NCDOT study looks at possibility of express lanes on I-40
(WNCN – April 29, 2016)
 
“High-growth area, people want to be here, express lanes are a concept that will allow us to create options, provide choices for travelers, particularly during rush hour periods,” said Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance. Milazzo’s group has been studying express lanes, hopeful they could be constructed throughout the region to ease the burden on drivers.

Four Hampton Roads projects that will impact regional economic development 
(Pilot Online – The Hampton Roads, VA Business Journal – April 1, 2016)

As Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance business leadership group from Raleigh, said: “A future interstate designation between Raleigh and Hampton Roads will provide an economic lifeline … by linking urban, suburban, and rural job centers and communities together while providing several counties their first direct access to the interstate system.”

Environmentalists criticize, residents cheer NCDOT’s Orange Route pick for 540 Outer Loop
(News and Observer – Feb. 3, 2016) 

The leader of a business group that supports the 540 Outer Loop project praised DOT’s announcement Wednesday and said he believed the road would be a time saver for many drivers.

“Clearly it would depend on where you’re coming from and where you’re going,” said Joe Milazzo II of the Regional Transportation Alliance. “I would think if you were anywhere near the center of that corridor, the time savings would be remarkable – because the alternative to 540 would be Ten Ten Road, which is just two lanes.”

RDU rates high in J.D. Power traveler satisfaction survey
(News & Observer – December 16, 2015)

“RDU is the front door for our entire region, in a way that no other public facility is,” said Joe Milazzo II, who directs the Regional Transportation Alliance, a business group that lobbies for transportation improvements.

Now that RDU-Paris flight is official, community leaders talk about how to pay for it
(Triangle Business Journal – November 24, 2015)
 
“Now that Delta’s nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Paris has been secured, behind-the-scenes players – both public and private – are finalizing how they’ll finance the takeoff, projected for May 2016. The chamber-backed Regional Transportation Alliance, too, is putting dollars to work, efforting a $500,000 marketing fund to support the flight. Of that, more than $250,000 has been pledged, says RTA Executive Director Joe Milazzo.

Proposed Raleigh-Norfolk corridor clears U.S. House
(Triangle Business Journal – November 13, 2015)

Transportation officials in North Carolina and Virginia are awaiting the outcome of a congressional conference committee to see whether the entire highway corridor between Raleigh and Norfolk, Virginia, might eventually become part of the federal interstate system. 

“This is a big deal for North Carolina, but especially Wake County. “The Raleigh-Cary area is one of just a few large metro regions in the eastern U.S. that doesn’t have two two-digit interstates,” says Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition. 

Proposed Raleigh-Norfolk corridor clears U.S. House, heads to conference with Senate
(Triangle Business Journal - November 5, 2015)

“This is a big deal for North Carolina, but especially Wake County. “The Raleigh-Cary area is one of just a few large metro regions in the eastern U.S. that doesn’t have two two-digit interstates,” says Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition.

Effort to complete 540 Outer Loop moves one step closer to fruition, NCDOT says
(Triangle Business Journal – November 3, 2015) 

The effort to complete the 540 Outer Loop around the greater Raleigh area has cleared a significant procedural hurdle, the N.C. Department of Transportation says.

Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition, says the delays to the project will ultimately be worth it.

“We’d like the project to be done yesterday, but we understand there is a process,” Milazzo says. 

Downtown bridge projects may spur development opportunities, Raleigh officials say
(Triangle Business Journal – October 9, 2015)

Some City Council members expressed concern about the aesthetic elements of the proposed plan. However, Joe Milazzo of the Regional Transportation Alliance, a business coalition, says the bridges will serve as a gateway into the heart of downtown.

Report: RDU flights down 7 percent since 2011
(WRAL TV – July 23, 2015)

“While we have seen consolidation and optimization of capacity, the introduction of new carriers at RDU, including Alaska Airlines and Allegiant, and the expansion of destinations from several others is a strong indication of the confidence airlines have in our region’s future,” said Joe Milazzo II, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition.

