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

Kings Point Graduate to Lead Space Shuttle Discovery

This weekend, NASA will launch Space Shuttle Discovery on a 14-day mission.  Every shuttle launch is a momentous occasion, but this one has special meaning for the Department.  Navy Commander Mark Kelly, a graduate of the MARAD-operated Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, will serve as the mission's Commander.   Commander Kelly will lead the crew as they carry the largest payload so far to the International Space Station and conduct three spacewalks. 

We at the Department are proud of all of our Kings Point graduates, and we wish Commander Kelly and the entire Discovery crew the very best on their mission.

-Deputy Secretary Barrett

Air Traffic and Transportation Progress in Iraq

...And Some of the Finest Men and Women Serving Our Country

I just landed back in Kuwait City after spending the day in Baghdad, Iraq.  Since 2003, dozens of DOT employees have volunteered to travel to the country to provide support and assistance in local efforts to repair and modernize transportation systems.  Just as I spend a lot of time seeing first hand the work men and women across the U.S. do to keep our transportation systems world-class, I wanted to see for myself some of the progress our folks are helping bring about in Iraq.

The work this team is doing is really pretty amazing.  They’ve helped get passenger train service back up and running between Baghdad and Basra.  They’ve helped Iraqi officials improve operations at the Port of Umm Qasr and they are helping get roads and bridges repaired across the country.  And they’ve done tremendous work in developing Iraq’s civil aviation program.

FMCSA Administrator Hill Reports on Curbside Bus Carriers

Many of you likely spent at least part of the holiday weekend traveling – whether driving to the beach or perhaps flying somewhere to visit friends and family. Last week, I traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York City for a conference and decided to personally experience a relative newcomer to the transportation industry: “curbside” bus carriers.

Curbside buses transport passengers from predetermined locations after the rider purchases a ticket from a website, a local vendor or the driver.  They post their schedules on-line, generally operate without ticket offices and make their stops street side instead of bus terminals.  Besides those distinctions, curbside buses are held to the same federal safety requirements as the rest of the industry.

It’s Time to Stop Driving for Highway Dollars

If you haven’t heard the news yet, the Federal Highway Administration just announced that Americans seem to be driving less: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0811.htm. 

With sample Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) data – which is the number of miles that vehicles are driven – we can see that, since last November, overall VMT is down over where it was this time last year.

Remembering Our Heroes

As you know, Monday is Memorial Day, a time when we take a break from our regular routines and remember the brave men and women who keep us free.

Our country – and the world – is safer because we have troops who selflessly serve the cause of freedom.

They leave behind their family and friends to travel to distant lands and give freedom a foothold in far-off regions of the world. Ultimately, some leave their family and friends behind for good… one of our nation’s most serious sacrifices, and one that we do not take lightly.

It is a life of service and defined by long, lonely periods away from those loved the most.