soIam
trulyexcitedby CCX,andthe chance for NorthCarolinatoestablishitself asapowerhouse inthe
logisticstransportationindustry. Suchalarge-scale developmentproject bringsgreatpromise tothe
local communityandthe entire state.WhensomanyNorth Caroliniansstandtogainsomuch, the
CarolinaConnectorisindeedcause forcelebration.
Jim Hunt,a DemocratfromWilson, served fourtermsas governorof North Carolina from1977 to 1985
and 1993 to 2001