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

NextGen a priority that can't wait

From where I stand, the stimulus airport projects--like the ones I announced in Phoenix last week and Pittsburgh earlier in March--are only the Administration's first steps regarding our aviation infrastructure.

Yes, they're a tangible example of our commitment to jobs and to aviation. But, there's a greater challenge before us, and our success at meeting this challenge will help define this nation's ability to move goods and people in the economy of the future.

I'm talking about modernizing our air traffic control system, making NextGen a reality.

Government can't do this alone. Industry can't do it alone.

Implementing NextGen will take collective collaboration, and mapping a course will certainly be among the first priorities for the new FAA Administrator.

A great deal of good work has been done to date, but there are still many important questions and issues to consider:

• Do we agree on a definition of NextGen?
• Do we have an effective path to get us there?
• Have we identified enough of the barriers that must be removed?
• Have we answered the necessary policy questions?
• How can we accelerate the program?
• How can we bring a greater sense of urgency to what is among the most critical issues facing aviation?

Aviation has flourished when both the private and public sectors have tackled issues together. So, I look forward to working with aviation leaders--and our new FAA Administrator--to take up this next challenge.

Stimulus dollars buying more transportation system miles than expected

Whether we're talking about roadways, transitways, railways, runways, or taxiways, the news is out that the American people are getting more miles of transportation infrastructure for their dollar.

Sean Holstege and Ronald J. Hansen report in the Arizona Republic that bids for Arizona Department of Transportation highway projects covered by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are 10 to 20 percent lower than expected. They also cite similar results from California's DOT.

Michael Cooper in the New York Times finds discounted bids being reported by Pennsylvania, Utah, and Louisiana.

Gary Richards in the Mercury News features several local transportation planners and administrators from California's Bay Area commenting on the surprisingly low bids received.

As I said in Arizona last week, "The bids are coming in lower than we would have imagined. It means our dollars will go further."

ARRA funds represent a significant infusion into local economies across the nation, and that means jobs. But that good news is made even better because those funds can now be used for even more projects, which means even more jobs. That is good value for the American people.

It's pretty clear why companies are bidding so low; there's been a historic decline in prices for materials and a shortage of jobs for construction workers.  So, there's a huge appetite for these projects, and people are raring to go. We're already seeing new jobs being created and workers being hired for ARRA-funded transportation projects around the nation.

Companies want work; people want work; and this Administration wants to keep putting them to work.

ARRA funds support aviation in Arizona

Thanks for all of the feedback on our transit and rail and bike and pedestrian efforts.

Today, in Phoenix, I had the pleasure of announcing the release of $28 million in stimulus funds to support safety, security, and capacity at six Arizona airports.

The largest chunk of that, a $10.5 million grant for runway rehabilitation, will be used by Phoenix’s Sky Harbor, an international airport that served over 40 million people last year. The money will rehabilitate Taxiway C, which is showing cracks and wear.  This taxiway shows how much activity Sky Harbor has seen, but rest assured it’s going to see a lot more activity because, as I told the people of Phoenix today, "The President is serious about getting the economy restarted."

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) we are creating jobs in Arizona and across the country while investing in the long-term safety and economic vitality of our airports.

Our investments in Arizona go well beyond Phoenix. We’re spending $1.8 million at Tucson International for security enhancements.

And, we’re paying attention to municipal airports as well. Rehabilitating the runway at Sierra Vista for $6 million. Rehabbing the taxiways at Avi Suquilla for $1.8 million. Taking care of the runway at Taylor for $3.5 million. Fixing the aircraft parking apron at Kingman for $5 million.

There are projects like these all over America that need attention.  In rebuilding our transportation infrastructure, we’re not only creating jobs today, but also laying the foundation for future economic growth.

Aviation is crucial to the mobility of American passengers and goods. I hope the ARRA funds we released to Arizona today make that clear.

DOT employees deliver for President Obama

"You have never been more important than you are right now, and for that we are all grateful."

Those were President Obama's words 3 weeks ago to employees here at the Department of Transportation, and I can't second the emotion more enthusiastically.

