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

DOT takes action to help small and disadvantaged businesses rev up their engines

With the nation’s economic recovery advancing, it is more important than ever to fire up America’s small and disadvantaged businesses. And DOT is working to make sure that’s a natural part of how we do business.

Last week, DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program issued a final rule that will help small and disadvantaged businesses gain greater access to federally funded highway, transit, and airport projects.

But this action goes further than just increasing access to opportunities.

Some of the additional benefits include:

• Making it easier to do business in multiple states: To reduce the burdens on firms seeking DBE certification in more than one state, the new rules require states to accept certifications from other states, unless there is good cause not to.
• Increasing the personal net worth cap: This is the first adjustment to the personal net worth (PNW) cap since it was first set in 1989. The adjustment, from $750,000 to $1.3 million, applies to highway, transit, and aviation parts of our DBE program.
• Increasing accountability: State and local transportation agencies must include DBEs in their spending plans. If they fail to meet established goals, they’ll have to evaluate why and create a plan to get them back on track.
• Generating greater small business participation: New tools to foster small business participation have been added, including a menu of options for recipients to use such as unbundling large contracts and establishing race-neutral small business set-asides.

To America's small and disadvantaged business owners, these changes will make a world of difference.

Small business owners discuss opportunities at a Small Business Vendor Day at DOT HQ.

Faces of Distracted Driving: Alex Brown, 17 "She believed me in so many things, but this one thing we couldn't get her to quit"

Alex Brown wanted to change the world.  

"I knew she was gonna do something big," said Johnny Mac Brown.  "But something as small as a text message ended that."

Last night, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition introduced the world to the Brown family: father Johnny Mac, mother Jeanne, and 12-year-old Katrina.  And today, they're featured in our latest "Faces of Distracted Driving" video:

Life hasn't been the same for the Browns since November 10, 2009--the day 17-year-old Alex died after crashing her truck on the way to school in Wellman, Texas.  She was texting behind the wheel.

It was a habit her parents had tried to break since she got her license.  "She believed me in so many things, but this one thing we couldn't get her to quit," said Jeanne Brown.

Alex was one of nearly 5,500 people to die in distracted driving crashes in 2009. Nearly half a million more were injured.

Winning the future, Proterra style

Yesterday, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and I toured the Greenville, South Carolina, bus manufacturing plant of Proterra, Inc.  And I don't think you could find a better demonstration of the American innovation President Obama invoked in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

When the President said that America's small businesses need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build their competition, he must have had Proterra in mind.

In 2009, Proterra did not have the financial resources or customer orders to commercialize its fast charge battery bus and charging station. Although FTA grants had helped support the company's fuel-cell research, they were unable to grow from a research and development company into an assembly line manufacturer of high technology vehicles.   

But with help from Department of Transportation grants to transit agencies across the country, Proterra has been able to make that leap.

Now, this company is researching and developing fresh transit technology to reduce fuel costs, oil dependence, and air pollution.  They are investing in a new plant at Clemson University, where they will collaborate with some of the brightest minds on campus and train the next generation of transportation engineers and scientists.  And they are building the world’s first all electric fast-charging buses.

And did I mention that they are also creating quality jobs for hardworking South Carolinians?  Thanks to smart government investments and private sector creativity, the buses of the future are being conceived and built by skilled American workers and engineers.

State of America's skies? Safer than ever, poised for growth

Yesterday, I spoke with members of the Aero Club of Washington, DC, on the “state of the skies” and our flight plan for American aviation.

First, I wanted the Aero Club--and blog readers--to know that our skies are the safest they’ve ever been. And they’re getting safer all the time. But, that doesn’t mean there isn't more work to do. Safety will always be our number one priority.

One way we can improve aviation safety is through the Federal Aviation Administration's continued progress on NextGen. By equipping aircraft and air traffic control centers with ADS-B, advanced communications systems, real-time weather reports, and other technologies, NextGen will make air travel safer.

NextGen will also ease congestion on tarmacs and in the skies.  It will cut travel times and alleviate delays.  It will make the industry’s carbon footprint smaller.

With air travel expected to grow 50 percent during the next decade, NextGen's benefits cannot be overestimated.

But, given the President’s goal of doubling American exports within five years, NextGen is also essential to support trade.

As President Obama said during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, America’s transportation infrastructure is critically important to our economic security. We need to keep working, fighting, and building to secure prosperity for ourselves and for future generations of Americans. So there is no better time to invest in NextGen and in other enhancements, like runways upgrades and innovative airport technologies.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication safety demonstration impresses

Yesterday, Research and Innovative Technology Administrator Peter Appel and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration Brodi Fontenot were treated to a demonstration of Ford Motor Company's new vehicle-to-vehicle safety technology.

