Welcome to the Fast Lane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Advisory committee to seek a brighter future for US aviation

Yesterday we hosted the Administration’s first forum on the future of the U.S. aviation industry. We told participants--airports, air carriers, management, labor, air carriers, manufacturers, general aviation and consumer groups-–we wanted a frank and open discussion about our challenges and the way forward.

In a one-day session, we could only begin to scratch the surface of the changes we need to address.

That’s why we're forming an advisory committee to examine the industry, its competitiveness, and its ability to address evolving transportation needs, challenges, and opportunities of the global economy. The committee will be composed of stakeholders from across the industry.

This is not going to be just another advisory committee, and I am not commissioning some report to fill space on my bookshelf. This committee will make a difference.

Vice President Biden announces DOT approval of over 10,000 Recovery Act projects

Today, in the words of Vice President Joe Biden, we passed "a significant milestone on the road to recovery."

It was my great fortune to be by the Vice President's side today when he announced that in the last week DOT had authorized hundreds of projects, putting us over the 10,000-project mark.

I appreciate his praise of DOT's hard work:

“Just nine months in, tens of thousands of people are on the job at highway, bridge, rail and airport improvement projects across the country thanks to the quick action by the Department of Transportation putting Recovery Act dollars to work.

These projects are not only providing new opportunities for hard-hit workers and businesses during tough economic times, but helping lay a strong foundation to support our 21st century economy."

I want to echo his thanks to the people at DOT who made this achievement possible. And it really is quite an achievement. Just think about it.

From the beginning of the Recovery Act, it has been our top priority to get money out the door quickly to create jobs and boost the economy. And, in less than ten months, we have spurred construction of 10,000 transportation projects across the country-–many of which would have been stalled or shelved altogether without Recovery Act dollars.

In addition to being economically crucial, as Vice President Biden observed, these projects are also critical investments in our national infrastructure.

Now, while 10,000 projects is a notable milestone, it's important to remember that the hard work of recovery is not finished. As the Vice President noted today, "We continue to work every day to create more jobs and drive economic growth."

So we look forward this winter to announcing $8 billion in high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants and $1.5 billion in discretionary TIGER grants.

This DOT has done a remarkable job accelerating authorization of these projects. I'm proud of that effort, and I know we will continue to do what is asked of us as we help put this nation back to work.

DOT bike commuters leading by example

Last week, on a walk through DOT headquarters, I met Thomas Dorset. Now, Tom is in his late-ish 60s, works for our Federal Railroad Administration, and commutes the 10 miles to work (and 10 back) by bicycle.

Given DOT's interest in Sustainable Communities, Tom thinks--and I agree with him--that DOT's own biking and pedestrian commuters are setting a great example of using alternatives to cars.

Tom is something of a pioneer; he has been biking to work for decades. That means long before cities and counties were providing hiker-biker paths and distinctly marked bike lanes on roadways. Long before urban and suburban drivers learned that they need to be aware of the bicyclists around them. His early miles must have been challenging indeed!

If you talk to any bicycle commuter long enough, you'll hear a cautionary story about a car whose driver didn't notice the bicyclist nearby and executed a turn or failed to yield a right of way, causing a collision or near-miss. The thing about Tom is that in telling a couple of these tales, his key point is not that cars need to be more aware of bikes--though they do--but that bicyclists need to guard against their own "laser vision."

"It's easy to get caught up in looking at the road directly in front of you," Tom says, "But your eyes have to be constantly scanning 180°."

Would Tom like to see drivers be more respectful of bicyclists? Of course. But, he'll be the first to note that, "Cars have become a lot more aware of us than when I first began cycling to work. It's not a perfect situation, but it's definitely better."

In the meantime, he tries to be his own best protection.

"We get a lot of support in finding the best routes," he says, "through the DOT Bicycle Commuters Group."

This group consists of about 80 people who meet monthly to share information and come up with ways that DOT can provide more support for its bicycle commuters. Run by Gabe Rousseau, they have a listserv, a mentors program for new bike commuters, a buddy program--bikes are more easily noticed by drivers when they're in pairs--and a useful set of webpages.

I'm encouraged to hear from Tom that their numbers are growing. Tom also mentioned that DOT bike commuters work in all modes of transportation, are both male and female, and cover a wide range of ages and an even wider range of commuting distances. I heard about one man who is biking at least 20 miles each way every day!

Now, that's setting an example.

Merchant mariners have an important place in Veterans Day ceremonies

On this Veterans Day morning, I had the honor of laying a wreath and saying a few words at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. 

 
We gather on Veterans Day to remember all the veterans who have defended freedom and democracy against the forces of tyranny and oppression around the world, but this occasion was especially to recall the bravery, skill, and camaraderie of the generation who fought in the Second World War.  

As Secretary of Transportation, I represented the United States Merchant Marine at the ceremony.  Merchant mariners have an important place in our national story, and they wrote a particularly compelling chapter in World War II.

 
Throughout our history, our Armed Forces have needed the Merchant Marine to support any overseas conflict or emergency.  Merchant mariners command and sail the commercial ships that carry the supplies, and, in many conflicts, carried the troops.

In World War II, merchant mariners crossed hostile waters in all the oceans of the world.  More than 6,000 of them lost their lives.  General Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of the D-Day invasion, said, “When final victory is ours, there is no organization that will share its credit more deservedly than the Merchant Marine.”

Our merchant mariners continue to serve America, supporting our Armed Forces.  More than 85% of the supplies and equipment for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are carried aboard ships crewed by civilian mariners.

Let us remember all these brave individuals who risked their lives crossing the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Persian Gulf, and many other seas to transport essential goods or bring soldiers and others out of harm’s way.  They served bravely to preserve the freedoms we enjoy, and it is right to remember them with honor and with gratitude.