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Proposed texting ban for commercial truck and bus drivers pioneers innovative e-rulemaking partnership

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has news on two fronts. And I'm excited about both.

First, you may recall that in January we announced we were banning commercial truck and bus drivers from texting behind the wheel. We did that based on an interpretation of existing rules. Today, we're beginning to make that interim ban permanent through a proposed rule that will make this prohibition stronger and more durable.

As FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro noted:

"We are committed to using every resource available to eliminate the dangers of distracted driving. And this rulemaking to prohibit texting by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers reinforces that commitment."

And that brings me to the second front of today's news. Proposing a new rule opens a 30-day period when we want to hear input from the public. Typically, people submit their comments to the DOT docket at the website regulations.gov.

But we have begun a groundbreaking partnership with Cornell University to make commenting on this proposed rule easier and more transparent with a new website, Regulation Room. This new Cornell e-rulemaking initiative (CeRI) provides an online public participation environment where people can learn about and discuss proposed federal regulations and provide effective feedback to DOT.

Illinois Senate supports roadside markers for reckless driving victims; bill advances to General Assembly

Yesterday, thousands of you read about AT&T's powerful anti-texting campaign where relatives of victims share the final text that caused their loved one's death.

Today, I want to talk about a different kind of distracted driving and a different kind of hero, Cheryl Miller of Illinois.

Cheryl and Adam

All she wants is a memorial marker for her son Adam. Here is Adam's story in her words:

On November 15, 2008, a driver reached down to pick up a just-purchased cigar that rolled off his passenger seat. He decided to do this as he sped 10 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph.

The black box recorder from his car says he never touched the brakes as he plowed into the back of a stationary car whose warning lights were flashing with the inside lights on as well. Inside the car, my husband was calling to tell me our car had a flat tire. He and Adam needed me to pick them up. Then came the impact...the impact that left my husband's nose broken by the slight frame of his glasses,...the impact that pushed our car 173 feet and that left a 3+ foot intrusion into the back of our car, the impact that killed my beautiful 5 year old boy.

In accordance with the laws of Illinois, my son's death was handled in petty traffic court. The driver was convicted of speeding and failure to read road conditions. He was given a ticket. No jail time, no community service, no remedial drivers education, a ticket. My beautiful 5 year old boy.

How difficult is it to get a road-sign posted to memorialize the victim of a distracted driver?

Well, it turns out that, unless the driver was drunk, it's impossible. Unless you want to fight a heroic battle to change Illinois' Roadside Memorial Act.

And that is exactly what Cheryl Miller has been doing for over a year.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro: "Women in trucking--skills, dedication to safety"

Last weekend, at the 2010 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro helped celebrate the success of women in trucking.

MATS is a big deal. With over 1,000 exhibits covering over 1 million square feet, it is the largest trucking show in the world. FMCSA officials were on-site discussing Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA) and hosting a live-streamed listening session on our hours-of-service rulemaking. On Saturday, Administrator Ferro addressed the Women In Trucking Association's "Salute to the Women Behind the Wheel," celebrating the achievements of women in trucking and the high safety standards they bring to the road.

Here are excerpts from her talk:

First, I'm pleased that we broke the North American record of women truck drivers gathering at the same time, and I am absolutely confident we’ll get the world record next year! 

How often have we heard that trucking is a man’s world or had someone say that the job is too rough, too stressful or too dangerous?

By being here you have proven the naysayers wrong. 

And, I’m here to tell you that women not only belong in trucking, but that we make trucking better. Women can raise the bar for the industry with exceptional skills and dedication to safe driving practices.

Thank you to the 60 1-million-mile award winners, the 28 2-million-mile winners, and the 14 3-million-mile winners, for being safe and for being good role models not only for women and girls, but for all commercial drivers.

By showing this kind of professionalism, women truckers are making it possible to expand opportunities for other women to join the ranks in trucking.

New anti-texting campaign grips hearts

Many young drivers across the country are out of school this week and next for spring vacation. They will likely be logging more hours behind the wheel. I hope those extra hours lead to increased skill levels and road sense.

Just in time, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire has signed her state's new law making it a primary offense to use a hand-held cell phone to talk or text behind the wheel.

And the folks at AT&T have a new anti-texting campaign they hope will lead to increased safety.

It's dramatic stuff, and I think it's astonishingly effective.

Click on the image above to watch a heartrending video.

The idea is simple, but smart. The videos and print ads feature "the text message sent or received before someone’s life was altered, or even ended, because of texting and driving."

Press the "play" arrow above to hear a mother introduce her son's last message.

Economy roughs-up transit; thousands of jobs in the balance

Times are tough right now. The folks in the transit world know this as well as anyone.

