How About a Local Transportation Networking Committee?
Having visited hundreds of economic development associations around the country along with many chambers of commerce as I franchised my business in 23 states, I can recall numerous groups promoting the fact that they had their transportation and distribution systems within their county or city all figured out, where everything was streamlined, and they called that an advantage to anyone relocating into their area. In fact, it was usually in the brochures and promotional material of the economic development committees and chambers. Okay so let’s talk about all this for a second shall we?
First, there are trucking companies, rail companies, shipping companies, freight forwarders, moving and storage companies, taxicab companies, bus systems, and commuter rail lines in nearly each and every city in the US. Having this solid network helps get people, services, and products to market or to their employment. When the transportation system is working well everything is more productive and efficient. Of course, keeping it working efficiently is a lot harder than it looks. Luckily, thanks to how free markets operate everything seems to get to where it needs to be somehow, if those costs are too high other entrepreneurs come up with substitutions, easier ways to get things from place to place.
When businesses and government work together on these things, and when businesses are allowed to share their concerns knowing that they will be taken care of, and the government agencies overseeing the roads and the system care, it is amazing what you can do. Sometimes there needs to be a buffer between very angry businesses that are not getting a fair shake or overburdened with regulations in the government. This is where an economic development Association or a Chamber of Commerce can comment and smooth the road. This is another reason why there needs to be local transportation networking committees paving the way to streamline the flow of goods and services to market, along with the employees and citizens who need to get around town.
It’s obviously in everyone’s best interest to ensure that transportation and distribution run smoothly. You can’t recruit new manufacturing facilities, or large businesses into town or expect large corporations to put their corporate headquarters in your city if you haven’t worked out the details or are not willing to fix any of the challenges that currently exist. If you are running a chamber, or are involved in economic development at any level in your state then you need to immediately form local transportation networking committees.
No, this is not a suggestion to create a larger bureaucracy, quite the contrary. You need a can-do group of people who are willing to take charge and make it happen. Then you need lawmakers to make decisions as needed without delay. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
