U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Meets with State DOT Leadership to Discuss Economic Recovery

The House has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

 

I met with state department of transportation leadership from around the country on Tuesday this week to talk about the opportunities and responsibilities facing us in implementing the new law. 

 

   It was a great meeting with lots of feedback from the state transportation leadership.  I talked with every state represented at the meeting and learned about challenges and projects in their states.

A key component of the plan is enacting the largest investment in America’s roads, bridges, transit lines and rail systems since the creation of the interstate highway system

The one-time addition of over $48 billion directed towards transportation currently under consideration by the Congress would be a welcome supplement, and we estimate the economic recovery funding will support the improvement of more than 2,000 bridges and the rehabilitation of more than 25,000 miles of highway nationwide.

 

Last Friday, the Department of Labor announced that as of this January, 11.6 million people are out of work in the United States and in the past 4 months alone, the economy has lost 2.2 million jobs. That’s like losing every job in Silicon Valley and the entire San Franciscoarea or all of Louisiana.

This money gives us an opportunity to create jobs in every state and repair the nation’s infrastructure at the same time.

 

And we, at the Department are ready.  At my direction, we have already set a multi-modal economic recovery team to make sure that the economic recovery moneys for transportation are spent rapidly and wisely.  We’re calling it our TIGER Team.

 

We work for the American people – and we have a chance to make a difference in their lives.  They deserve to know that we will be responsible with their money.

 

So, we will have transparency – we will have accountability – and we’re going to do things by the book.

 

We have a big job ahead of us, and I know both federal and state governments are all up to the challenge.

Comments

[Nicolas Macpapi]

Roy LaHood, you are so eloquent.

In tumultuous times, men like Roy LaHood valiently defend America and her soon to be salubrious economy once H.R. 1 is passed.

[Suzanne Chiles]

You're doing a great job, Secretary LaHood. We have so much work to do on our transportation infrastructure. Thank you.

[Joseph Herrera]

Dear Secretary LaHood , the best to you and your great team :

a) finding the best alternatives and choices in asphalts, recycled and durable.

b) the best in testing with the new composite/plastics/carbon for bridge repair, made in the USA.

c) in many road repairs, the installation of solar systems, wind turbines , geothermal pumps can be done as well as installing fiber-optic and new copper for broadband and electric services, all at once to save money and create vital jobs.

...bicyclists need a bit of space too...

d) parking lots and side of highways can carry solar panels and some Art to make it a fun experience AND CUT COSTS.

e)in road stop centers, the choice of good and even natural organic foods and drinks could help the waistline of the USA, and all with Wi-Fi ABGN and cheap ( or free ? ) internet terminals, so that everyone can get some work done, some e-mails , some web reading, some products check, some info, some shopping....

since we hope America will develop its own advanced batteries,be lithium , polymer or nickel and mixed-compatible with new fuel-cells and methanol and hydrogen,let's hope the options are open to later add product supply ,sales, repairs,distribution, services ,all with choices for all, we all hope all the batteries and fuel-cells will fit into all the slots and plugs, so that every small manufacturer or inventor can have a chance in selling to all the car/truck and battery manufacturer, competition and free enterprise for all.

The very best to you and your team in this very difficult and very important work for America.

[Willaim Harvey]

Thanks Mr. Lahood for your blog. I am a engineer in the southeast and I look forward to TIGER's reports about how it will allocate & spend the ARRA FUNDS. But I am very excited about the HSGT (high speed ground transportation) feasibility study/detailed report and how you will implement the HSR funds. I think you have a wonderful opportunity to show Americans throughout our great country how the government can work. I will continue to pray for you, the DOT, AND OUR LEADERSHIP.

Thanks again for your BLOG, GOD BLESS

[Josh]

I'm kind of curious as to how these meetings are going to affect my home state of Texas. I noticed recently that we received a large sum of the stimulus bill for road improvement and construction. I know we have a major corridor building project going on now.