It was a thrilling glimpse into one possible future of American transportation.

Brodi Fontenot and Peter Appel are all smiles after surviving their test drive

With vehicle-to-vehicle communication, intelligent cars talk to each other wirelessly, warning drivers of potential dangers. Ford is one of the first automakers to build prototype vehicles demonstrating this exciting new technology, which could also be installed in buses, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles.

In the demonstration, Administrator Appel and Deputy Assistant Secretary Fontenot endured several hair-raising potential crash scenarios. And, from potential crash scenario to potential crash scenario, the new technology alerted the driver before it was too late and in ways our current vehicles simply cannot do.

"It wasn't comfortable, knowing that we were being driven deliberately into the most common situations where crashes occur," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Fontenot. "But each time, the vehicle alerted the driver--way in advance of his ability to see the danger on his own."

America has a future to win; DOT stands ready to help

Last night, in his State of the Union address, President Obama said, "We are poised for progress." The President offered five ways to achieve that progress--innovation, education, rebuilding, reform, and responsibility. He also declared that we will measure that progress, "by the success of our people," "by the jobs they can find," and "by the opportunities for a better life we pass on to our children."

"That," he said, "is the project the American people want us to work on."

Today, I am here to say that the Department of Transportation will do whatever we can to help this nation win the future the President described.

White House photo, credit: Chuck Kennedy

And, while DOT has much to contribute in terms of education, reform, and responsibility, our experience indicates we are particularly prepared for innovation and infrastructure.

About this nation, the President said, "We do big things." And nowhere is that more true than at the Department of Transportation. The new Hoover Dam Bridge, for example, demonstrates how DOT supports innovation to solve America's complex challenges.

 

So when the President says, "To win the future, we will have to take on challenges that have been decades in the making," we at DOT stand absolutely ready to do more big things.

That's why I was pleased to hear him reassert his bold vision for an innovative American passenger rail network:

"Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail, which could allow you to go places in half the time it takes to travel by car. For some trips, it will be faster than flying. As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway."

Welcome to DOT's screening of The State of the Union 2011 -- Winning the Future

Hi everyone, for those of you who can't be near a television or want to follow the enhanced content provided by the White House, I'm pleased that we could host this screening of President Obama's State of the Union Address--Winning the Future.

Tune in here at 9:00 p.m. EST for the fully enhanced White House stream.

There are also many ways to ask questions and participate at whitehouse.gov!

And please revisit the blog tomorrow for my recap of any transportation-related highlights in the President's address.

Young NOYS leaders take distracted driving fight to the next level

The fight to end distracted driving is happening all across the country.  And yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of exceptional young people from the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) who are helping to lead the charge.

I first met some of these young NOYS safety advocates after the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit in September.  They attended our meeting to gather more information about distracted driving and share ideas for how to best reach other teens with their message--that no phone call or text message is more important than a life.

This time, the Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Leadership Team--with help from the Allstate Foundation--traveled to Washington to take their efforts to the next level. 

The twenty young leaders, who were selected by NOYS during a competitive application process, fanned out across the District to shadow traffic safety specialists and learn about careers in transportation. 

Speaking to the NOYS Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Leadership Team.

Some were mentored by folks right here at DOT, while others learned the ropes at the Roadway Safety Foundation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Allstate, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and the AAA Foundation.

As NOYS Executive Director Sandy Spavone said, "These young people have great dreams and aspirations for their careers.  And no matter what they want to be or become, we want to show them that there are opportunities in transportation and traffic safety for them to pursue."

Guest Blogger RITA Administrator Peter Appel: Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge seeksyour vision for transportation applications

Yesterday, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration announced a new competition for great ideas called the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge.

With this competition, we want to hear your ideas for a national transportation system based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure wireless connectivity. Making this a reality is closer than you might think.

Right now the Research and Innovative Technology Administration is helping to lay the groundwork for a national system where all cars, trucks, buses and trains are aware of other vehicles around them. Connected vehicles, as we call them, will significantly reduce crashes and generate enormous amounts of new data about travel--data that will make our transportation system safer, more efficient and even “greener”.

The possibilities are endless, and there is no way that the staff at the Department of Transportation can possibly identify all of the potential applications of this technology. That is why we are calling on you.

If you have an interesting idea about how wireless communications can help to improve your transportation experience, we really want to hear from you at connectedvehicle.challenge.gov.

