America needs a six-year transportation blueprint

For two years and counting, Transportation for America has been among the Department of Transportation’s closest partners and allies.  They’ve helped us spread our message – reminding people that transportation projects are about creating jobs today and investing in tomorrow.  And they’ve helped inform our policymaking – from our high-speed rail initiative, to our TIGER program, to our work building livable communities.

This afternoon, I’m meeting with Transportation for America to talk about President Obama’s vision for the future of our roadways, railways, runways, and transit systems.  I’m going to remind them – as I often remind readers of the Fast Lane – that at the same time as we’re cutting government spending, we’re also laying a new foundation for economic opportunity, development, and competitiveness.  And that’s why we’re working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress on a new, long-term transportation law.

As I’ve said before, this is one transportation project that America cannot do without.

By 2050, the United States will be home to 100 million additional people.  That's the equivalent of another California, Texas, New York, and Florida combined. If we settle for the status quo, our families and neighbors will fight paralyzing congestion and our next generation of entrepreneurs will find access to markets completely clogged. 

More people also means more demand for gas.  And that will keep upward pressure on the prices that Americans pay at the pump.  Already, families across the country are feeling the pinch of $4-a-gallon gas, and they are looking for ways to escape that difficult bind.  They want ways to get to work and school without breaking the bank.

For the American economy to flourish, our nation's arteries of commerce must be able to handle a tremendous flow of goods and people.  That's why we must continue repairing our existing roads, bridges, and transit systems.  That's why we must continue building the safest, fastest, most efficient new ways to keep Americans and American products moving.

That means we have a lot of work to do –here at the US Department of Transportation, at the state departments of transportation, at metropolitan and regional planning organizations, and among contractors, suppliers, engineers, and other workers. 

So, my message for Transportation for America – and all our friends in the advocacy community – is simple: We’re counting on your help.  We need you to keep spreading the word about why this all matters.  We need you to keep pushing to make the president’s bold vision into a reality.  And when we do, the future will be America’s to win.

Comments

[Frank]

Transportation 4 America is a far left-wing group that has caused more damage to bipartisanship than any group before it. Allying your DOT with that group is the reason that your Administration's priorities will continue to be defunded by Congress.

[Diane Gilbertson]

All the pictures in this blog are of big vehicles - please don't forget the pedestrians and bicyclists! Mass transit and active transportation need to be the focus for moving people.

[Frank]

Six years? Please!!! It takes more than 6 years to properly conceive, plan, design, and construct a large Transportation Project.

What American needs it to remove politics and politicians from Transportation in total. Develop a "Blueprint" (talk about being stuck in the past, "Blueprint"...really?) with a defined set of conditions every type of road from the local rural residential street to the interstate urban arterial expressway as to structural support values, geometric design values, percent of inventory good-fair-poor condition, minimum acceptable levels of service, etc. Then set up an independent committee of stakeholders with transportation expertise in planning, design, construction and maintenance set the amount of funding necessary to achieve the required conditions. Remove the politicians from only planning and choosing based on being reelected every four years.

Make the plan be sustainable for the future regardless of the political climate and fund with user fees set by the committee.

[Matthew Johnson, Jr.]

"This is absolutely unacceptable," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "The American public trusts us to run a safe system. Safety is our No. 1 priority and I am committed to working 24/7 until these problems are corrected."

Honorable Secretary of Transportation: Your commitment to "Working 24/7" is probably just a figure of speech, but are long hours on the night shift one of the contributing causes for dozing air traffic controllers?

[Henrietta Jsckson]

I would like a job and it would be cheaper to hire me and others to sat with airline controllers to keep them awake.

alot of us seniors do not sleep well at night and would be glad to make extra money.