One of the DeltaÕs greatest ambassadors

The first Delta Regional Authority Highway Transportation Summit was held June 27-28 in Helena, Arkansas at the Delta Cultural Center. Approximately 130 people from the eight-state DRA area attended the event, including local, regional and federal transportation planning and development experts and personnel. The purpose of the event was to discuss and strategize a regional plan for highway transportation improvements in the DRA-covered area.
Federal DRA Co-Chairman, Pete Johnson, kicked off the event along with State Co-Chairman, Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove. The three all spoke to the crowd about a unified vision of an improved highway infrastructure throughout the region.
Johnson began his remarks by stating DRA’s mission “to help remedy and alleviate the chronic and severe economic distress found in our region.” He stated that the DRA would be a major catalyst in the economic development of the region by serving as the coordinating vehicle for already established federal, state and private efforts. Johnson indicated that this development would be accomplished through infrastructure and business development, job training services and highway transportation.
Governor Huckabee stated that the highway infrastructure is like the human coronary system: the better the flow, the healthier the person. Huckabee said the DRA Transportation Summit was very important for the state members. “What a great opportunity for all eight states in the Delta region to have the chance to talk about highway infrastructure in the area,” Huckabee said.
Governor Musgrove spoke of the absolute importance of improved highway infrastructure in the rural Delta region. Citing visions of dusty country roads, he succinctly summed up the essence of the event by saying that the DRA is building roads that lead to opportunity.
The following morning, the assemble group got down to the task at hand which was developing a workable transportation model. Speakers at the morning session included Hayes Dent, DRA Executive Director, Eugene Cleckley, Federal Highway Administration Director of Field Studies, Guy Land, Appalachian Region Commission Special Counsel and Dee Spann, Federal Highway Administration, Statewide Planning Team Leader.
Johnson also delivered the keynote address, in which he, in effect, called for a policy shift in the country’s transportation model.
In his speech, “The Roads to Economic Success: A Vision for the Delta Region Transportation System”, Johnson laid out an extensive agenda and blueprint for creating a highway transportation center. He called for the offering of a new plan ready for inclusion in the successor statute to Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21), which will expire September 30, 2002.
“Simply stated,” Johnson remarked, “this summit is to be the first step in a process of developing our Highway Transportation System...the Delta Regional Highway Transportation System.” (The full speech may be accessed at www.dra.gov <http://www.dra.gov> ).
According to Johnson, the reason for the Summit was to “establish the groundwork for a workable and beneficial plan for our region’s transportation needs.”
The event may be accessed on the Internet, along with full speech transcripts at the Delta Regional Authority website, www.dra.gov. DBJ