Secretary's Blog 3/12/09

First Economic Recovery Act Money Released

$12 Million for Pennsylvania Airports

The Department of Transportation has lived up to its promise to move Recovery Act funds out the door as quickly as possible.

Providing additional resources for critical aviation projects as part of this historic effort is especially important.

Pittsburgh International and Allegheny County Airports will receive the first funding allocations for airport infrastructure projects..

I’m committed to getting this economy moving again, and these grants are a part of making that happen.

This is money that will create jobs now, but it’s also an investment in the long-term safety of our airports and their economic vitality. It’s also a critical investment in our nation’s airport infrastructure that will boost the local economy by providing jobs for Pittsburgh-area residents.

The FAA is moving swiftly to work with airport sponsors to ensure that all of the roughly 3,400 airports eligible to receive Recovery Act funds obtain those funds for eligible projects as soon as possible.

As with all projects funded through the Recovery Act, taxpayers can monitor how this money is spent by visiting www.recovery.gov.

  

Senate Testimony Highlights Need for Public Transportation Investment

 

Today I testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs.   With the current authorization set to expire at the end of September, the time is right to examine our current highway, transit and rail programs to see how they might better serve the traveling public and contribute to America’s economic recovery, and I welcomed this opportunity for a dialogue with the Senate on our nation’s transportation needs.

Even before we act on the new authorization, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) already has resulted in a $48 billion down payment toward much-needed investment in our transportation infrastructure.  Funds are already going out to states, local governments and airport authorities, putting people back to work while improving the safety and efficiency of our transportation system.

In my confirmation hearing just over one month ago, I outlined four key themes for my tenure as Secretary.  In addition to economic recovery, which is my primary immediate concern, and safety, which is always an important part of the mission of the Department, I suggested that sustainability and livability would be hallmarks of my policies.  As I told the committee, these principles must become an integral part of all of our transportation planning.

It is clear that our transportation system and the development it enables must be sustainable.  Climate change must be acknowledged as a reality.  Funding for public transportation must increase to help out here.  Sustainability must permeate all we do, from highways and transit to aviation and ports.

I am also committed to a strong focus on people and communities where they live and work. This implies a commitment to livability -- that is, investing in ways that respect the unique character of each community.  The era of one-size-fits-all transportation projects must give way to one where preserving and enhancing unique community characteristics, be they rural or urban, is a primary goal, rather than an afterthought.  I intend to make livable communities a major part of reauthorization.  

That is why I am especially pleased that ARRA makes available $8.4 billion for capital expenditures for our nation’s public transit, especially at a time when transit ridership is at a 50-year high.  This funding will address the need to restore and improve our nation’s transit systems, and at the same time save or create thousands of good, well-paid jobs across America.

The Senators and I agreed that there is much work ahead of us.  I believe that working together we can craft an improved federal surface transportation program that helps improve the lives of the American people.

Comments

[Jay R. Neel]

It is good to see that that the administration is concerned with aviation and public transportation. However, with aviation in Pennsylvania, it would have been more helpful to explain how this will expand aviation capacity instead of simply creating jobs and making airports safer. After all, the purpose of airports and airplanes is to transport people, not create jobs or create safe environments. Public transportation, which the Secretary also mentions, is a vital component of the United States’ transportation network and is more environmentally sound.

At the same time, federal, state, and local governments should not ignore the importance of roadways as a means of transport. Vehicular travel is the most common way for Americans to move and it will continue to be that way. The administration needs to recognize this fact; however, instead it put an excessive amount of money, via the stimulus act, towards public transportation, especially high-speed rail. Since the stimulus act already focused much on fundamentally changing American society instead of stimulating the economy, the law as enacted should have included funds to encourage electronic tolling and congestion pricing. Both of these would have helped ease congestion on U.S. roads.

[Finansi]

Good blog - thank you

[W-SEO]

Great information

[Web 2 Mayhem Review]

It is so important to be making airports safer. This is a great blog with very accurate advice and information. Thank you.