While insiders pondered whether it was the 3rd, 4th, or 5th visit by a President to DOT, I can safely say that it was the first joint visit to DOT by a President and Vice President.  I should point out, of course, that Mrs. Obama got the better of both gentlemen by visiting us a couple of weeks earlier, and her remarks were equally on point: “There isn’t a day that goes by that the work of the Department of Transportation doesn’t touch the lives of every single person in America.”

As you probably already know, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) entrusts DOT with $48 billion in transportation funds. In my brief time here, I've learned that ARRA funds could not be in more capable, vigilant hands. The good people who staff America's Department of Transportation have been nothing but hardworking and engaged since my arrival in January. I can't tell you how impressed I am by their dedication. And, again, I urge all of you to be vigilant as well by visiting www.recovery.gov to monitor our work.

 

Thanks to all of the DOT folks who have been logging many extra hours ensuring that these funds are carefully and effectively dispersed. We have a lot to do in the next few weeks meeting the 120 days requirement; I know we're up to the task.

High-Speed Rail a hot topic

This morning, National Journal's transportation blog asks, "Is high-speed rail worth it?" I've already responded, and others will weigh in. It's an important question to pose, and this administration will take all responses seriously. Mike Aldax reports in today's San Francisco Examiner that "Respondents to survey favor high-speed rail instead of air travel,"  and the Hartford Courant gives our plan its support today as well. It's not just the media; supply-chain experts and transportation planners are offering their support as well as some practical advice.

First steps toward livable communities

I've spent some time on this page introducing the idea of livable communities. We know that housing and transportation are tightly bound up with one another. Our transportation investment decisions don't occur in a vacuum; they must be consistent with our housing policies.

I want to pursue this idea a bit more here and describe for you what the HUD-DOT task force will do. I hope you can see how this will increase the quality of life for all Americans.

To begin, here are our four goals:

•  More choices for affordable housing near employment opportunities;
•  More transportation options, to lower transportation costs, shorten travel times, and improve the environment;
•  The ability to combine several errands into one trip through better coordination of transportation and land uses; and
•  Safe, livable, healthy communities.

How will we accomplish this? That's a simple question with a complicated answer.

We'll start by integrating the planning process. We'll encourage major metropolitan areas to integrate housing and transportation planning by providing HUD grants to support that integration.

We'll coordinate HUD-required 5-year Consolidated Planning with DOT-required long-range Transportation Plans and 4-year Transportation Improvement Planning.

And, we'll look for ways our two departments can further coordinate location efficiency in housing and transportation choices for states, counties, and municipalities.

On a less concrete level, the task force will evaluate and recommend measures that indicate livability. After all, if we don't know livability when we see it, how can we know if we've helped communities achieve it?

I have a few ideas. For example, I think everyone, urban and rural alike, needs safe and affordable access. Access to work, to medical services, to schools, to shopping, to recreation, and to other essential activities.

We're moving into new territory, and it must be mapped out. We need better tools to track housing and transportation options and expenditures. We need standardized and efficient performance measures. We need to learn from what works.

In the coming months, we'll work closely with Congress and our stakeholders on a new authorization package for surface transportation--the sidewalks, roads, rails, and transit that move you where you want to go, that move your goods where you need them. With your support, we can make livability a centerpiece of this legislation.

On the road with the Middle-Class Task Force

Yesterday, as Bob von Sternberg put it in today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Vice President Biden and I took the President's plan for the middle class "to the people."

Really, it was 400 people. They had gathered for a town hall session at the New Flyer of America company in St. Cloud, Minnesota. New Flyer makes innovative, low-emissions, alternative-fueled transit buses, and they are actually adding jobs. Also, as financial reporter Tara Perkins points out, New Flyer makes a great example for the stimulus because "money that's put into the company will flow through to the economy quickly." That's exactly what we want in stimulus spending.

My part of the message—I was there with the Vice President as well as Secretaries Duncan of Education, Vilsack of Agriculture, and Donovan of HUD—was about how the stimulus and middle-class task force give us an opportunity to transform the way transportation serves the American people. As I've said before, we need to promote strong and connected communities that provide safe and affordable access to work, medical services, schools, shopping, recreation, and other essential activities.

This is important stuff. Someone commented on these pages the other day about how owning a car was practically a requirement for success in this country—to get to work, to a doctor, to a grocery—and how that becomes a disproportionate burden to the poor. Well, we don't want to take anyone's car away; that's for sure, but we also don't want a transportation system where not owning a car threatens one's ability to get by. If we want to improve the quality of life for middle-class Americans, we have to affect them where they spend, and one of the biggest bites out of a household's budget is transportation costs. I want to do something about that.