I have spoken personally to mayors and other local officials around the country about the challenges they're dealing with on their transit systems, and it's not pretty.

Although public transit provided over 10.2 billion rides in 2009, the recession has dented ridership revenues. What's worse for the transit climate is that the states--strapped for cash--are pulling back funds from local transit agencies. Without the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with its support for state governments and its transit grants, furloughs and reductions would certainly be worse. But this situation calls for further action.

What happens when service cuts turn this...

Recently, I spoke to the members of the American Public Transportation Association, and--over and over again--I heard about the unpleasant choices they're facing, particularly in meeting operating costs. The folks I talked with at the Amalgamated Transit Union are equally concerned.

Read the news and you'll see: from Sacramento to New York City, and from Chicago to Atlanta, transit agencies across the country are being forced to cut services or increase fares--sometimes both.

...into this?

But transit services are essential for getting people who can’t afford a car to the jobs they count on. And the most vulnerable of these workers often rely on the very same routes being slashed.

Hospital employees on the early shift can't afford the news that their 4:30 a.m. bus is no longer running. Hotel workers trying to get home from the late shift need a subway line that’s still running to their neighborhood. Cleaning crews, emerging from deserted downtown office buildings in the middle-of-the-night, don't feel safe waiting--often alone--at unsheltered bus stops for long stretches of time.

And that's not even to mention the thousands of transit employees nationwide who find themselves out of work entirely. In Atlanta alone, up to 1,500 transit workers are facing the possibility of layoff as that city considers eliminating  50% of its bus routes and reducing its rail service by 20%.

Photo courtesy Robert Thomson, The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock
What happens when transit agencies are forced to double the intervals between trains?

America’s transit agencies are hurting. That's the simple fact. Significant service cuts and thousands of layoffs have been proposed.

And, although addressing these issues will always be a primarily local and state responsibility, the federal government should try to help.

Accordingly, I will work with members of the House and Senate this year to see if we can allow transit agencies more flexibility to use a portion of their federal funds to cover operating costs during these tough economic times.

Now, this cannot be a blank check. There must be limits. 

And clearly, we’re talking about temporary assistance, not the normal course of business.

But for right now, we should do what we can to keep our trains and buses operating, to keep people working, and to keep people getting to the jobs they need so badly. 

We need to support this industry so it can help families meet their daily needs all across the country.

Small business summit off to a promising start

Quite an array of leaders gathered yesterday to share their experience with the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization's Small Business Summit.

As Administrator Karen Mills of the Small Business Administration pointed out, this is the "first-ever summit of its kind and will now become the best practice for others to model."

At one point, the microphone was being passed between Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, Jerri Devard, former Senior VP of Marketing at Verizon, Ronald Blaylock, founder and managing partner of GenNx360 Capital Partners, Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea, and John Rogers, chair of Ariel Investments.

Each panelist offered useful tips for audience members seeking to crack two tough problems for small and disadvantaged businesses: access to government contracting opportunities, and access to capital.

Jerri Devard offered one of the smartest pieces of advice I've ever heard. "Instead of talking about what you need," she said, "Do your homework and talk about what you provide that others need. Make yourself valuable."

This was echoed throughout the session. Ron Blaylock said it in a slightly different way: "The product will always lead. There is no substitute for being outstanding."

St. Lawrence Seaway reopens for 2010 navigation season

Last week I blogged about the arrival of spring in the nation's capital. Today, I am delighted to announce another spring ritual, this one celebrated on both sides of our northern border: the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway’s 2010 navigation season.

This U.S.-Canadian waterway is a vital maritime gateway that moves cargo between North America and international markets.

Since its opening in 1959 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II, the St. Lawrence Seaway has carried over 2.5 billion tons of cargo, valued at over $375 billion. That's a lot of cargo.

And Seaway commerce now sustains an estimated 150,000 jobs, $4.3 billion in personal income, and $3.4 billion in business revenues each year for the regional economy. That's a few billion reasons to celebrate the Seaway's reopening today.

You can view a range of interactive maps at the Seaway website

Sustainable transportation competition for middle schoolers attracts winning ideas from around the country

It was a great pleasure to co-host the Garrett A. Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition videoconference yesterday with one of my predecessors from the previous administration, Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.

Beyond occupying the same office, Secretary Mineta and I share the distinction of being odd-men-out as DOT Secretary, he serving as a Democrat in President George W. Bush's cabinet, and I serving as a Republican in President Obama's.

But those kids kept us too busy to compare notes, and I'm so glad they did.

