As a nation, for both economic and national security reasons, we need to become more energy efficient and less reliant on foreign oil. Enhancing our public transportation infrastructure and encouraging transit use should be foundations of that effort.

		Jack Brooks is chairman of the board of the Port Authority and the executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents more than 13,000 members.

Recently, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the Port Authority of Allegheny County and the Heinz Endowments released a strategic vision for southwestern Pennsylvania that underscores the importance of growing our region's network of transit systems and tying smart land-use policy to that growth. That vision suggests myriad ways we can improve mobility, more efficiently connect workers to jobs and reduce the burden and cost of sprawl -- no easy task, given the size and challenging topography of our 10-county region.

Today, we are on the cusp of moving beyond years of planning to begin constructing one critical link to our region's transit future. The Port Authority board will vote tomorrow on awarding the largest and most important contract in its North Shore Connector project, which will extend the authority's 25-mile light rail system from the Golden Triangle to the rapidly developing North Shore.

It is imperative that we move forward on the North Shore Connector, which for decades to come will benefit not only our mobility but also our local economy. Some of the more obvious benefits of transit are often cited -- cleaner air and less congestion. But one transit truth is often forgotten: The vast majority of customers who use public transportation do so either to make money (at work) or spend money (by shopping). A robust transit system helps produce a robust economy.

Across the nation, cities like Dallas, Seattle, Phoenix, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, just to name a few, have worked to secure federal funds and have embarked on investments like this to move their cities and regions forward. Residents in these and other cities benefit every day from efficient transit systems that bring them to jobs and significantly reduce the draining effects of high gas prices on their household budgets.

The North Shore Connector will enhance the private investments already made on the North Shore and help attract new investments. It will help new businesses attract employees and new restaurants attract customers. The North Shore Connector is a convenient, affordable, state-of-the-art transit project that will be used by thousands of people each day.

Just as importantly, it is an investment in our future. As a region, we have been talking for decades about connecting the city of Pittsburgh to Pittsburgh International Airport, and the North Shore Connector is the critical first step in turning that talk into action. It also can serve as a springboard for future connections to the North Hills.

In 2004, the North Shore Connector was one of only five transit projects nationwide to be recommended by the federal government for "New Starts" funding. The project includes $348 million in federal funding -- 80 percent of the total cost. Given the intense competition for federal capital funds -- competition that increasingly yields winners whose local sources contribute 50 percent of a project's cost -- this will certainly be the last local transit project to enjoy this level of federal investment. The North Shore Connector represents a rare opportunity to invest state and local dollars to obtain significant federal funds for our region.

After years of community planning and consensus building, we've already poured immeasurable amounts of time and energy as a region into this project, which has been supported at every turn by the Federal Transit Administration and by our local elected officials in Washington. Likewise, the state and Allegheny County are committed to providing their funding shares and support the project. This investment must not be squandered.

Failure to move forward on this project would release millions in federal funding to another project and another city focused on forging ahead while we languish. If we don't act now, it is likely to take 15 years for another major transit project to reach this stage.

Now is not the time for Pittsburgh to retreat from a larger transit vision. With new leadership in place as Stephen Bland takes over as Port Authority CEO and with the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission soon to suggest solutions to transit funding shortfalls, the board has an opportunity to create momentum for a future where transit plays an even larger role in making our region an attractive place to live, work and play.