Office of Public Affairs
Prepared Remarks
for
Secretary LaHood
National League of Cities
March 17, 2009
Thank you, Kathy Novak.
On behalf of President Obama, I want to thank you for inviting me to discuss how the Department of Transportation is going to help get the nation back on its feet -- by putting Americans back to working rebuilding this country’s transportation infrastructure.
As Shakespeare once said, “What is a city, but the people?”
Everyone here today has an important role to play in helping cities retain their energy, their diversity, and their capacity to drive economic activity.
I know your cities are going through a tough time right now.
But challenges always bring new opportunities. I’m confident we’ll come through this recession both stronger and smarter -- and find new ways of doing business.
And our transportation infrastructure is going to benefit greatly. Because in tough times, Americans -- and American cities -- are great innovators. So we’ll see a lot of new ideas and efficiencies come out of these challenges.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going to help us get there. It isn’t the whole solution — but it’s a promising down payment.
And it’s an historic investment in our country’s future.
I’m proud to report that my Department has lived up to its promise to get the recovery funds out the door as quickly as possible.
We’re reviewing state certifications as they come in, and are releasing funds promptly to state offices and transit agencies. Soon there will be additional opportunities to compete for discretionary funds for worthy projects in your cities.
In a very short time, your cities will be humming with construction workers, engineers, maintenance crews and many others.
You’ll see roads repaved, interchanges improved, bus and rail systems repaired, upgraded, and expanded.
And there’s billions in new funding for energy programs to help your citizens and businesses go greener, and save money on utilities.
These activities all contribute a great deal to the quality of urban life.
This effort not only puts people to work -- it gets people to work in a way that moves us towards our long-term goals of energy security and more livable communities.
In return for these investments, we expect every dollar to be spent wisely and well. By the book. With no earmarks or boondoggles.
I have assembled a team of senior officials across DOT to track every dollar spent, to ensure accountability and transparency.
Our Inspector General’s office is on the look-out for any waste, fraud, and abuse.
And the White House plans to announce new guidelines on how recovery funds can be spent. For example: No swimming pools, golf courses, or zoos.
We owe it to the American people to ensure that all of the recovery money is spent as intended. You can track how these funds are spent in your region, by going to www.recovery.gov.
Looking beyond the recovery effort, I want you to know we’re taking steps to strengthen and streamline all federal transportation programs.
Congress will soon take up a new authorization bill for surface transportation programs affecting highways and transit.
This is an important follow-on to the recovery plan. Because we need to find ways to keep people employed – and keep transportation healthy – after these recovery funds are expended.
I can’t share any specifics about the new legislation at this time.
But I can tell you this: We’re going to work very closely with Congress to get a good bill passed as quickly as possible.
Making communities more livable, and more sustainable, is one of our key goals for this new legislation.
The era of one-size-fits-all transportation projects must give way to one where preserving and enhancing the qualities that make each community special, whether it’s rural or urban, is a primary goal rather than an afterthought.
To make this work, we’re going to work across departmental lines in ways we’ve never done before.
For example, my Department, and Secretary Donovan’s, are coordinating on ways to encourage that more housing is built near transit.
You’re going to see new levels of federal cooperation to help deliver the integrated transportation solutions we need -- from intermodal transit systems to high-speed rail.
But even with the anticipated success of the Recovery Act and new federal legislation for transportation, we still face serious long-term financing challenges.
The Highway Trust Fund, which generates revenues for transportation spending through fuel taxes, was adequate for building a state-of-the-art interstate system 50 years ago.
But it’s antiquated now. We’ve got to look beyond that system and tap new and creative ideas.
We’re going to explore options like a National Infrastructure Bank. Public-private partnerships. And tolling on newly built highways.
We’ve got to be open to new ideas, if we intend to fund all the good transportation projects your cities – and this country – deserve.
It has often been said that transportation is the lifeblood of our economy.
Your highways, airports, and transit systems must provide the mobility that’s needed to move people and goods as safely and efficiently as possible -- and reduce urban congestion.
As President Harry Truman once said, “America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
Working together, I’m confident we can get the job done.
Thank you.