From the website of the Mineta Transportation Institute, whose annual contest complements our own Technology and Transportation Futures program here's how the competition works:

"Each year the MTI sponsors middle school classes for a sustainable transportation study unit. The curriculum is developed by faculty at San José State University, and it includes a class or team project. The students and teachers create a sustainable transportation project based on what they´ve learned."

And yesterday, the teams of students presented those projects.

Small and disadvantaged businesses supported by summit, new programs

America’s economic recovery needs healthy, vibrant small businesses to create jobs and help stabilize our communities. But that does not come easily, and small and disadvantaged businesses need strong partners to help them get access to resources and opportunities.

So, today, our Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is hosting a 2-day Small Business Summit to share information, success stories, and expert advice with these business owners.

DOT OSDBU Director Brandon Neal at Small Business Day

Now, every federal agency is required by law to have an OSDBU to ensure that small and disadvantaged businesses (DBEs) are treated fairly and have an opportunity to compete and be selected for a fair amount of the agency's contracting and subcontracting dollars.

I am proud to say that--in the 14 months since I came to DOT--our OSDBU has been busy and effective, "delivering excellence every day." For example, state and local DOTs have awarded $1.3 billion in Recovery Act contracts to small and disadvantaged businesses, with many projects still to come.

Today's summit is just the latest example of OSDBU's impressive commitment.

I hope that all attendees will use these two days to learn new ways to market their products and services, finance their work, and grow their companies. The summit will also offer opportunities for these businesses to find mentors and hear more about conducting business with DOT and securing work on DOT-funded projects.

Research and Innovative Technology Administrationmarks 5 years of cutting-edge service

This afternoon, DOT celebrates another anniversary; this time it's five strong years for the Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

RITA is the home of research and education, statistics, and transportation technology development at DOT. And you would be surprised by how the high-end work of RITA employees touches our lives everyday.

Without RITA's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, for example, we wouldn't know on-time flight rates or key economic indicators like the volume of freight moving around the country in a given period.

Without the Intelligent Transportation Systems team, communities around the country wouldn't have learned from the experience of Syracuse, NY, where retiming traffic lights reduced delays (18.8%), fuel consumption (13.8%), and vehicle emissions (13%).

Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrationcelebrates 5 years of valuable service

This morning here at DOT headquarters, we will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

When you think about transportation in America, it's easy to conjure up images of cars, trucks, subways, ships, airplanes, railroads, buses, or bikes.

But we have another transportation system that is virtually invisible but still absolutely critical to our economy, and that is the 2.3 million mile network of pipelines that--although hidden from sight--criss-cross our nation, humming with activity.

Part of PHMSA's charge is ensuring the safety of that valuable network.

And the PHMSA mission doesn't end there.

By road, rail, sea and air, vessels and vehicles transport fuels and chemicals around the clock, nearly one million shipments on any given day. Whatever surface those shipments are skimming across, PHMSA develops and enforces regulations to ensure they are kept safe and environmentally sound.

Vice President Biden, champion of the Recovery Act,announces 10,000th ARRA project underway

Last week, while visiting Durham, NC, Vice President Joe Biden announced that work on the nearby Sanford Bypass has begun. This makes the bypass the 10,000th project of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to get underway.

Now the Vice President has been an enthusiastic champion of the Obama Administration's stimulus program and an outspoken advocate for America's middle class. DOT is enormously grateful for his active support of our Recovery Act efforts over the last 13 months.

And we're not done creating jobs and renewing America's infrastructure. Not by a long shot. As the Vice President noted:

"The 10,000 transportation projects under way are already helping put us on the road to economic recovery, but there is even more to come. This spring Recovery Act projects will pick up the pace across the country, providing even more jobs improving America’s roads, highways and bridges.”

And every new project underway this spring means more and more workers back on the job, paying their rent or mortgage, feeding their families.

In North Carolina, the new bypass will reduce congestion on US 421, divert commercial truck traffic away from downtown Sanford, and allow Sanford-bound travelers easier access to local businesses.

That's all good news.

Financing U.S. surface transportation, a call for creativity

Last week, when President Obama signed the jobs bill into law, he also extended the Highway Trust Fund through the end of 2010.

This is important--not only for users of our roadways--but for all users of surface transportation in the United States. That includes transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. And it's great that the Fund is good-to-go through the end of the year.

But we cannot afford to wait until the end of the year to begin thinking about how to finance our surface transportation in the years to come. And the members of the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association I welcomed to Washington this morning know that.

In the past, the Highway Trust Fund has been largely user-supported through fuel-tax revenue. The idea is that drivers who use the roadways will need to buy gas, and generally how much gas they buy corresponds to how many miles they've driven or how much they've used our roadways.

