RALEIGH - Governor Pat McCrory signed a bill on Wednesday that overhauls the way transportation projects are funded in North Carolina. It creates a strategic funding formula that is need-based, as opposed to dividing money equally among 14 geographic areas.

Transportation Secretary Tony Tata says the new system creates statewide, regional, and divisional tiers that allow for better coordination and planning. “The average division has about seven counties and they get a good chunk of money annually to do road projects for safety and connectivity and all the things that locally you want to do.” He says the decisions will be made based on data that includes relieving congestion, reducing travel time, and connecting people with jobs.

Tata also says they're appealing to business leaders who look for states that have a strategic transportation plan when deciding where to locate their companies.