Durham, N.C. - U.S. Rep. David Price (D-NC) delivered the following remarks this morning at the official opening of the new Durham Transportation Center.

Thank you for inviting me to join you on this important occasion. I remember the high hopes that accompanied the groundbreaking ceremony in 2007, and it is satisfying to see the results today of the vision and persistence of so many partners devoted to Durham's future. We've been in a particularly good position to watch this facility go up in our congressional office, for we are located in this neighborhood, a few hundred feet away. We are well aware of what this facility will mean to the western part of downtown in particular.

This spacious and well-designed facility is going to encourage and accommodate intermodal transportation including local, regional, and intercity bus service, as well as taxi service, cyclists, and pedestrians. The transportation center will also be closely linked to the expanded and improved Durham Amtrak station, and, we hope and believe someday, to Triangle Transit's proposed downtown commuter rail station.

I am pleased that the federal government has been a partner in this project – with $1.5 million for the multimodal Durham Station project in our Fiscal Year 2007 Transportation Appropriations bill and another $6.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration through grants distributed by the state for statewide bus and bus facilities.

What this federal investment signifies is that Durham Station is the wave of the future – an American future that includes revitalized downtowns, increased mobility for people wherever they live and work, reduced traffic congestion and cleaner air, and balanced public policy that brings all levels of government together in support of diverse modes of transportation. We will look back on this project and this day as a landmark, and I thank and congratulate all of you whose vision and hard work have made it a reality.

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