U.S bill to create Raleigh-Norfolk corridor gains support
(Triangle Business Journal- July 10, 2015)

The entire North Carolina delegation has now offered their support for the bill to designate the entire corridor from Raleigh to Norfolk as a future interstate.

The legislation is also a top priority for the Raleigh-based Regional Transportation Alliance business coalition. RTA Executive Director Joe Milazzo says connecting the two metropolitan job centers would “provide an economic lifeline for northeastern North Carolina and afford several counties their first direct access to the interstate system."

Road Worrier: To avoid Raleigh’s southern BeltlineJam, look to the north
(News and Observer – June 1, 2015) 

But when the #BeltlineJam project grinds I-40 traffic into slow gear this summer, (the longer alternative route) might get you where you’re going more quickly.

“That is significantly out of the way,” said Joe Milazzo II, who directs the Regional Transportation Alliance, a business group that lobbies for transportation improvements.

Ahead of Fortify, Raleigh Businesses Offering Workers ‘Smarter Commuting’ Options
(NCDOT Press Release – May 22, 2015).

"A number of the region’s leading companies are committed to promoting travel options to improve their employees’ quality of life – including flexible work schedules, transit passes and telework from home,” said Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance.

These Triangle companies aim to make commuting easier during NCDOT construction project
(Triangle Business Journal – May 22, 2015)

But rather than have their employees brave the commute each day, several local companies are coming up with alternatives.

“These companies deserve some real credit,” Milazzo says. “We’re lucky to have companies in our area that are focused on the broader community in addition to their employees’ satisfaction.”

Fortify I-40/I-440 rebuild could provide glimpse of long-term vision of public transit
(NCDOT Press Release – May 15, 2015)

Raleigh – As Triangle drivers brace for the impact on traffic when a new phase of work begins this summer on the 11.5-mile Fortify I-40/I-440 rebuild project in Raleigh, local leaders hope for a snapshot of what area roads and local transportation might look like in the years to come.

"The regional business community recognizes that maintaining the integrity of our freeway system is essential for regional mobility and commerce, and we are fully supportive of the Fortify project," said Joe Milazzo II, executive director of the business leadership group Regional Transportation Alliance.

Local leaders hope Fortify project puts spotlight on public transit options
(WRAL TV – May 15, 2015)

"The regional business community recognizes that maintaining the integrity of our freeway system is essential for regional mobility and commerce, and we are fully supportive of the Fortify project," Joe Milazzo II, executive director of the business leadership group Regional Transportation Alliance, said.

Raleigh Beltline backups to get serious in coming weeks, NCDOT says
(News & Observer – May 7, 2015)
 
“Folks will have to get used to the fact that if you’re coming from Cary and going downtown, there’s not two exits there,” said Joe Milazzo II, director of the Regional Transportation Alliance, a business group that lobbies for road improvements.

Regional Leaders Pursue New Interstate Highway for Eastern NC
(NC East Alliance – Williamston, NC – April 28, 2015)

With the understanding that market accessibility is of primary importance to recruitment and retention of industry and general commerce, a group of partners met Wednesday, April 15th to bring a collective voice to a potential new interstate in eastern NC. 

Joe Milazzo II, PE, Executive Director, Regional Transportation Alliance business leadership group from Raleigh also attended the meeting. “A future Interstate designation between Raleigh and Hampton Roads will provide an economic lifeline for northeastern North Carolina by linking urban, suburban, and rural job centers and communities together while providing several counties their first direct access to the Interstate system.”

New Seattle flight could give RDU leverage in push for more international service
(Triangle Business Journal – April 28, 2015)

“This is another piece in the puzzle toward getting another international flight,” says Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance… “This shows that an airline is willing to dedicate an aircraft for a great amount of time and distance because the Triangle is an attractive market,” Milazzo says.

Construction Begins on Durham’s East End Connector
(Triangle Business Journal, April 22, 2015)

Joe Milazzo, executive director of the Regional Transportation Alliance, says the East End Connector has been a top priority for the local business community for decades.