However, technology and behavior have changed enough that this approach is no longer sufficient. As we move forward with surface transportation reauthorization, we need lawmakers and experts to think creatively about how we're going to fund our transportation infrastructure in the 21st century. One group of experts I think we can count on is the IBTTA.

States, counties, municipalities get the message; Texting bans moving forward at all levels

With the arrival of spring, folks will spend more time outdoors and more time behind the wheel. With more people either driving, walking or riding bicycles, drivers need to be more alert and focused. Texting or talking on a cell phone cannot be part of that equation.

Thankfully, a number of states have recently passed laws banning these unsafe practices.

Courtesy of Orthopaedic Trauma Association (http://www.ota.org)

First, I want to congratulate Wyoming for becoming the 20th state to ban reading and sending text messages while driving. Thank you to the state legislators for passing this measure, and thank you to Governor Dave Freudenthal for promptly signing it into law.

Washington state seems poised to become a safety leader yet again. The state legislature, which was one of the first to ban texting, added a ban on hand-held cell phone use for drivers last Thursday, and this bill would make the practice a primary offense.

"Maybe now people will pay attention to their driving instead of their conversations, " says State Sen. Tracey Eide. It now awaits Gov. Gregoire's signature.

President signs jobs bill, extending Highway Trust Fund

Today, President Obama signed the HIRE Act. This bill offers businesses a number of incentives to hire new workers and extends the Highway Trust Fund so states can continue creating and sustaining transportation construction jobs.

From payroll tax exemptions to new depreciation rules to tax credits, this bill is one more tool to continue fueling economic recovery.

And, as the President said in his remarks, that recovery is getting legs:

"A consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary--and often unpopular--measures we took over the past year, our economy is now growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them.  The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate that process."

One proven way to create good jobs in America is to build and maintain transportation infrastructure. By also authorizing the Highway Trust Fund through the end of 2010, this bill guarantees that states will be able to continue doing just that.

Capitol Hill has its own March ritual

Sports fans across America are familiar, of course, with a special time called March Madness. On Capitol Hill, however, March brings a less well-known but even more sacred flurry of activity, legislative conferences and citizen lobby days.

You may have noticed from the blog that I've been addressing a number of different organizations that have come to the DC area this week and last.

Well, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution explicitly speaks of five freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. So every spring, associations from all over the country invite their members to come to Washington and petition their members of Congress.

This is a great tradition, where ordinary people get an opportunity to meet their legislators and educate them about the issues that matter to their constituents. And it is a hallmark of our democracy.

Firefighters, DOT share common interests

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking with the legislative conference of the International Association of Fire Fighters. What would a Secretary of Transportation have to say to firefighters? More than you think.

Let's start with an obvious area of overlap, roadways. A smooth, safe roadway makes it that much easier for firefighters to get where they are needed. The same road conditions that frustrate the rest of us--rough pavement and congestion--can gravely compromise the ability of America's firefighters to fulfill their important mission.

These folks put their lives on the line for us every single day. The scenes they face are so challenging, I think the least we can do is reduce the risk they incur getting to those scenes. The flurry of road improvement stimulated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has made 33,000 miles of bridges, tunnels, highways, and rural roads safer and easier to drive. The result of over 12,000 road projects is that firefighters have better opportunities to get to the scene in a safe and timely way.

DOT and the National League of Cities,Natural partners for a livable future

I had so many different things to talk about with members of the National League of Cities yesterday, it was difficult to not keep them in the room all afternoon.

It would have been easy to simply thank NLC members for their support of DOT's Recovery Act efforts.

It would have been easy to explain how our high-speed rail program offers many cities, big and small, a great opportunity to connect to regional transportation networks.

And it would have been easy to tout the Obama Administration's DOT-EPA-HUD Partnership for Sustainable Communities and our efforts to create livable communities that offer a range of transportation and housing options.

I could have just stopped with what we'd accomplished in the last year, but these folks came to talk about the route ahead. And I wanted to share the promise of what we can achieve through new tools DOT has made available to municipal planners.

It all begins with our TIGER program. Because, with TIGER we're not just talking about awarding winners a pile of money; we're talking about changing the rules of the game.

Public transportation in the well-deserved spotlight

Yesterday I spoke to members of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). These are the folks who brought you 10.2 billion transit trips in 2009. 10.2 billion. These are the folks whose work saves the average transit rider $9,215 every year.

Now, in February 2009, Congress passed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That's a big number, for sure, but it's worth pointing out that DOT was allotted only 7% of that amount to invest in transportation infrastructure that would stimulate the economy and generate jobs.

And of that 7% only about $8 billion was designated for transit. Yet, look at what we've been able to do with that funding.

Link Transit in Washington State adopted a cutting-edge technology for battery-powered, zero-emission circulator buses and charging stations.

