			Current Campaigns: Corridor K \| Stop I-3 \| Rail
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Letters regarding Corridor K in TN, NC, or its entirety: If you have a letter that you have written to the media, elected official, or government official regarding responsible transportation, or have seen one published, please let us know.

ARC 1964 report invalid to justify Corridor K

Letter to John Snow, NC state senator

Hi, John:

Judy and I have been enjoying--and appreciating--your regular emailed updates; this is consistent with, and predates, our new President's commitment to transparency in government. We are proud to have supported both of you to your positions of leadership.

John, I know that we won't always agree on every issue, but there is one in particular that I hope you will reconsider your position; that's the support of a new, highly intrusive highway known as Corridor K. I've prepared the following litany for your consideration; please read it. I will look forward to your considered opinion. I know that your experience in the judiciary has prepared you to consider dissident arguments. I honor that.

Thanks,
Bob Grove

The majority of trucking between Cleveland, TN and Murphy, NC serves local businesses; bypassing those communities with a new highway is not an option. Long distance trucking is presently and efficiently conducted on the interstates. Correcting those few sharp turns in the existing route, U.S. 64, to better accommodate tractor trailers is far more sensible than spending billions on a new, environmentally destructive highway.

The banner being waved that a new highway will bring economic prosperity is based on the conclusion of the antiquated 1964 study by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). It is no longer valid in the present economy which has been built on recreation and tourism. A growing number of local businesses utilize E-commerce and telecommuting via the Internet which doesn't require driving to offices. New highways bring competitive chain gas stations, fast food restaurants and cheap motels to attract overnight stopovers by travelers who would have previously patronized established businesses.

There is a far more attractive solution to all the foreseeable problems, one that has been endorsed by the Obama/Biden administration, and that's the enhanced utilization of railroads. I've included his recommendations here:

"Rail is a highly efficient way to transport freight and relieve congestion on our highways. Rail modernization is central to a safer, more reliable, cleaner and more energy-efficient transportation future that helps address traffic problems and climate change. We cannot afford to wait on funding for updated infrastructure and technology to meet increasing passenger and freight demand. That is why my running mate Joe Biden and I have both supported rail transportation throughout our careers." -- Obama, letter to the National Industrial Transportation League, October 25, 2008

I've assembled the following facts to outline the validity of this alternative:

Fuel efficiency

A freight train is more fuel efficient than a hybrid car, on average 3-6 times more fuel-efficient than trucks, and rail emissions are 3-12 times more environmentally friendly than from other vehicles. A train can move one ton of freight 436 miles per gallon of fuel; in total, that train can move the equivalent of nearly 300 trucks.

An existing network

A national railway system is already in place. Railway freight traffic will double by 2035, but can be handled almost exclusively by expanding existing railroad rights of way. New track can be laid faster, ten times cheaper, and far less destructively than building new highways, and maintenance is easier and cheaper.

Intermodal trains improve intercity truck distribution by carrying trailers and containers. UPS is the number one rail customer in the U.S., with Schneider International and JB Hunt (national trucking companies) major customers as well.

Better transport efficiency

Shifting 25% of truck traffic to rail would significantly reduce highway congestion and travel time as well as safety, reduce 17 billion gallons of fuel consumption per year (79 gallons per driver), and reduce air pollution by nearly one million tons per year.

A mere 1% increase in rail's current share of the freight market for one year would be equivalent to nearly 15 million trucks--about 600 million tons--reducing shippers' transportation costs by $25 billion which, in turn, should mean consumer savings.

Freight shipments are not as time-sensitive as passenger trips. Products are not manufactured spontaneously; they are ordered according to shipping schedules. If you want something to arrive a day earlier, you order it a day earlier. And while trucks are skidding dangerously on icy roads, unable to be make the steep mountain climbs, trains still move.

Thanks, John, for your patience and your consideration.

Warmest regards for your continued successful leadership,

Bob Grove

Brasstown, NC