Utah's Alpine Elementary earns 2010 Oberstar Award from National Center for Safe Routes to School

Despite a mix of rain and snow, Alpine Elementary School students in Alpine, Utah, began their morning last Wednesday with yet another successful Walk to School Day. It was a great way to kick off their Safe Routes to School Award presentation.

You see, the National Center for Safe Routes to School has selected Alpine ES for its 2010 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award, a national honor that recognizes outstanding achievement among the more than 10,000 Safe Routes to School programs.

"Alpine, Utah, embodied everything the safe routes to school is all about," said Lauren Marchetti, Director of the National Center.

Alpine Elementary School has worked very hard to encourage their students to walk and bicycle to school, and to help them do so safely. Between September 2008 and May 2010, they increased the number of children who regularly walk and bicycle to school from 35 to 50 percent.

That's a big jump, so it's no surprise they earned the 2010 Oberstar Award.

"It's been a big tribute to the parents and to the kids for their commitment to being healthy and walking to school safely," said Alpine's principal Cami Larsen.

Alpine students enroute to school in warmer days. Photo credit: Stuart Johnson, Deseret News

Faces of Distracted Driving: Cady Reynolds, 16

It is a great privilege to share with you today not only the next installment in our Faces of Distracted Driving video series, but a young woman who has a lifesaving message for her peers:

"If I'm in the car with someone and they're texting while driving, I will tell them to stop. I'll say, 'Don't text with me in the car; don't talk on the phone with me in the car. I'm not comfortable with that. But would you like me to do that for you?' I really think that's a good idea for teens to do with other teens. It's a good way to get out of the situation. And it gets the point across."

At 17, Emily Reynolds of Omaha, Nebraska, is our first teen-aged narrator in the "Faces" series, and it's difficult to imagine meeting a more self-assured young woman.

But, that self-assurance did not come without a cost. It stems from the tragic loss, in 2007, of her older sister Cady at the hands of another young driver.

DOT investments in American innovation help us meet energy challenges

The transportation sector accounts for two-thirds of US oil use and contributes about one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, transportation professionals have a special obligation to take action.

The good news is that transportation's pressure on these twin problems creates an obvious opportunity for our sector to help work toward solutions. And, with President Obama's leadership on energy independence and climate change, the Department of Transportation has been doing precisely that.

Here are a few of DOT's efforts toward greater sustainability and a cleaner environment that you may have heard about last year:

• Raising fuel-economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks to 35.5 mpg by 2016
• Treating biking and walking as valid and valued elements of our transportation network
• Beginning to build a high speed passenger rail system

But I also want to highlight three initiatives from 2010 that might be less familiar to readers:

Federal Aviation Administration's CLEEN program envisions greener airspace.
Through its Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise program, the FAA is working to reduce commercial jet fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise. In June, the FAA announced a set of contracts with five companies to evelop and demonstrate new technologies, procedures, and alternative fuels that help us meet those goals. The recipient companies also agreed to commit matching funds, doubling the effectiveness of our investment. This is in addition to the fuel savings we hope to achieve through the NextGen system's more efficient airspace management. Since FAA forecasts significant air traffic growth over the next 20 years, this effort is good news for all of us.

New television report makes the case for investing in American passenger rail

Today, I'm pleased to share with you a report about American passenger rail from the television news magazine, "Need to Know."  I think it does a great job of showing why investing in passenger rail is good for American jobs and good for American mobility.

The report is called "Off The Rails," and was produced by WNET in conjunction with PBS and Blueprint America.

In the opening segment, correspondent Rick Karr rides an Amtrak train from Normal, Illinois, to Chicago with commuter John Thomas. Discussing his commute--100 miles and two and a half hours--Thomas says, "I don't do it every day. But, if there are more trains, if the reliability is higher, if the speed is faster, it would allow me to do it every day."

That is exactly the kind of service President Obama's passenger rail initiative envisions.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Karr interviews biotech executive Kevin Conroy, who says his drive from Madison to Milwaukee several times a week, "Kills a whole day because it's an hour and a half each way. But with the train, you'd jump on the train and get a ton of work done."

Add to those benefits the good jobs created to transform this vision into reality, the economic development an American passenger rail network would generate, and the environmental benefits of rail, and we are talking about a real game-changer.

But, if you're a regular reader of this blog, then you've heard me make the argument for passenger rail before. So, I invite you to sit back and watch this terrific television report.

I hope you find it informative.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

 

DOT congratulates American Trucking Associations' America's Road Team Captains for 2011-2012

Last week, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro and I attended the American Trucking Association roll-out of the Captains of the 2011-2012 America's Road Team.