Plus, if we make it easier for people to move around publicly, either by walking or biking or taking transit, then we build communities where folks see each other and interact with each other and learn to know their neighbors. That's how we get stronger communities.

The folks at St. Cloud know this. When it was time for questions, the most direct ones came from people who wanted to know when we were going to increase their transit options. How about now?

High-speed rail: an engine of growth

I’ve been focused this week on talking about livable cities, but I don’t want anyone to think we’re ignoring inter-city travel.

If you read any news at all about transportation in the past 6 weeks, you know about the $8 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investment we’re making in high-speed rail (HSR). I’ve been hearing from many enthusiastic rail advocates, and news outlets across the country have been writing editorials championing HSR. More importantly, there is a growing list of states and cities that want to get working on this right away.

Let me remind anyone who doesn’t already know it that I’m from Peoria, Illinois. So, when I consider rail, my first thoughts are of the old Rock Island Rocket that ran to Chicago in my youth. That train, with its GM Electro-Motive engine and its legendary speed, dominated the imaginations of me and my friends.

People rode the Rocket because of the convenience and efficiency it offered. And, with the ARRA high-speed rail investment, President Obama and I want to develop a 21st century equivalent of that efficiency and convenience.

High-speed rail travel will offer competitive door-to-door trip times. It will reduce congestion on key routes between cities. It will reduce our dependence on oil. It will reduce pollution. And, it will create the jobs of the future, the jobs America needs right now.

Can we build a new industry with $8 billion? We can start. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; Europe and Japan already use this technology. We need only put people to work here making it happen.

This administration is not looking to abandon air travel or highways. We’re looking to increase options for convenient, efficient travel in the most sustainable ways possible.

Back on the Hill, pressing for livable communities

First, thanks for the support demonstrated by your comments on these pages. And for the respect shown even by those who may not agree with my ideas. I'm encouraged by the response, and I'm encouraged because this Administration is working faithfully toward goals that benefit all Americans.

Today, I was proud to address my former colleagues in the House of Representatives and co-present a DOT-HUD partnership to help American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs.

As I told House members, “One of my highest priorities is to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs.” That means roads, rails, and transit. It means safer passage for pedestrians, for bicyclists.

After housing costs, transportation takes the biggest bite out of the typical household budget. That's why a partnership between HUD and DOT can be so effective; we have the ability to ease the largest financial burden on many American families. We're talking about 60% of the average working American family's expenses. HUD Secretary Donovan and I can cut these costs by focusing our departments' efforts on creating affordable, sustainable communities.

As Secretary Donovan told the House members today, “This partnership will help expand every American family’s choices for affordable housing and transportation."

In Secretary Donovan, I have a great partner who gets the relationship between housing and transportation. In his Hill appearance with me today, he captured the need for joint action perfectly: "HUD’s central mission – ensuring that every American has access to decent, affordable housing – can be achieved only in context of the housing, transportation, and energy costs and choices that American families experience each day.”

That's why we've created a high-level inter-agency task force to better coordinate federal transportation and housing investments.

I'll have more information on this task force in another post, but you should know that I am quite comfortable pressing this joint initiative before my former House colleagues; I like an idea that makes sense. This idea makes sense.

Livable communities, the hometowns Americans deserve

Like going home. That's what I've been thinking about my visit to Congress today. I did, after all, serve my hometown Illinois district in the House of Representatives for 14 years. But, the truth is that Congress is not home; Peoria is. And communities like Peoria are the reason I'm going back to Congress today.

 

When I appear before the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee this afternoon, I do so on behalf of the Obama Administration, yes, but more importantly on behalf of communities like Peoria.

 

Fostering livable communities is a key aspect of President Obama’s urban policy agenda and Vice President Biden’s Middle Class initiative. The way we design our communities has a huge impact on our citizens’ social, physical, and economic wellbeing. Yet many Americans live in neighborhoods without sidewalks or access to public transportation.

 

Therefore, one of my highest priorities is to work closely with Congress, other Federal departments, the nation’s governors, and local officials to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs. By focusing on livability, we can help transform the way transportation serves the American people—and create safer, healthier communities that provide access to economic opportunities.