And, all the way on the other side of the country, COAST Transit in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was able to purchase buses, reduce energy costs by upgrading facilities, and keep more workers on the payroll.

And in between, every single dollar of the Recovery Act funds assigned to the Federal Transit Administration has been allocated.

As APTA President William Millar said, "The facts are clear: public transportation infrastructure investment supports and creates good, quality green jobs.”

Well, that's the good news I was able to report yesterday to APTA. But there was more to talk about, and there are more problems to solve.

My view from atop the table at the National Bike Summit

This picture © J. Maus of Bike Portland. View the Bike Portland Flickr stream here.

By now you may have heard about my "tabletop speech" at the National Bike Summit last week.

If you missed the summit or want to relive the excitement, here's some footage courtesy of Streetsblog SF; it's a bit jumpy, but that seems entirely consistent with the scene.

Somewhere in the frenzy, I managed to thank summit-goers for being such effective advocates for livable, sustainable, bike-friendly communities.

Well, that was fun, but the dust has settled and I have news. The crowd's enthusiasm was so contagious, the idea of introducing a major policy revision in that setting quickly evaporated.

Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

On health care reform: this is a good bill

Yesterday, I voiced my support for health care reform with an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune. I am grateful to those who saw my speaking-out for what it was: a former legislator reaching out to Congress to step up and solve one of our nation's greatest problems. As I told FoxNews, "It's a matter of voting for a good bill."

Look, if you take even one step beyond the partisanship and dig down into the numbers, you will find that most Americans want health care reform. And if you want to know why this is a good health care reform bill, I recommend a recent informative article by the Associated Press.

Here's what I wrote in the Tribune:

I've been a Republican all my life, when I served in the Illinois legislature, when I worked for members of Congress and when I served in Congress. During the 2008 presidential election, I supported Republican Sen. John McCain. I have always been — and still am — a fiscal conservative, an advocate for a smart, but restrained, government.

For those reasons and others, most people wouldn't expect me to be an advocate for comprehensive health care reform. But the truth is, I believe there is no bigger issue to solve and no better chance to solve it than now.

If I were still a member of Congress, I would proudly vote for the bill that President Barack Obama is championing and I would urge my colleagues to do the same, not because I don't believe in fiscal discipline, but because I do.

Chiefs of Police are valued road safety partners

Earlier this week, I spoke with members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Now, we at DOT wholeheartedly share the Chiefs' commitment to making our roads--from super-highways to rural byways--as safe as possible for all types of motorists.

Two of the biggest threats to any community are crime and traffic crashes, and these folks are dedicated to stopping both. So, if I could only say one thing to this organization's members, it would be "Thank you."

And I did thank them for supporting our core safety programs, like "Click it or Ticket," our seat-belt awareness campaign. With the backing of law enforcement, we are getting the message out about seat-belts, and we're seeing results, too. More than eight out of ten Americans are wearing seat belts in cars. Seven out of ten truck drivers are buckling up, and that's a record high for commercial drivers.

With safety campaigns, we know that education alone can't do the job; we need the valuable enforcement effort these law officers provide and the seat-belt and drunk-driving checkpoints they conduct that really help get people to drive more safely.

Without that enforcement, we would not have been able to reduce traffic deaths in 2009 to the lowest overall number since 1954 and the lowest per mile rate on record.

We'll be needing their efforts again as we work to stop distracted driving.

FHWA Recovery Act Map tells a great story with few words

Here's something that is kind of fun and very useful. The web team at our Federal Highway Administration has created an interactive map of the U.S. that shows every single one of our 12,000+ Recovery Act road projects.

It's very simple: Each of the 12,000 dots represents a project. That's a lot of dots. And clicking on any given one of them brings up information about that project.

But more important than the number of dots is that every dot in every state represents jobs. And whether we're keeping someone from unemployment or hiring someone back, these Recovery Act projects are creating jobs. Tens of thousands of jobs.

Those dots also add up to a lot of safer, smoother miles for you, your loved ones, and the commercial truck drivers who transport the goods we use from place to place.

Traffic fatalities drop again, but the work remains

I have mixed feelings today as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration releases preliminary information about road fatalities in 2009.

Read ABC coverage: "Officials Cite Education, Economy for Driving Deaths Hitting Record Lows"

First, I recognize that the data NHTSA collected indicate a positive trend:

• A decline in highway deaths of  8.9% from 2008 to 2009
• The lowest fatality rate--1.16 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled--on record
• The lowest overall number of deaths--33,963--since 1954
• 15 straight quarters of decline in the number of overall roadway deaths

Like NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, I am extremely encouraged by the news that the trend toward greater road safety continues.