[Brian]

Yes it is right and I am glad to hear that.
Thanks you

[Pam Broviak]

As a city engineer for a municipality in Illinois I have been somewhat disappointed that we have received no guidance or feedback from our local DOT. While the IEPA has been working with water/wastewater associations and have set up a webinar to offer help, the DOT continues to tell us they have received no direction on how to help locals get their projects accepted. It was disappointing enough to find out only federal aid routes would be eligible for funding, but now we are beginning to worry that this lack of response or guidance will prevent any local roads in our area from receiving funding.

[Bob Parker]

Dear Secretary LaHood: As the Assistant Director of Transportation for a rural county in California, I'm concerned about your recently reported inclination to rely on state transportation departments to convey Economic Stimulus Program funds [at an equitable level] to local entities - counties and municipalities. It has been my experience, over a fifteen-year period, that state authorities - state Transportation Commission and state Department of Transportation - consistently feed state needs and starve those of local entities. The Economic Stimulus "process" requires a mechanism to deliver an appropriate slice of the pie to local governments for their staggering backlogs of transportation system needs.

[Eric Goodman]

Mr. Secretary,
Thank you for your leadership. The investment in transportation is badly needed. We need a coordinated national planning effort that leads to a balanced system. Bike/Ped enhancements can give us great value for a small price. Our highways need maintenance and investment to make them smarter, more efficient. The rail network needs interoperable high, medium and low speed rail. Our trains should be capable of using high-speed tracks where we construct them, and then continuing on regular rails to create a seemless journey. We need greater frequency of train trips in large city-pair corridors (Tampa-Miami, Seattle-Portland, Chicago-St.Louis, Atlanta-Charlotte, etc...) and we need more connectivity in the system to link cities with high potential for rail (Atlanta-Nashville, Dallas-Houston, Cleveland-Cinncinati,etc.). We also need to support intercity rail with good transit options at either end of the journey. Our transit systems need operating help and greater investment in small starts, streetcars and BRT. You have the nation's support and a lot of people hope that you can take us in a new direction. Please review the gas tax, and keep pushing the president on a VMT fee and tolls. The financing aspect of transportation debates may not be popular, but it is crucial to long term sustainability of the system. Good luck to you and all the hard-working employees of the department.

[Pam Broviak]

I wanted to update my last comment and thank you for getting the information to local government in Illinois. All local allocations are now posted on the IDOT Website. Thank you!!

[Grahsm Pavlovski]

Seems like, a better life begins;)
Anyway, thanks for your actions in these difficult times.

Regards,
Graham

[lorenzo kibler]

thanks ,you guys are doing what we the people want,PS us truckdrivers need our issues to be addressed,our pay scale,and the way they pay is out of date ,it encourages drivers to drive while tired ,and you are our only recourse,the trucking powers that be have told us they hear us not and this encourages a high turnover rate,,we will not put up w the shennanigans we will change careers,,and we as a nation,need trucks...........please help

[P. Herman]

How about addressing the truck rates. We have been in the trucking business for 30+ years and since the beginning of 2009 have been expected to deliver freight and have money left over for bills for $.81 a mile! Come on! Even minimum wage is more than this.! We are only hanging on by the skin of our teeth!

[Michael Skehan]

High-Speed Rail: A BRIGHT NEW BEGINNING
Washington, Oregon and British Columbia began to study and deploy High Speed Rail (HSR) passenger trains through the Cascade Corridor in the mid 90’s. Our Talgo tilt trains, capable of 125 mph, have been running between Eugene Oregon and Vancouver, BC since 1999.

Using an ‘incremental approach’ to building the system, with limited state and dwindling Amtrak funding for trains, track and signal, and operations, has enabled some pretty impressive achievements -- while still being limited to 79 mph by the Feds.

Ridership continues to grow at double-digit rates each year. More than twice as many passengers now choose rail over planes for the trip between Seattle and Portland. Trains get twice the fuel economy over planes and cars, while producing only half the CO2 emissions.

All Aboard Washington is excited the needed improvements are now achievable through the stimulus funding for HSR, and applaud our new administration. With modest capital improvements, new train sets could double ridership in years, not decades. Travel times could be slashed by up to 50% through higher speeds and reduced conflicts with current freight traffic, while achieving significant reductions to both fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Truly a win, win, win for America!

