To the Editor:
By now, most of us in Syracuse metro area are familiar with Micron and its planned $100 billion investment to build the largest U.S. semiconductor facility in Clay.
In addition to that good news, the Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo region was recently named a national “tech hub,” a designation that will open us up to new federal dollars. And recently we learned that TTM Technologies will expand its operations in DeWitt, creating 400 new jobs.
We are part of an exciting transition, one that is helping to revitalize manufacturing in New York and speed economic development in our communities. But our success in becoming and staying America’s “semiconductor superhighway” really relies on other infrastructure systems — the actual highways and railways that connect these businesses to customers.
Locally, we’ve seen the DeWitt rail yard expanded in recent years, providing a location in CNY to load and unload international imports and exports from the Port of New York and New Jersey. Ocean-bound containers of lumber, metals, soybeans and other local products are taken via rail from DeWitt straight to freighters Downstate. Direct ship-rail transfers to/from the East Coast’s busiest port immensely reduce trucks on the road and emissions in the air across the 300-mile journey.
It is important to note that there is a proposal in Congress that could increase the federal maximum weight limit of heavy trucks from the current 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds. The bill in question would create a program to study the impacts of heavier trucks on roads and bridges over a 10-year period.
Heavier trucks would burden both local and Interstate roads and bridges that we already struggle to fund. In New York they may jeopardize the integrity of nearly 1,000 local bridges. Not to mention, in the context of supporting vibrant railways, heavier trucks would shift freight from railways to highways.
Our community is poised to grow. Micron alone has said its operations will add 9,000 direct jobs and up to 40,000 more in the supply chain and adjacent industries. We need to consider what this growth will look like and how we can balance the needs of our citizens with the needs of the businesses that will enable growth.
As Syracuse and central New York continue to embrace growth opportunities — and our new tech hub designation — railroads will be key partners on all fronts. I hope we see public officials continue to understand and recognize the value and importance of rail.
Tim Burtis
3rd District
Onondaga County Legislature
Brewerton
Read more about Micron Technology in Clay
- Micron awaits big decision on how much feds will kick in for $100 billion chip plant
- Onondaga County spent millions on property for Micron: See every purchase since 2020 (map)
- Micron’s CNY chip plant could get boost from $10 billion research center in Albany
- More suggestions for how Micron could power its chip factories (Your Letters)
- Those 50,000 jobs Micron could create in New York? We dug into what that really means