REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
MIAMI UPA EVENT
MIAMI, FL
AUGUST 1, 2008
10:30 AM
Good morning. Thank you all for being here today. And thank you, Secretary
Stephanie Kopelousos, for that kind introduction and for hosting us in the great
city of Miami. Secretary Kopelousos is one of the leaders in a promising new
generation of transportation reformers.
Before I being my remarks today, I would like to ask you all to take a brief
moment and mark the anniversary of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in
Minneapolis. We lost 13 lives that tragic day, when Minnesota’s busiest bridge
collapsed for reasons that remain uncertain.
It is hard to believe a full year has passed. Although the replacement bridge is
nearly complete, the memory of August 1, 2007, will never fade. I have the
victims and their families in my thoughts today, and I know that Americans from
Minneapolis to Miami do the same.
Miami, according to Forbes Magazine, is “America’s Cleanest City”.
While Miami’s clean, natural beauty draws many visitors and new residents, it
also brings chronic traffic congestion. In a state known for its oranges, too
often commuters are left seeing red.
People should be able to lounge on the beach instead of being forced to languish
in traffic.
The good news is that relief is on the way. Thanks to the strong leadership and
innovative vision of Governor Charlie Crist and Secretary Kopelousos, the
Sunshine State can avoid the dark cloud of traffic congestion.
They also had a lot of support from Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Senate
President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio, State Representative Dan
Webster, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, County Chairman Bruno Barreiro, and
County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez.
Their hard work has led to a bold, new strategy to ease traffic, stimulate the
economy, and pump new money into the region’s highways and transit services by
redefining the way people drive Miami’s sun-drenched highways.
It is precisely the kind of bold thinking we want to encourage and support as
part of the new comprehensive plan to refocus, reform, and renew our very
approach to the nation’s highways and transit systems that I released this week.
And there is no better example than Miami’s efforts – as one of our first Urban
Partners – to take advantage of nearly $63 million they received through our
national program to reduce congestion. Miami will soon be opening new high-tech,
high occupancy toll – or HOT – lanes, which will replace and add to already
existing local HOV lanes.
And what better place to launch HOT lanes than in Miami during the heat of
August?
These roads will use state-of-the-art electronic tolling technology to allow
single drivers to pay a fee for access to less-congested lanes. Sophisticated
sensors will monitor the region’s freeways and, based on traffic levels, will
adjust the fares for these new lanes.
We all know how frustrating it is to be stuck in traffic while staring at a wide
open lane just to your left. Now drivers will be able to choose to avoid
back-ups, perhaps to pick up your son from daycare or being able to see your
daughter’s game-winning soccer goal.
Time and reliability are important and valuable to all of Miami’s commuters. And
Miami’s plan will make commuting easier if you take transit. That is because
funds generated by the tolls can be used to finance new, enhanced bus service
designed to take advantage of these new HOT lanes.
Indeed, there are few cities in America that have been as creative and
successful in finding new ways to make buses as attractive for commuters.
As part of the city’s plan, 23 new low-emission buses will begin running on this
HOT-lane network, and there will be five additional routes available. Travel
times will also improve, as buses on the HOT lanes average 50 mph, instead of
the current 22 mph speeds.
Florida’s Department of Transportation has also been a national leader in
embracing innovative financing to maintain and expand major roadways — an
approach that is increasingly necessary with the uncertainty of the Federal
Highway Trust Fund’s future.
Florida DOT’s recent request for bids on a long-term private lease of the
Everglades Parkway — or Alligator Alley — is a perfect demonstration of the
state’s creative thinking.
As the city’s traffic-fighting measures start going on-line in the coming weeks,
commuters will notice a real difference.
As more cars take advantage of the new HOT lanes, data and experience tell us
traffic in the other lanes will improve as well. That means it will take less
time to get to work, to go out for a night in South Beach, or even to make it to
a Dolphins game.
Even if you are one of the few folks who never use a highway, getting around
town is still going to get easier with this new approach. And as congestion
pricing cuts polluting traffic tie-ups, expands travel freedom, and makes
transit a more effective alternative, it will help ensure that Miami remains
“America’s Cleanest City.”
The concept is simple, but the idea is bold: Make Miami an easier place to live,
a better place to do business, and a healthier place to raise a family.
I want to again thank all the members involved for their leadership and vision.
With the support of the local community, Tallahassee, and D.C., Miami will begin
to tackle its congestion problems.
Thank you, and now I would be happy to answer any questions you have.
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