When I meet people while traveling, they ask me where I'm from. When I tell them I'm from Chattanooga, the question inevitably follows: "Does it really have a Choo Choo?"
The idea of the Chattanooga Choo Choo sprang from our role as a transportation hub that connected the East Coast, providing access to major stops like Atlanta en route to Florida. It has been nearly 70 years since the birth of that catchy tune, and people around the world still equate Chattanooga with a train - once a symbol of the growth and prosperity made possible through a healthy, expansive transportation infrastructure.
Today, Chattanooga and the rest of Tennessee can lay a new foundation for economic success and security through transportation development and innovation. As we strive to compete in an increasingly global marketplace, the keys to continued success over the next decade will be education and transportation: Education to develop a highly skilled work force, and transportation to provide the means of moving people and product.
Under Gov. Phil Bredesen, we have made great strides in education through increased K-12 funding, our Race to the Top victory and a higher education model focused on producing graduates. We must now make the same giant leaps in transportation if we expect to continue to attract businesses like Volkswagen in the coming decade.
It is clear from my experience on the Senate Transportation Committee that such progress will require a serious investment in raw materials and human creativity. We must be willing to create the infrastructure necessary for businesses to move products cheaply, safely and effectively from here to anywhere.
We must not only maintain our world-class highway system, but also augment it through traffic planning and strategic expansion. We must consider the viability of inter-city, high-speed rail to transport people and product alike. And we must realize that our investment in transportation is an investment in Tennesseans: From Tennessee companies who perform the work, to Tennessee businesses and residents who use our transportation infrastructure to increase jobs and revenue here at home.
We cannot wait until our roadways are crumbling and our waterways are clogged to take action. Our success in bringing Volkswagen has also brought thousands of new commuters who will need larger roadways and greater public transportation opportunities. Community leaders are working now to ensure we are ready to handle the changes, but we need to broaden our views and look at how Chattanooga and Tennessee's transportation needs will transform in the years ahead.
That's why I am hosting a hearing on "A Transportation Plan for the Next Decade" on Friday ay 9 a.m. at UTC's University Center. Participants include Bill Harmon, chairman of the Tennessee House Transportation Committee; Jim Hall, former National Transportation Safety Board chairman; Tom Dugan, executive director of CARTA; Roy Neel, who served as Vice President Al Gore's chief of staff; and John Graham, Marion County Highway Superintendent.
We will talk about our needs and opportunities, and how we will need state and local governments to work together to form a long-term transportation plan for Tennessee.
Chattanooga has the opportunity to become a true economic engine in the South by becoming a leader in public transit, highway design and high-speed, inter-city travel. The strength of our economy depends on how we will build upon the transportation advantages we already enjoy. The Choo Choo put Chattanooga on the map. Investing in transportation now will put us in the center of it.
Democrat Andy Berke of Chattanooga is state senator from Tennessee District 10, which includes parts of Hamilton and Marion counties. He can be reached at sen.andy.berke@legislature.state.tn.us.