This group of million-mile, accident-free truck drivers will spend the next two years representing the trucking industry and delivering its highway safety message to the public.

With all 34 finalists, Administrator Ferro, and ATA Chair Barbara Windsor

Now, driving more than a million miles accident-free is quite an accomplishment, and I think any driver in that category should be celebrated. This squad of 18 Captains takes that achievement even further, boasting a combined 483 years behind the wheel and over 36.5 million accident-free miles. 

Laser incidents reach record numbers in 2010 skies

Today, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that the number of laser strikes on airplanes in 2010 nearly doubled from the previous year to more than 2,800. This is the highest number of incidents since we first began keeping track in 2005.

An incident that takes a pilot's attention away from the business of getting passengers safely to their destination is an unacceptable risk to passenger safety. And that is exactly what happens when someone points a laser at an airplane.

Laser strikes can also harm pilots. Imagine that you've been piloting an aircraft for two or three hours in nighttime conditions, when suddenly a brilliant green beam hits you directly in the eye. The result? Persistent pain, eye spasms, and spots in your vision.

As Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt wrote in a blog post here last month, "Some of these exposures have required pilots to have to temporarily give up control of an aircraft to their co-pilot or abort a landing.  We have also had reports of people shining lasers into air traffic control towers."

Pointing a laser at an airplane is not a harmless prank; it is a technological assault on the pilot and a serious safety risk to passengers.

2010 Combined Federal Campaign:the goal was bigger, and DOT exceeded it

With the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign winding down, I want to thank the terrific professionals of the Department of Transportation for really stepping up this year.

We knew that our $1.5 million goal was ambitious in a year when folks were anxious about the economy, but we also knew we could count on the good people of DOT to come through. And, with contributions still rolling in, I am pleased to announce that as of today we have raised nearly $1.56 million, exceeding our expectations once again.

The average contribution from the Department of Transportation so far is $529. And I want everyone who reads this blog to know how grateful I am to be working in an agency like DOT where the generous public servants who make this Department hum are willing to dig deep into their pockets and make such sacrifices to help others.

Those contributions will touch the lives of people in our neighborhoods, across the country, and around the world by assisting the more than 4,000 charities that are delivering emergency services, medical care, education, training, and most importantly, hope, to people in all walks of life.

DOT joins GW University at Ballou High Schoolfor service project to honor Martin Luther King

For several years now, volunteers from the Department of Transportation have observed the Martin Luther King holiday with "a day on, not a day off."  And yesterday, many from DOT did so once again by working on a terrific beautification project at Ballou High School here in Washington, DC.

I thank them for their service. And I thank project organizer Ruth Jones, Ballou's Director of Resource Development, for inviting us.

Many thanks to Team DOT for their spirited service yesterday; and thanks to the sons and daughters of DOT, too!

I also want to thank Melody Barnes, Director of President Obama's Domestic Policy Council, for joining us and for reminding us of Dr. King's message that, "Everyone can be great because anyone can serve."

As impressed as I was with the DOT showing, I have to admit that the hundreds of students who pitched in from George Washington University--including University President Steven Knapp--represented their school in splendid force.

I'm pleased that so many DOT colleagues turned out, and I'm particularly happy that we were able to play a small part in the remarkable transformation going on at Ballou.

With Melody Barnes, White House Domestic Policy Advisor

NHTSA fights for safety on all fronts

Safety is the Department of Transportation's top priority. And when we say that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is laser focused on road safety, we mean across the board.

Everyone knows that I have taken up the fight to end distracted driving. But just because we are now highlighting this emerging phenomenon does not mean that we have stopped spending time and money to persuade people to buckle up, put their children in car seats, and not drive drunk. That important work continues unabated.

The fact remains that from 2005 to 2008, distraction-related fatalities jumped from 10 percent to 16 percent of all traffic fatalities on American roads. And that jump may be only the tip of a very deadly iceberg.

Unfortunately, law enforcement departments do not always collect this information at a crash site, and people are not always forthcoming about admitting to cell phone use or texting prior to a crash. Right now, we simply do not know all the crashes where cell phones or texting played a role.

We do know that distracted driving killed nearly 5,500 people in 2009 and injured nearly half a million more.

Yet, according to USA Today, there are some who would like to derail our work spotlighting the dangers of texting or talking on the phone while driving. I want them to know that our fight to end distracted driving will not be deterred.

When we combine the fact that texting while driving has been proven to increase crash risk and the fact that the number of text messages has increased from about 7 billion per month in 2005 to about 173 billion per month in 2010, we have a recipe for a persistent and ongoing problem.

