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

Bike to Work Day, big and getting bigger as bicycle commuting continues to grow

Congratulations to everyone who celebrated Bike To Work Day 2013, and particularly those who were first-time bike commuters. It was a banner year for this event, with cities from Anchorage, Alaska, to West Palm Beach, Florida, reporting bigger-than-ever turnouts.

Bike To Work Day is a terrific opportunity for those who have considered bicycle commuting to give it a try.

Bike associations organize convoys from different neighborhoods to help people see what routes are bike-friendly. They set up pit stops where they offer water, coffee, and breakfast. And they host rallies where speakers talk about local bike amenities and the many benefits of bicycling. First-time riders-to-work learn that --depending on the community-- what might have seemed intimidating is easier than they thought.

Here in the Washington, DC, region, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association reported more than 14,500 people registered for the event, a 20 percent increase from last year. Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez was spotted at the region's biggest rally, held annually in Freedom Plaza. Capital Bikeshare tallied 10,166 rides, its highest-ever ridership for a weekday. And, I'm happy to report, the WABA pit stop at Canal Park, across the street from our DOT headquarters, had twice as many participants as last year.

Greeting DOT riders as they arrive to work

Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Better Outcomes, Faster Timelines, Less Red Tape

Co authored with Sylvia Burwell, Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Cross-posted from www.whitehouse.gov/blog

President Obama today signed a Presidential Memorandum that will shave months, and even years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects. This means that states, local governments, and private developers will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our nation’s infrastructure faster.

On March 22, 2012, the President issued an Executive Order launching a government-wide initiative to improve the efficiency of federal review and permitting of infrastructure projects. Since then, agencies have expedited the review and permitting of 50 major projects, including bridges, transit , railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects.  

Federal agencies have also identified a set of best practices for efficient review and permitting. Those range from expanding information technology (IT) tools to strategies - like simultaneous review - for improving collaboration. Today’s Presidential Memorandum directs all relevant agencies to put these best practices into effect.

Cutting red tape and streamlining the process for making permitting decisions will help us meet the President’s goal of cutting in half the timelines for major infrastructure projects, while creating better outcomes for our communities and for the environment.

The President’s initiative is already showing real results. For example, this afternoon, President Obama and Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari will visit Baltimore, where we sped up the approval process for the city’s Red Line rail transit corridor by six months.

We also recently expedited Federal approval for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project in New York. By speeding up the approval process, Federal agencies trimmed up to three years off the timeline for this multi-billion dollar project that will help put Americans back to work.

To learn more about the Administration’s reform effort, you can read the President’s 2012 Executive Order, the Federal Action Plan describing what we are doing in more detail, and our first annual Report to the President on our progress so far. You can also track the results of specific projects on the Administration's Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard, a new tool that provides an unprecedented level of transparency into the Federal permitting and review process.

Going forward, the Administration will make even more extensive use of performance tools like the Dashboard as we work to make the exceptional time savings achieved on the first 50 projects the norm. We are also working to expand innovative mitigation tools to improve environmental outcomes; develop more targeted and relevant environmental reviews; provide more opportunities for public input; and build on our first five regional pilot teams to improve collaboration with State, local, and Tribal governments.

This permitting modernization effort is an important component of the President’s larger effort to grow the economy, accelerate job creation, and improve U.S. competitiveness by building a 21st Century infrastructure. Notably, the President’s 2014 Budget calls for immediately investing $50 billion in our Nation’s transportation infrastructure, with $40 billion devoted to “fix-it-first” projects that target areas in the most urgent need of repair. The President also proposed a “Rebuild America Partnership,” creating tools to encourage partnerships between the private sector and Federal, State, and local governments to enhance the role of private capital in U.S. infrastructure investment and ensure America has the best transportation, electric, water, and communications networks in the world.

MARAD Small Shipyard Grants mean a lot to Steve Williams and many others

America’s maritime industry is critical to our nation’s economy. Federal investments in our ports and shipyards not only help keep goods moving for farmers and manufacturers; with more than 107,000 jobs in the U.S. shipbuilding and repairing industry, our investments also make a big difference to workers nationwide.

For example, when our Maritime Administration awarded more than $150 million to help foster modern, globally competitive shipyards through its Small Shipyard Grant Program, we put men and women to work in good jobs.

Steve Williams, at the yard and on the job!

One of those workers is Steve Williams, a ship fitter with four decades of experience. He entered the industry in 1973 after a stint as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army Airborne:

"I was laid off in 2009 after more than 35 years of steady work, " Steve said. "I was in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and the opportunities just weren't there. You can't imagine the sudden uncertainty--almost as bad as jumping out of a plane.

That's a big job

This month and every month, please Share The Road

Just as National Transportation Week reminds us to celebrate the many ways we have to get where we're going, for drivers it's also an opportunity to remember that not everyone on the road is in a car. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and I urge drivers across the country to Share The Road with your fellow drivers who are on two wheels.

Because of their size, it is not always easy for drivers to see motorcylces in traffic. But motorcycles are especially visible in crash statistics released by our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2011, 4,612 motorcyclists died on America's roads. Those deaths amounted to 14 percent of total U.S. highway deaths, even though motorcycles make up only about 3 percent of all registered vehicles.

On a per mile basis, motorcyclists are more than 30 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of cars, and five times more likely to be injured.

In fact, while automobile fatalities have been declining to historic lows, motorcycle deaths have increased every year --except 2009-- for the past 14 years.

How can those of us driving cars and trucks help reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities?

• Never drive distracted.
• Allow motorcyclists a full lane.
• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging.
• Check your mirrors and blind spots carefully before entering or leaving a lane and at intersections.
• When road conditions change --wet surfaces, grooved pavement, etc.-- give motorcyclists room to adjust.
• Allow more distance when following a motorcycle; motorcycles can stop abruptly.

These are just a few of the useful tips NHTSA has prepared; you can find more safety information on NHTSA's Motorcycle Safety website.