But, I am also disturbed that we are still talking about nearly 34,000 preventable deaths a year. There are still too many people dying in traffic accidents every year. Just too many.

Aviation expansion forecast adds to case for NextGen

At yesterday's announcement of FAA's Aerospace Forecast, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt made an important common-sense point: "It is unwise to make long-term decisions with short-term information."

For us at DOT, that means we don't stand still when times are tough; we take advantage of the opportunity to position our nation's transportation systems for the future.

Administrator Babbitt's point underscores the need to continue planning for significant air traffic expansion. Indeed, while our forecasters see a small net contraction this year in total airspace operations--continuing the contraction from 2008 to 2009--over the next 20 years they predict annual growth (2.5%) in the number of domestic passengers and the number of takeoffs and landings (1.5%).

By 2023, our air traffic control system will be expected to manage flights carrying over one billion passengers each year. And the key tool to manage that expansion is NextGen.

I don't want to go too deeply here into the various components of our NextGen modernization of air-traffic control (you can read more about it here). But I will say that our transition to this satellite-based system is a winner for safety, efficiency, and the environment.

Kings Point student-athletes teach lesson in excellence

Last week I singled out the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's men's basketball team for cracking the Division III top 25 and making it into the NCAA tournament. I certainly want to update you on the Mariners' performance over the weekend, but I owe it our fine cadets to let you know a few other recent athletic developments at Kings Point.

Junior Vincent Renaut has something to celebrate

First mention has to go to All-American Vincent Renaut, who became the first-ever midshipman to bring home a national championship in wrestling. National championship. The junior from Plymouth, MA, won the 165-pound title Saturday evening. Renaut also took home the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament award. Congratulations, Vincent, that is some accomplishment!

And congratulations to Head Wrestling Coach Greg Ilaria, whose mat-sters finished the season ranked number 7 in the nation and placed 11th in the NCAA Tournament. That's the way to represent!

President and First Lady mark International Women's Day

It is a distinct pleasure to share the video below of President and First Lady Obama celebrating International Women's Day in the White House.

I was proud to hear the President mention in his remarks a key DOT program, our partnership with Spelman College, the Entrepreneurial Training and Technical Assistance Women and Girls Program.

But--as a father and grandfather, and as Secretary of Transportation--I am even more proud that the President showed no complacency about our progress toward equality for women. As you can hear him say:

"I didn’t run for President so that the dreams of our daughters could be deferred or denied. I didn’t run for President to see inequality and injustice persist in our time. I ran for President to put the same rights, the same opportunities, the same dreams within the reach for our daughters and our sons alike."

President Obama is right. There is much work to be done, and our partnership with Spelman is one effort this Administration is making to extend the economic progress made since 1911's first International Women's Day.

Guest blogger DOT Research and Innovative Technology Administrator Peter Appel: New ITS Strategic Plan envisions unprecedented mobility and safety

Imagine a world where highway crashes are significantly reduced, vehicles can talk to traffic signals, and travelers can get accurate travel time information and route options as well as data about the potential environmental impacts of their choices.

Welcome to the world of Intelligent Transportation Systems and, in particular, IntelliDrive^SM.

IntelliDrive is a group of technologies and transportation applications representing the next great milestone in transportation technology. Research is being sponsored by DOT and others to leverage the transformative capabilities of wireless technology to make surface transportation safer, smarter and greener.

Recovery Act transit investments pay multiple dividends

On Friday, the Federal Transit Administration met its ambitious deadline for awarding 100% of its Recovery Act money. The final round of 191 grants reaches 42 states and Puerto Rico, and totals over $600 million.

"Investing in these transit upgrades not only puts construction workers on the job at project sites, but supports American manufacturing jobs all the way down the supply chain. At a time when jobs are priority number one, that means twice the employment bang for the Recovery Act buck.”

Those are the words of Vice President Biden on Friday, celebrating yet another American Recovery and Reinvestment Act milestone. Since February 2009, the Obama Administration has obligated over $7.5 billion to 881 transit projects.

And, so far, Recovery Act funds have supported:

• Purchasing nearly 12,000 buses, vans and rail vehicles;
• Constructing or renovating more than 850 transit facilities; and
  
• Performing more than $620 million in preventive maintenance.

In addition to the direct employment impact of the projects, as Vice President Biden noted, domestic bus, seating and rail car manufacturers have received orders that are helping boost production and sustain jobs. For example:

• Orion Bus in Greensboro, NC, has received 10 contracts for nearly 300 buses--maintaining 176 jobs.
• Gillig Bus in Hayward, CA, has received orders for 790 buses--supporting 395 jobs.
• American Seating Company in Grand Rapids, MI, received $3 million in contracts last year--adding 11 full-time employees with additional job growth expected in 2010. 
  