Ask Elissa Schee, Judy Teater, Amos Johnson, or any of the thousands of others who have buried family members killed in distracted driving crashes, and you'll get the same unapologetic response: Distracted driving kills.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has the resources and capability to meet several challenges at the same time. Our work to end the distracted driving epidemic has done nothing to impede our other important safety efforts. And a brief glance at NHTSA's recent safety initiatives demonstrates this.

Young Inventioneers tackle distracted driving with engineering & imagination

As a grandfather of nine, I know that kids are capable of some extraordinary things.  But I have to tell you: the group of young people who came to visit me this week at DOT headquarters are really something special.

On Wednesday, RITA Administrator Peter Appel, NHTSA Deputy Administrator Ron Medford, and I got a chance to meet the Inventioneers--an award-winning team of young people from Londonberry, New Hampshire, who have competed in the FIRST LEGO League engineering competition for the last six years. 

 

Ranging in age from ten to sixteen, the six group members--TJ Evarts, Jaiden Evarts, Bryeton Evarts, Paige Balcom, Emily Balcom, and Kate Balcom--are committed to "inventing to save lives."  And over the last year, they've put their science and technology skills to use developing a tool to end texting while driving.

Dubbed the SMARTwheel (Safe Motorist Alert for Restricting Texting), their invention uses sensors placed inside a steering wheel cover to determine if someone may be driving distracted.  If a driver removes their hands from the wheel for too long, the device beeps and a red light flashes to draw attention back to the road.

And as I tested out the SMARTwheel during the team's visit, I was impressed by how much thought and technical skill the team put into their design.

Testing out the SMARTwheel.

But the Inventioneers' work to make driving safer doesn't end with the SMARTwheel.  Last year, the kids conceived and launched the Don't DUIT campaign, a public awareness effort designed to get people to pledge not to DUIT--Drive Under the Influence of Texting.  They even filmed their very own PSA to spread the word:

New data adds job creation to the many benefits of bicycle infrastructure

This week, a coalition of bicycling advocates introduced me to a new report showing that in Baltimore, MD, pedestrian and bicycle projects created nearly twice as many jobs per dollar spent than typical road projects.

In this case-study, "Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Road Infrastructure," the Political Economy Research Institute compiled data provided by the city of Baltimore. They found that on-street bike lanes and pedestrian measures created more direct jobs, more indirect jobs, and more induced jobs per dollar than either road upgrades or road resurfacing.

That report was followed last week by a survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating widespread public support--67 percent--in America's cities for street design activities that increase physical activity.

A view around the table

Putting the two studies together creates a powerful argument for continuing the Department of Transportation's support for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. Even as these investments increase mobility, they also generate economic growth. And, people are demanding them for their communities.

I don't think anyone who reads this blog doubts my enthusiasm for increasing Americans' transportation options. In 2009, in one of my first blog entries, I wrote that "Cyclists are important users of our transportation systems." Since then I have demonstrated my commitment to programs that improve options for safe bicycling.

A view of the other end of the table

Passenger rail investments add needed capacity to America's transportation infrastructure

If President Eisenhower had waited until he had all the cash on hand, all the lines drawn on a map, and all the naysayers on board, America would not boast the state-of-the-art interstate highway system we have today.

That’s why I was so disappointed to read the Washington Post’s editorial criticizing California’s high-speed rail plan. Unfortunately, the editorial writers at the Post have taken a shortsighted, parochial approach to our pressing infrastructure needs.

When it comes to high-speed rail, we stand at a moment similar to that in the 1950s when President Eisenhower pressed for a network of American highways. And, if we fail to prepare for the decades ahead by taking similarly innovative steps to add capacity to our infrastructure, we will shortchange future generations and deprive them of the tools they will need to compete in a global economy.

Because of the leadership of President Obama, our children and grandchildren will benefit from a high-speed rail system that connects 80 percent of Americans and keeps us competitive with other leading nations. High-speed rail will revitalize America’s manufacturing sector, spurring economic development and creating green, high-wage jobs for tens of thousands of people.

The people of California understand this, which is why they approved a nearly $10 billion bond measure to build a high-speed rail system in their state. The Obama Administration is proud to support California’s pioneering high-speed rail plan with a corresponding federal investment that will jump-start the project by funding the first section of the corridor ready to be built, which is in the Central Valley. 

Guest columnist USA Today's Bill McGee: What I learned serving on the government's 'Future of Aviation' panel

Cross-posted from USA Today.

Analyzing and writing about Washington policies is a much different experience once you enter the arena where those policies are shaped. As someone who just spent seven months struggling to craft proposals for federal aviation regulations, I've learned some lessons about the complexity of the airline industry.