[Caleta de Fuste]

Well-written blog. I do hope that the administration will and can fulfill "investing in ways that respect the unique character of each community.".

[Road Legal Quad Bikes]

Making sure that the airports are safe following problems of past, should be number one priority for not only people flying, but employee's too.

With more and more people relying on information they seek from Government Blog's, it is essential that what they read is accurate and timely.

I keep my fingers crossed that every blog, one day, will be as accurate as this.

Thank you.

[prefabrik]

It is important to construct airports for a country. I think number of airports show the wellness of a country. But it costs too much for this reason before starting construction, a good plan must be made.

[David Young]

If we are going to spend money on infrastructure, then we should spend it on the things we really do need. Not rebuilding old runways that are never used anyway. I see this happening all over the country.

[construction project manager jobs]

I don't think that anything is going to change here. The lobbyist still hold sway and Obama is just like the rest of the presidents we've had to endure

the last few decades. It's all jobs for pals and money talks and baloney walks. Just look at who's in the pound seats up on the hill and you'll see that

Wall Street is well represented and the man in the street is being stuffed around again and again. I've been looking for construction project manager jobs and you

know what, there's little going on in this great country of ours. The guts have been ripped out of construction and manufacturing and the farming

sector. What's going to happen when the next round of toxic loans renews? We are all for the crapper, that's what. I agree with Suzanne, grow a

back bone or we're all going to suffer.

[Free iPhone]

It is so important to be making airports safer. This is a great blog with very good information. Thank you.

i worked in airports all over Pennsylvania for many years now.

[Wealthy Affiliate Review]

My fiance travels quite often and I am in support of making our airports safer. I am also in support of creating jobs. My concern is this seems like a temporary solution to a huge problem. Yes, there will be jobs created now, but what will happen when this project is done?

[transporturi agabaritice]

When the project is done, there will be a new one. Don't be afraid.

[aquarium kits]

I think the main focus has just got to be safety, without it nobody would fly and nobody would feel safe. Creating jobs comes second to that.

[mardi]

We have to get the nations citizens back to work! So lets invest back into the community properly. As a country we are going to have to roll up our sleeves on this one!

[Wergo]

You can learn it from the fields of physics that every force produces a counterforce. Total safety is a big illusion. We have to fight against the reasons rather than the symptoms

[rent a car Alicante]

There are nearly 290,000 people employed in the aviation industry statewide, representing approximately 5 percent of the work force. The state has 133 public-use airports and heliports and 14 airports have scheduled commercial service.

[Werner Gottschlich]

Safety first,OK, but you can never achieve 100% safety.There is nothing what guarantees absolute safety. If people are happy, they would´nt become a risk. So let´s make them happy.

[Allan]

My only problem is how do we know if any of this mess actually helped the economy overall? Sure we may know it saved some jobs, and that is a great thing, but the long term repercussions may far outweigh the short term gains.

[leather women's bags]

I think the safety factor being first is essential, and the economy will start to improve because we are definately through the worst of the bad financial times we are in.

[vehicle graphics los angeles]

We all need a sense of normalcy and the recovery act did its part to reinstate some of the things we took for granted. Our company's corporate culture of being socially responsible and helping out in anyway we can . For the moderator if you need signs and vehicle graphics we will be here to help out. We could provide reflective materials for airport safety.

[GTA Windows and Doors]

Great blog and I agree with the safety - safety first.

[deecko]

safety first! we should invest more on safety. since it is he most important thing.

[Causes Of Divorce]

I must say that we have to get the nations citizens back to work! So lets invest back into the community properly. As a country we are going to have to roll up our sleeves on this one and do our best!

[jmsxyz]

I've been blessed to travel extensively across this great country and I'm seeing a lot of work on all the major interstates and highways.
However, i feel like this is only a band ade on a very serious job problem. This work will be finished in a couple of years. What are we going to do then?

[LWT]

Aviation is a critical element of the economy so the priorities here are right. Thanks for sharing this info.