We should genuinely create opportunity for every responsible citizen. We want to create that kind of opportunity for the millions of Americans who live and work in rural communities. We intend to leave no one behind. I understand, first hand, how transportation can bring greater economic opportunity and improved quality of life to a community. I grew up in the poor Delta Region, in Marianna, Arkansas.
Transportation is the tie that binds.
With the construction of Interstate 40, the people of my hometown were connected to opportunity. Although we are making progress in improving rural transportation, there is evidence much remains to be done. Estimates are that approximately 12 million people who live in rural areas or small communities do not have access to scheduled intercity transportation service. Thirty-eight to 40 percent of our nation's rural residents live in areas without transit service, and another 28 percent live in areas where service is negligible. Although airline deregulation has resulted in billions of dollars in savings to the traveling public, there is clear evidence that those benefits are not evenly spread across all areas.