For more information, check out our state adopted HSR plan at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/83B17378-CDC8-4D57-AA60-4CD64BAF6D94/0/AmtrakCascadesMidRangePlan.pdf

And visit our web site at:
http://www.allaboardwashington.org/cms/index.php?/content/rail_projects

[George Barsky]

Green Surface Transit for D.C. - Remove the Wire Noose

It’s high time Congress allowed the District of Columbia to operate clean, green, efficient, electric surface mass transit on any of its streets.

Streetcars and light rail are making a strong comeback in cities all across the USA. Obviously, that form of mass transit is being recognized more and more as a worthwhile public investment to move lots of people. And there is a new transportation infrastructure recognition by the Obama Administration.

Until more reliable forms of power become available, the best system for more than 100 years to power streetcars is from a simple almost invisible overhead wire. This is how more than 400 other electric surface transit systems operate around the world and within other US cities. However, Congress banned overhead wires in parts of D.C. more than 100 years ago stifling electric surface transit progress and ultimately killing it almost 50 years ago.

It’s time for Congress to take a leadership role and change that law to allow streetcars to use single simple, non-polluting almost invisible wire above their tracks and return to all of D.C. When the law was passed more than 100 years ago it was well intended to remove masses of utility wire from city streets. Utilities can bury their wires but transit cannot. The old underground conduit system used by the now abandoned D.C. streetcar network is too expensive and difficult to maintain or reinstall and not at all desirable. New ground systems are under development but their reliability, cost, limited distance of travel are of a essentially proprietary nature are also cause for concern. A simple overhead wire is by far the best all around solution.

I am not recommending a sky full of wires. A small single simple nearly invisible overhead wire supported by decorative lampposts or nearby buildings can be extremely architecturally effective and easy to maintain without destroying the visual landscape of D.C. There are thousands of examples worldwide in cities just as beautiful or more so than D.C. They are not harmed or defaced by them and their beauty is enhanced by modern healthful environmentally friendly electric surface transit.

Discussions abound about clean energy, CO2 reductions and global warming, but Congress has turned a blind eye in their own backyard by continuing to impose the antiquarian overhead wire ban for surface transit. Everyday Al Gore and other officials call for change and reform in terms of energy and environment but Congress does nothing to encourage D.C. to modernize its surface transport making it green and more inviting to use. The beauty of D.C. will not be marred by this minute change and will enable it to eliminate many noxious and polluting buses fueled by foreign oil from its streets. It’s time to CHANGE how D.C. does surface transit.

Congress has to get this message and take reasonable action by eliminating the overhead wire ban for surface transit within all of D.C and let D.C. decide where and how to institute its transit needs.

By comparison to other recent problems this may seem trivial. Basically it is, except that a change in the law requires an act of Congress. I doubt that many Congressmen and staffs today are even aware that giving D.C. this benefit lies within their jurisdiction. Many of them now have modern light rail and electric streetcars in their own districts. It's one of those niche items buried in ancient D.C. history but is quite important to the District of Columbia and all who use or want to benefit from good surface transit therein. Allowing D.C. to resurrect electric streetcar service in all parts of D.C. by means of a simple almost invisible overhead wire will showcase an example to the nation and the world that Congress gets it. All that is required is a single simple nearly invisible overhead wire.

Best of all, no funds are required for this enabling act.

It is time for new outside the box thinking regarding green electric surface transit within all of D.C. and remove the ancient wire noose from around the District’s neck. If an overhead wire is OK for the planned Anacostia streetcar line than it should be OK in all parts of D.C. The residents will applaud such new vital action. It also gives D.C. parity with other cities in the U.S. who can decide for themselves what type of transit they need without being hamstrung by federal dictates.

[ben stewart]

Dear Secretary,
i am not a fan. You have directed stimulus funds away from the largest ferry system in the US. You have sent about one percent of the sixty millon to Washington state. If you think this is practical it is not. It is foolish, wasteful and short term useful.