 

Today, I'll be sharing my appearance with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Together, we will announce a joint effort to revitalize our downtowns, foster walkable neighborhoods, and bring people, employers, and housing closer together through public transportation.

 

I can't offer the specifics until the hearing this afternoon, but I can say this: you will see federal agencies working together and sharing resources on behalf of America's hometowns.

Cities have good reason for optimism

This job just keeps getting better. Last month, I addressed transportation leaders from the States; today I get to address the National League of Cities. Just as I had good news for the states, today I can say there are many positives on the horizon for American cities.

Whether you're from a rural, suburban, or urban area, we all can agree that cities provide energy, diversity, and the capacity to drive economic activity. American cities are great innovators, and though times are tough in our cities right now, they will emerge from this challenge stronger and smarter, with new ideas and efficiencies that enhance the quality of urban life.

Because of the release of stimulus funds, cities will soon be humming with construction workers, engineers, and maintenance crews. You’ll see roads repaved, interchanges improved, and bus and rail systems repaired, upgraded, and expanded.

But, the stimulus is just the beginning. We need to find ways to keep people employed – and keep transportation healthy –after these recovery funds are expended. To that end, this administration is committed to strengthening and streamlining all federal transportation programs. As I told the National Bike Summit last week, we are absolutely committed to more livable, sustainable communities by reducing congestion, by building housing near transit, by supporting all modes of transportation.

Tomorrow, I will speak to a House Appropriations panel on our commitment to livable mobility. 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.

The highways, airports, and transit systems of cities must provide the mobility needed to move people and goods as safely and efficiently as possible. One of the pleasures of this job is knowing that, working together, that's a job we can get done.

States gear up for stimulus funds

“Democracy in Action” as New Websites and Accountability Standards Facilitate Transparency

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has triggered a remarkable surge of activity in all 50 states that goes far beyond the necessity of qualifying ready-to-go projects pursuing funding. At least 38 states have created new websites to help manage the project selection, disbursement, and oversight process, and new sites are going up almost daily. These brand new websites reflect President Obama’s commitment—and certainly mine as well—to keep the American public fully informed about what’s happening. That means spelling out investment levels, openly inviting project proposals, and explaining how the funds will be tracked and monitored.

Let me share a few examples:

Colorado

Governor Ritter has created an Economic Recovery and Accountability Board to provide oversight of ARRA funds—with the information to be posted online. 

Maine

Governor Baldacci has issued an executive order to ensure accountability, transparency, and legislative oversight of federal funds. 

Montana

Legislation is moving through the state Senate to create a commission—including private citizens—on ARRA oversight.

The list goes on from there.

I am greatly encouraged by how swiftly states are moving into position, so that they can deliver these funds where they are needed most—and put people to work as quickly as possible.

This is truly a great example of democracy in action. And as I’ve said repeatedly, the DOT will do its part to ensure that every dollar of ARRA is spent wisely, responsibly, and with full transparency.

Amtrak gets $1.3 billion in capital funding from stimulus

In the past two weeks, I've been fortunate to be able to announce the release of funds from the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for several different projects, projects that put Americans to work while also positioning the American economy for the future.

Today's good news, however, is a capital investment in America's rail capacity. And, by now everyone knows that any significant Amtrak announcement ought to be handled by one of its most faithful passengers, Vice President Joe Biden.

So, today Vice President Biden announced $1.3 billion in grants to Amtrak. This roughly doubles the size of Amtrak's capital investment program over a two-year period. Funds will be used to upgrade railroad assets and infrastructure and for capital projects that expand passenger rail capacity. In the spirit of the stimulus, these funds will create jobs near recently closed manufacturing facilities in areas that have been hard hit by the economic downturn.

We're putting idle cars back in service. We're rebuilding key elements of the power supply that have been in service since the 1920s. And, we're installing positive-train-control for increased safety.

A while ago I told National Public Radio that rail travel would be "a transformational issue for this administration when it comes to transportation," and this grant, managed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), begins to make good on that claim.  As James RePass, leader of the National Corridors Initiative said, "Suddenly, we have a president who absolutely, positively gets it." Columnist Neal Pierce says the change in rail policy by this administration "couldn't be more dramatic."