But it's not just about jobs and stimulus. Those transit improvements help people get where they need to go.

PHMSA Administrator Quarterman talks safetywith the Common Ground Alliance

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) is North America's leading organization to ensure public safety and reduce damages to underground facilities like pipelines, electric lines, and telecommunications cables.

DOT and the Common Ground Alliance have a shared primary mission: safety.

As head of DOT's Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Cynthia Quarterman recently addressed CGA's annual meeting.

Now, we have been working tirelessly in our Department to foster a sense of "One DOT, putting safety first." Well, the Common Ground Alliance, a collaborative group of industry and government stakeholders seeking to improve safety, is exactly the kind of initiative that has the Obama Administration’s full support.

You may not know this, but our nation's pipeline infrastructure is crucial to our way of life, at some point transporting the majority of our nation's oil and natural gas through a network of 2.5 million miles of pipes criss-crossing America.

And excavation damage is the number one cause of serious pipeline incidents. But one of the messages Administrator Quarterman made sure to deliver is that these incidents have decreased markedly since the Common Ground Alliance began its important work.

Kings Point men's hoops rolls into Division III Big Dance

It's March, and for many of you that can only mean the madness of collegiate basketball tournaments.

Well, count me in because, beginning today, our 23rd-ranked U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Men's Basketball team continues its historic championship season in the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships.

Congratulations to the 2010 Landmark Conference CHAMPIONS!

That's right, yes I did say "#23."

Last Saturday, the Mariners beat the University of Scranton, 68-54, to capture the team's first Landmark Conference Championship and the league's automatic bid to the Big Dance. "Automatic bid," it sounds so sweet. That win also propelled them into the D3hoops.com Top 25.

I am also excited that Kings Point is one of 16 sites chosen to host the first and second rounds of the tournament. If you cannot attend the games at O'Hara Hall on our New York campus, you can watch and listen via the Mariners Broadcast Network. 

Here's the lineup for this weekend's high-energy competition:

• Friday, March 5th, 6:00pm: Oneonta State (22-6) vs. Franklin & Marshall (23-4)
• Friday, March 5th, 8:00pm: USMMA (23-4) vs. Wesley College (19-8)
• Saturday, March 6th, 7:00pm: Friday's winners

Finally, I want to let readers know that Head Coach John Krikorian and his staff were named Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year!

It’s been a great season so far, and this team has a lot of basketball left in them! But, whatever happens in the tournament, please join me in congratulating Coach Krikorian, his staff, and the players for a historic season. You've made all of us who follow Kings Point and the Mariners very, very proud.

GO MARINERS!

DOT co-hosts White House Clean Energy Economy forum

Last year DOT joined with HUD and EPA to establish an Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. So it was only natural that HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and I would team up yesterday to host the White House's Clean Energy Economy Forum "Livability and Sustainable Communities – Taking Action for a Clean Energy Future."

This gathering of experts focused on creating jobs and spurring development by creating more livable and sustainable communities. You see, an effectively managed transition toward more livable and sustainable communities should also be an engine of economic growth.

Thank you AASHTO, state DOTs for a historic year

Yesterday, I spoke to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), whose mission is to "advocate for transportation-related policies and provide technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods."

I've included video of my remarks, courtesy of AASHTO's YouTube channel, because I'd prefer to use this blog entry to emphasize something I may have understated yesterday:

How much I appreciate the help of the state DOTs across the country toward meeting our American Recovery and Reinvestment Act deadlines.

DOT finalizes Tribal Consultation Plan; effectivegovernment-to-government partnership will continue

Yesterday, I was honored to address the National Congress of American Indians. It was well-timed because DOT has just finalized our Tribal Consultation Plan, a detailed plan of actions the agency will take when developing, changing, or implementing policies, programs, or services with tribal implications.

We developed this Plan using input solicited from tribal leaders. By engaging tribes, we have created a comprehensive plan that reaffirms the unique government-to-government relationship we have with Indian tribal governments. This is consistent with the spirit of former President Clinton's remarks when issuing Executive Order 13175 and with President Obama's Memorandum of last November.

The basic point of the plan and my address to NAIC is: DOT is absolutely committed to improving existing tribal transportation resources.

Your DOT, back at full strength

What a pleasure it was to stand in the west lobby of DOT headquarters this morning and welcome back to work the good folks of this Department who were furloughed earlier this week.

I was glad to be joined by Deputy Secretary John Porcari, my Chief of Staff Joan DeBoer, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, and FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. In the east side of our headquarters, RITA Administrator Peter Appel and FHWA Executive Director Jeff Paniati greeted DOT employees.

