In just the past two weeks, our region experienced major rain storms that resulted in flood waters in our neighborhoods and streets. In one storm we had over 5 inches of rain fall resulting in water impeding residents from safely leaving their homes and workers easily accessing their places of business.
Here in Charleston, climate change is real. The impact on our way of life is significant and our everyday citizens’ access to work, school, health and recreation is in need of decisive and urgent help.
As Congress spends this week negotiating the merits of an infrastructure package, we as a city support their efforts to provide resources to communities like ours, so we can continue the work on our city’s priorities: to protect our citizens from the impact of flooding and sea level rise, enhance our transportation infrastructure and increase the supply of attainable and affordable housing.
Also of note are efforts to include major support for transit in President Biden’s American Job’s Plan. The inclusion of money for transit state of good repair, accessibility and expansion is critical for communities like ours that know we cannot build our way out of congestion and must maximize our existing right of way capacity.
As we partner with regional municipalities and agencies to embark on the Lowcountry Rapid Transit System, through the New Starts program, we cannot overstate the positive impact action from Congress will have on the lives of our essential workers in health, hospitality and education.
The City of Charleston is ready to support Congress as they push to pass new infrastructure policies that preserve the livability and resident quality of life that make our city so special.