Call to duty

In May, I was given the honor and challenge of representing Consumers Union by serving as the lone consumer advocate to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Future of Aviation Advisory Committee. Our mandate? To provide DOT Secretary Raymond LaHood with "information, advice and recommendations…on ensuring the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry and its capability to address the evolving transportation needs, challenges and opportunities of the global economy."

The FAAC consisted of 18 members representing "stakeholder" interests, and was chaired by Susan Kurland, the DOT's Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs. We met for the first time in May, and for the final time last month, when we presented a total of 23 recommendations to Secretary LaHood and Randy Babbitt, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

It's fair to say that government committees—particularly those involving the airline industry—often generate skepticism and even mistrust. Washington bookcases are filled with dusty reports from past commissions that put forth dozens of proposals that were never enacted; in the past, I've written about many of these failures.

But from the beginning, we were told the FAAC would be different; all our proposals were to be "actionable" so that the DOT could begin implementation on them immediately. And on Dec. 15th, when we met for the final time, Secretary LaHood told us: "I guarantee you these recommendations will not sit on a shelf."

Guest blogger NHTSA Administrator David Strickland: Detroit Auto Show offers exciting news

On Monday, I went to Detroit for the 2011 North American International Auto Show. The news from Detroit is good--good for car lovers, good for the environment, and good for the economy.

Whether you're interested in all things automobile or are a consumer considering a new-car purchase, I think you'll find plenty to cheer about at this year's show. Overnight, automakers unveiled more than two dozen new models, including electrics, sports cars, and big and small family sedans.

In Detroit, I met with representatives from GM, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, Mercedes, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, BMW, and Volvo. And perhaps more important than the innovative designs I saw was the general mood of this year's show. Upbeat and optimistic, carmakers are sending a signal that the auto industry, which has persisted through a couple of difficult years, is once again firing on all cylinders.

Enjoying the ride at the 2011 North American International Auto Show

I'm excited by the variety of electric vehicles on display. From the Chevy Volt--2011 North American Car of the Year--and the Nissan Leaf to the upcoming plug-in version of Toyota's Prius, the electrification of America's passenger fleet is under way.

Ford is even taking the typical plug-in one step further with its C-Max compact minivan, which will be available as a gas-electric hybrid or as an all-electric plug-in that promises to recharge in only three hours. That's about half the time of the current standard! It's pretty clear that auto makers are designing and producing fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers will like and that are safe.

And everywhere I went at the show, the buzzword was "jobs." Automakers are ramping up production, and that means they are hiring. GM and Chrysler each said they are looking to hire 1,000 engineers in Michigan this year. GM is also adding a shift at a plant in Orion, MI, and Chrysler plans to run add a shift at its Sterling Heights, MI, facility--a factory that had once been slated to close. Toyota is also hiring 2,000 for its plant in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Providing law enforcement officers the safest and most effective vehicles helps protect all of us

FMCSA and the Bus Industry Safety Council: working together to protect motorcoach passengers

Safety on our nation’s highways is a top priority for the Department of Transportation. And this is true whether travelers are driving themselves or using motor carriers.

That’s why Bill Bronrott, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), rode the bus to Philadelphia last weekend to speak to the American Bus Assocation's "Bus Industry Safety Council" (BISC).

The Council's mission, "to develop and promote methods, materials, and procedures to improve motorcoach safety," makes BISC a natural partner in FMCSA's own safety efforts.

FMCSA Deputy Administrator Bronrott boards the bus to Philadelphia

By focusing on three core safety principles, FMCSA and the American Bus Association have worked effectively toward a safer motorcoach industry. And in 2009, deaths in bus-related crashes reached an all-time low.

Raise the safety bar to enter the motorcoach industry
It’s essential to weed out bad actors. Our vetting program investigates all applications for new passenger carriers. This helps prevent unsafe chameleon carriers from trying to evade our safety rules and regulations by coming back under a new name. We have received 2,426 passenger carrier applications since this program began in 2008.  And of those applications, we dismissed 352, with another 35 applicants withdrawing vountarily from the process and its scrutiny.

Safe driving advocate vying for Miss America; Miss South Dakota seeks America's Choice nod

As I wrote last week, Loren Vaillancourt has been working hard as Miss South Dakota to educate young people about the dangers of distracted driving. This week, Loren faces her next big challenge: the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas.

This year's Miss America pageant features an America's Choice category where the public--that's you and me--can watch contestant videos. I'm embedding Loren's video below so you can see that she has built her entire video message around the campaign to end distracted driving. Whatever happens with the pageant, that makes her a winner in my book.