We are back--as they say in hockey--at full strength.

You know, sometimes it takes a little shorthanded time on the ice, a little adversity, to realize just how strong your team really is.

For 13 months I have been traveling around the country, and everywhere I go, I tell everyone I meet how great the hardworking people of DOT are. Well, these past few days only reinforced that belief.

Senate extends Highway Trust Fund; DOT employees back on the job Wednesday

I am so pleased to report that the Senate acted late tonight to break its logjam, extending the Highway Trust Fund for another 30 days.

This means that our valued employees who were placed on furlough Monday, should return to work Wednesday morning.

I am very happy to have all of you back at work, serving the public. And I regret the hardship that this legislative impasse put you through.

This means that your important work--getting the economy back on its feet, ensuring Americans’ safety, and keeping critical construction projects moving--will be able to continue.

For more information, please contact your individual agency at the phone number below.

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) - (866) 499-3637
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)- (800) 382-9067
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - (866) 841-1496
• Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) - (202) 366-0401

I am grateful for your service and look forward to welcoming you back to DOT.

Leading employers focus on ending distracted driving

Folks, here's some good news: A new report by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) shows that 74% of 24 leading employers that operate fleets of vehicles either have in place or are planning policies to ban the use of all mobile devices behind the company wheel. ALL. Hand-held, hands-free, you name it.

While I have been on a rampage against distracted driving, I am not the only one. One very effective group I've discussed here has been employers, and this latest news is simply further evidence that we will win the battle against this deadly epidemic.

Now, we know from the success of groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving that any effort to curb distracted driving will require education, legislation, and enforcement.

Well, employers are in a unique position to use all three. And a NETS sponsored report from November demonstrates that the companies with the best traffic safety records have done the most work in all three approaches.

States meet Recovery Act deadline, obligating 100% of highway stimulus funds

Yesterday, Vice President Biden and I went to Clermont, Florida, to mark a historic milestone: In advance of the ambitious deadline set by Congress, all 50 states have obligated 100% of their Recovery Act highway funds.

Last March, I blogged about President Obama and Vice President Biden paying a historic joint visit to DOT headquarters to announce the first transportation funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Well, only 12 months and more than 12,000 obligated projects later, two things are clear: 33,000 miles of American roadway have been improved, and the Recovery Act has saved or created 2 million jobs for American workers.

Workers glad to be back on the job listen to our remarks

During our visit yesterday, I heard Noranne Downs, secretary of Florida DOT’s District Five, tell the Orlando Sentinel that stimulus money is vital to her area. “It’s been a big deal. Our funds are cut like anybody else’s. But road projects are good economic boosters. Transportation projects actually help the economy and put people to work and at the end you get a real product--you get capacity on the road."

Consumers deserve clarity--not more clutter--from experts in auto safety discussion

At a time when auto safety is all over the news and consumers want only to hear some plain-speaking about their auto safety agency, it is disappointing to read errors and misstatements about what's really happening.

For example, the Los Angeles Times today features an opinion essay accusing President Obama of starving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The fact is, President Obama’s 2011 budget request of $878 million for NHTSA seeks a $5 million increase over this year's enacted budget of $873 million.

In no case are we compromising NHTSA’s ability to perform its essential mission, safety.

Quite the contrary. President Obama's budget request seeks an increase of 66 NHTSA employees. Now, that's a 10% increase for the agency, and it means new employees in vehicle safety enforcement--the program area currently in the news.

Political games disrupt key transportation programs

I am sorry to report that DOT will furlough nearly 2,000 employees without pay Monday.

This means DOT must temporarily shut down highway reimbursements to states worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This means we must temporarily shut down national anti-drunk driving efforts. And this means we must shut down construction projects across the country--maybe in your state or your county--because federal inspectors won't be able to do their jobs.

And when those projects shut down, and the states don't get their highway reimbursements, what will happen then? Layoffs of construction workers in a country that can ill afford such losses.

You might be surprised by how we came to this: Because one Senator blocked the extension of the Highway Trust Fund. And not just the Highway Trust Fund extension. Other provisions in the same legislation would have covered tax credits for health coverage and unemployment insurance for 400,000 people.

400,000 people, already jobless, now cut off from their only lifeline.

Now, the Highway Trust Fund reaches much further than its name indicates. It supports all of America's surface transportation--highways, bridges, transit, safety inspections, and our efforts to promote seat belt use and to fight impaired and distracted driving.

This doesn't mean we'll just have to pull a few PSAs from evening television programs. It means federal inspectors will be removed from critical construction projects, forcing transportation work on federal lands to halt abruptly.