[Aurelia Keevers]

Secretary LaHood,

I think the Cash for Clunkers program is a big waste of my taxpayer money. The government is out of money. How can we afford more than the $1 billion you already spent on this program?
NO MORE MONEY FOR CLUNKERS.

[jh argo]

I just saw the Secretary on Chris Matthews' show discussing the Cash for Clunkers program. Great program for a lot of reasons, but you blew it!
You just had an opportunity to promote fuel efficient cars when Chris asked what you would personally buy. What did you choose???? A 4WD Ford Explorer!!! Gets 13 MPG! Are you serious? Shame on you.

[Mark Calhoon]

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We are in the worst economy since the Great Depression, our highway infrastructure is failing apart, the various transportation funding mechanisms are in chaos, and you want to hold a summit on texting while driving. Brilliant!!

[Dave]

The focus of our lawmakers seems to be following the frenzy that the media has started about the risks of cell phone texting. Let’s save the federal and state governments millions of dollar by solving this issue with single law that will survive the evolution of technology. We do not need more studies about what the next most dangerous act is so we can write another law on it in five years and then another and then another. Let’s take care of this issue with one law.
DWD (Driving While Distracted) – This can include, but is not limited to cell phone texting. There are many other acts that just as dangerous as text messaging. Here is a list:
• Eating
• Watching a video or live TV on a cell phone or other electronic device
• Playing any form of video game device
• Having sex
• Reading a book, magazine or newspaper
• Inputting information into a GPS/navigation system (built-in or otherwise)
• Reading Email
• Changing clothes
• Taking a picture
• Etc
• Etc

For those that feel that this give the police officer to much discretion I will point out that we have a reckless driving law that is up to the discretion of the police officer. I do not disagree that there are a few bad apples (police) that get on a power trip and may use this law incorrectly but we can not allow a few bad apples to dictate how we write laws. The majority of our police officers are good and do the right thing and those that do not will end up being exposed themselves. Those that fear the police must have a reason.

[MMahoney]

I applaud the selection of these leaders from the DOT, who are now the TIGER TEAM. Their professionalism and par excellence and dedication to their jobs clearly shows we are on the right track. Excuse the pun, as a daughter of a career RR man who worked for the Erie Lackawanna RR, I'm so proud of one special member of this TIGER TEAM.
He's shy so his name is being withheld.
I'm proud of you, J.

[J.P. Roux]

Hello Mr. Secretary,

It is great you are having a summit on texting. I drive all the time and texting is out of control. Handheld cell phone and blackberry use is worse than ever. Clearly it is a no-brainer that all texting and hand-held cell phone use should be banned across the land. State bans on handheld cell phone use has done zero. Simply, all electronic use while driving needs to be banned to ensure safety on our roads. Using electronics while driving is no different than being drunk on the road. It is just another distraction that interferes with safe driving. Too many lives are lost needlessly and we appreciate your leadership in stepping up to the plate on something that is long overdue.

[Wanda Johnston]

Cash for Clunkers program accidentally ommitted my gas guzzler. 1998 GMC 4WD 1500 Suburban isn't on the list, but the 1998 GMC 2WD 1500 Suburban, and both 2WD and 4 WD Yukons are on the list. The 4WD Suburban has poorer gas mileage than all models on the list, yet it was left off the list. HELP, please get it put on the list.

[Tom Rajcan]

Dear Sir, I live in the state of Illinois and spend my working day on the highways and streets of the western Suburbs of Chicago, I would like to reinforce your comments about cell phone usage while driving. In the course of my day I encounter drivers using cell phones which are very distracting to them as the drive. I cannot tell you the number of times I have avoided people as the make bad decisions while driving and using a cell phone. Not texting but talking on the phone. We need to stop this from happening. Citizens lives are at stake here. For the sake of lives please consider a law which will eliminate drivers from using a phone while driving.If a person needs to talk on the phone they should pull off the road and make their call!

[Marlene Mahoney]

Can anyone identify the people in the picture back on February 13th.
I'm interested in finding who was the representative from the Federal Railroad Administration?
He's seated behind Secretary Ray LaHood.
Thanks.
Marlene M.
NJ