Those inspired by Loren's efforts to educate young drivers and soon-to-be drivers about the dangers of texting or talking on a cell phone while driving should consider opportunities in their own communities to promote an anti-distraction message.

Look, I think all of these young women are to be congratulated for their thoughtful service platforms. But Loren Vaillancourt, Miss South Dakota, has taken on a cause that is central to DOT's core priority: safety. And she has done a terrific job raising awareness among young people in South Dakota.

Now, through her partnership with State Farm's "Teen Driver Safety" Facebook page, she is extending her reach. All week at the Miss America pageant, Loren will be posting to the sfteendriving page and--whenever possible--updating her video diary there.

I have said before that DOT cannot win the fight to end distracted driving alone; we need support from those willing to help spread the message that this behavior kills. For all that she has done to raise awareness about this problem, Loren has contributed exactly that kind of support.

This week, as Loren takes her campaign against distracted driving to the next level, I wish her all the best and thank her for her efforts.

One week left in Combined Federal Campaign; help us reach our goal today

One week. That's all that remains before the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) ends.

The CFC is the annual federal employee giving program, the largest workplace charity effort in America. This year, federal employees have--once again--been very generous, but we can still do more.  If you work for the federal government and have not yet contributed, please consider the CFC this week.

 
Contributing at the cfcnca.org site is easy

As the deadline for this year's campaign approaches, I am proud that the Department of Transportation has raised over $1.48 million.  This will go a long way toward helping people around the United States.

DOT has reached 99% of our goal, and we are about $15,000 away from getting there. But we can't do it without a heroic week. Whether you were busy during the holiday season, or just have a habit of waiting until the last minute to make your donation, there is still time, and your contribution is needed more than ever.

The last day for online CFC contributions is next Monday, January 17.  While you are no longer able to donate through Employee Express, it is still quick and easy to donate through the CFCNCA website.  You can also fill out a paper CFC Pledge Form.

And, if you work at DOT, be sure to check out the silent auction now on our intranet; it is truly the main event of this final week.

Harrison Ford awarded the 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy

Last month, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt helped the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) present the 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy to none other than actor Harrison Ford. 

The award, established in 1948, is given annually to someone who demonstrates “significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.” As a Wright Brothers award recipient, Mr. Ford is among very storied aviation company, including Neil Armstrong, Charles Lindbergh, and my predecessor Norman Mineta.

Harrison Ford accepts his award at the Wright Memorial Dinner hosted by the Aero Club of Washington to honor the recipient of the NAA's Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy

While we know Mr. Ford best for his movie roles, he has long been an aviation enthusiast. He was chosen as this year’s award recipient because of his efforts to bring the experience of flying to America's youth. The plaque on his trophy reads: "For engaging our nation's youth in aviation and inspiring tomorrow's leaders, innovators and enthusiasts to secure a strong future for all of aviation.”

For more than five years, Mr. Ford served as the chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Young Eagles program.  The Young Eagles gives kids between the ages of 8 and 17 an opportunity to get their first taste of flight.  Since launching in 1992, over 1.5 million kids have flown in their first airplane thanks to 42,000 volunteer pilots.

NHTSA already working to fulfill new Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act

Have you ever considered the safety consequences of cars that are actually too quiet?

On Tuesday, President Obama signed the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010. In this law Congress requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure that electric and hybrid car manufacturers add noises that alert the blind and other pedestrians.

Because these cars operate so quietly, particularly at low speeds, they are involved in more accidents with pedestrians and cyclists who can’t hear the vehicle coming. This problem is even bigger for the visually impaired who rely on sounds for guidance.

Welcoming the new law, Mitch Pomerantz, President of the American Council of the Blind, said, "As new vehicle technologies become more prevalent in the years to come, The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act will ensure that people who are blind will still be able to travel safely."

AT&T's "The Last Text" sends the message: "It can wait"

The campaign to end distracted driving is really picking up steam as this new year begins. Earlier in the week, texting while driving bans took effect in three states. Yesterday, I wrote about Miss South Dakota, who is educating young people about the safety risks of distracted driving. And today, I want to share with you a new documentary from AT&T called "The Last Text."

AT&T's video is already having an effect on audiences around America. Like our "Faces of Distracted Driving" series, AT&T's "The Last Text" features family members and friends who have lost loved ones to distracted driving. It's powerful stuff.

And then it goes further. You'll hear tearful on-screen testimony from state trooper Grant Hendricks, first to arrive on the scene at the crash that killed Mariah West. You'll meet the young woman who sent the text her sister Ashley was reading when she crossed the median and rolled her pickup truck and a young man who was severely injured in a crash caused by a texting driver.

