National Gateway Coalition Thanks Elected Officials

News provided by

Feb 17, 2010, 04:42 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Gateway coalition today thanked the elected officials who have supported the job producing project, on the same day that the public-private partnership was awarded $98 million in funding from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"The elected officials who support the National Gateway understand the importance of addressing the transportation infrastructure needs of our country," said Louis Renjel, vice president of strategic infrastructure initiatives, CSX Transportation. "Under their leadership, the National Gateway is putting people to work, reducing congestion on our nation's highways and improving the environment. CSX and the other members of the coalition are grateful for their support and look forward to continuing to work with them to make the National Gateway a reality."

An $842 million, multi-state public-private infrastructure initiative, the National Gateway will enhance freight capacity by creating a highly efficient double-stack rail corridor between East Coast sea ports and consumption centers and Midwest distribution centers. The project will create more than 50,000 jobs, reduce transit times between coastal ports and major population centers by 24 to 48 hours, and reduce highway congestion and transportation emissions.

The National Gateway coalition has unprecedented support from a large coalition of public and private sector leaders including governors and regional officials across six states, more than three dozen members of Congress, three port authorities, and dozens of global shippers, ocean carriers, business organizations and environmental groups.

The coalition would like to thank the following elected officials for their support:

Governors

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell
West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin
North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue

U.S. Senators

U.S. Senator George Voinovich (Ohio)
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio)
U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey (Pennsylvania)
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (Maryland)
U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin (Maryland)
U.S. Senator Jim Webb (Virginia)
U.S. Senator Mark Warner (Virginia)

Members of Congress

Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13)
Congressman Charlie Wilson (OH-6)
Congresswoman Jean Schmidt (OH-2)
Congressman John Boccieri (OH-16)
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Congressman Michael Turner (OH-3)
Congressman Steven LaTourette (OH-14)
Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-17)
Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Congressman Bill Shuster (PA-9)
Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3)
Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8)
Congresswoman Donna Edwards (MD-4)
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2)
Congressman Elijah Cummings (MD-7)
Congressman Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD-1)
Congressman John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-5)
Congressman Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-2)
Congressman James Moran (VA-8)
Congressman Randy Forbes (VA-4)
Congressman Robert Wittman (VA-1)
Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2)
Congressman G.K. Butterfield (NC-1)
Congressman Howard Coble (NC-6)
Congressman Mel Watt (NC-12)
Congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Congresswoman Sue Myrick (NC-9)
Congresswoman Corrine Brown (FL-3)

State Elected Officials

Armond Budish, Speaker, Ohio House of Representatives
Robert F. Hagan, Chairman, Ohio House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Randy Gardner, Ohio House of Representatives
Bill Harris, President, Ohio Senate
Mark Wagoner, Ohio Senate, 2nd District
Tom Patton, Ohio State Senate
Joseph F. Markosek, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Richard A. Geist, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
J. Barry Stout, Pennsylvania Senate
Michael E. Busch, Speaker of the Maryland House
Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., President of the Maryland Senate
Senator Ulysses Currie, Chairman of Maryland Senate Budget Committee
John C. Astle, Maryland Senate
Ward L. Armstrong, Virginia House of Delegates, Minority Leader
David Englin, Virginia House of Delegates
G. Manoli Loupassi, Virginia House of Delegates
Glen Oder, Virginia House of Delegates
Joe May, Virginia House of Delegates
Mark Sickles, Virginia House of Delegates
Robert H. Brink, Virginia House of Delegates
S. Chris Jones, Virginia House of Delegates
Frank Wagner, Virginia State Senate
J. Chapman Peterson, Virginia State Senate
Toddy Puller, Virginia State Senate
Walter A. Stosch, Virginia State Senate
Wm. Roscoe Reynolds, Virginia State Senate
Kevin J. Craig, Member West Virginia House of Delegates
Representative James W. Crawford, North Carolina General Assembly