Perhaps most courageous of AT&T's narrators is Patrick Sims. Patrick shares, "LOL," the seemingly insignificant text he was sending when he took his eyes from the road and didn't notice he was drifting into the bike lane until he struck and killed Jim Price.

Miss South Dakota joins the fight to end distracted driving

When Miss South Dakota, Loren Vaillancourt, arrives in Las Vegas tomorrow for the 2011 Miss America Pageant, she'll be carrying an important safety message to America's drivers: "When people take unnecessary risks and drive distracted, it kills innocent people."

Loren knows the costs of this epidemic firsthand. In May 2009 her brother Kelson, 21, was killed while riding in a car driven by a co-worker who was distracted. But this young woman is transforming her grief into action by taking her message to South Dakota schools.

"It is very devastating to have to tell my brother's story over and over again," Loren says, "I get emotional every single time I do it. But no family should have to go through the pain my family has endured."

When Loren talks to school kids who are still years away from driving, she has another pretty important safety message: "I also talk about how important it is as a passenger to make sure the driver stays focused. Because my brother was killed in the passenger seat."

As Miss South Dakota, and as a contestant for Miss America, Loren is in a unique position to educate others. And she is making the most of it. 

"We could decrease the number of accidents if people just paid attention to driving," says Loren. "That's all they have to do."

 
Loren tells middle schoolers how passengers can prevent distracted driving and what habits would-be drivers should avoid.

FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program a gateway to safer motor carriers, safer roadways

Last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, better known as CSA. This program gives us a clearer safety picture of commercial carriers and allows FMCSA and carriers to take action before safety problems occur.

If you're not a trucking insider, the first thing you should know is that CSA improves our ability to identify unsafe commercial truck and bus companies. The new system also allows us to identify safety risks earlier. And, once we've identified a carrier with risk patterns, we can work with the carrier to reduce those risks and improve road safety for everyone.

At the heart of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program is the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which collects safety data from inspections and crash reports then weighs the severity of violations within seven different categories. These seven categories cover a range of important safety factors: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substances/alcohol, vehicle maintenance, cargo, and crash involvement.

Together, these calculations give us a pretty good safety profile of our nation's motor carriers. And the more we learn, the faster and more effectively we can act to make our roads safer.

New year begins with safer roadways in Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky

There is no better way for 2011 to get up and running than with a safety boost. And for people on the roads in Delaware, Kansas, and Kentucky, that is exactly how the year is beginning. Last year, all three of those states enacted bans on texting while driving; with the beginning of the New Year, those regulations have now taken effect.

In 2009, distracted-driving-related crashes killed nearly 5,500 people on America's roadways and injured more than 500,000 more. But these crashes are not accidents. Distraction-related crashes are 100 percent preventable; all we need is for drivers to take personal responsibility when they get behind the wheel of their car, truck or SUV.

 

Sadly, distracted driving crashes exact a terrible price. People pay with their lives and with terrible injuries. Family members are left to pick up the pieces.

As evidence of distracted driving dangers mount, some states have done the right thing by stepping in and saying, "You talk; you text; you pay."

New guidelines to help communities, planners improve safety near transmission pipelines

Last month, as part of the Department of Transportation's ongoing commitment to safety, we released a set of guidelines to help local governments, developers, and planners better protect communities near transmission pipelines.

Natural gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines play a crucial role in America's economy by safely and efficiently transporting almost 100 percent of the natural gas and about 66 percent of the oil and refined petroleum products consumed in the United States. Many of these pipelines were constructed in sparsely populated areas.

While trees help enhance green space, root damage makes planting atop a pipeline a practice to be avoided.

However, as development of residences, businesses and green space continues across our nation, these once-rural areas with pipelines have become urban or suburban. Land development in proximity to pipelines can increase the risk of a pipeline incident. The new guidelines--the first of their kind--will help communities safely coexist with nearby pipelines.

I want to thank the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA) for developing these important safety recommendations. Led by DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, PIPA is a 130-member coalition that includes the pipeline safety community, city and county governments, the public, developers, fire marshals, pipeline operators, and state and federal regulators.

I think it's terrific when a group with such diverse interests can work together with safety as their top priority. And the report they have produced, Partnering to Further Enhance Pipeline Safety in Communities through Risk-Informed Land Use Planning, offers stakeholders practical options for planning that can help protect both existing pipeline infrastructure and America's growing communities.

Building too close to a pipeline right-of-way complicates pipeline maintenance and repair.