We are committed to a modern rail system-for freight, for passengers, for America.

Cyclists are important users of transportation systems

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of addressing the National Bike Summit. I was invited to speak as a member of the Obama administration, but I have been a supporter of bicycling for many years and was a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus when I was in Congress.

Still, I don't think the League of American Bicyclists knew what to expect when they invited me to their summit.

I hope they were pleasantly surprised because I am committed to investing in programs that encourage bikes to coexist with other modes and to safely share our roads and bridges. And there’s strong support in Congress for these goals as well.

In the Department of Transportation, bicyclists have a full partner in working toward livable communities. We're excited that the Federal Highway Administration is looking at best practices in Europe to improve safety and mobility for walkers and cyclists. We're excited that a federally funded pilot project to study the effects of improved walking and bicycling facilities in four communities is underway. I think I conveyed that excitement to the summit, judging by the early response (BikePortland.org, Streetsblog.org)

I welcome the vigor of the bicycling community in advocating for bike-friendly measures in the upcoming authorization bill, CLEAN-TEA. Bicycles are a critical part of a cleaner, greener future in American transportation, so keep those wheels spinning.

Secretary's Blog 3/12/09

First Economic Recovery Act Money Released

$12 Million for Pennsylvania Airports

The Department of Transportation has lived up to its promise to move Recovery Act funds out the door as quickly as possible.

Providing additional resources for critical aviation projects as part of this historic effort is especially important.

Pittsburgh International and Allegheny County Airports will receive the first funding allocations for airport infrastructure projects..

I’m committed to getting this economy moving again, and these grants are a part of making that happen.

This is money that will create jobs now, but it’s also an investment in the long-term safety of our airports and their economic vitality. It’s also a critical investment in our nation’s airport infrastructure that will boost the local economy by providing jobs for Pittsburgh-area residents.

The FAA is moving swiftly to work with airport sponsors to ensure that all of the roughly 3,400 airports eligible to receive Recovery Act funds obtain those funds for eligible projects as soon as possible.

As with all projects funded through the Recovery Act, taxpayers can monitor how this money is spent by visiting www.recovery.gov.

  

Senate Testimony Highlights Need for Public Transportation Investment

 

Today I testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs.   With the current authorization set to expire at the end of September, the time is right to examine our current highway, transit and rail programs to see how they might better serve the traveling public and contribute to America’s economic recovery, and I welcomed this opportunity for a dialogue with the Senate on our nation’s transportation needs.

Even before we act on the new authorization, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) already has resulted in a $48 billion down payment toward much-needed investment in our transportation infrastructure.  Funds are already going out to states, local governments and airport authorities, putting people back to work while improving the safety and efficiency of our transportation system.

In my confirmation hearing just over one month ago, I outlined four key themes for my tenure as Secretary.  In addition to economic recovery, which is my primary immediate concern, and safety, which is always an important part of the mission of the Department, I suggested that sustainability and livability would be hallmarks of my policies.  As I told the committee, these principles must become an integral part of all of our transportation planning.

It is clear that our transportation system and the development it enables must be sustainable.  Climate change must be acknowledged as a reality.  Funding for public transportation must increase to help out here.  Sustainability must permeate all we do, from highways and transit to aviation and ports.

I am also committed to a strong focus on people and communities where they live and work. This implies a commitment to livability -- that is, investing in ways that respect the unique character of each community.  The era of one-size-fits-all transportation projects must give way to one where preserving and enhancing unique community characteristics, be they rural or urban, is a primary goal, rather than an afterthought.  I intend to make livable communities a major part of reauthorization.  

That is why I am especially pleased that ARRA makes available $8.4 billion for capital expenditures for our nation’s public transit, especially at a time when transit ridership is at a 50-year high.  This funding will address the need to restore and improve our nation’s transit systems, and at the same time save or create thousands of good, well-paid jobs across America.

The Senators and I agreed that there is much work ahead of us.  I believe that working together we can craft an improved federal surface transportation program that helps improve the lives of the American people.

Focus on Accountability and Transparency

 

President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Congress have sent a very strong, clear message to the American people:  Every dollar spent through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be accounted for.  I couldn’t agree more.

 

This money will be spent by the book. No shortcuts. No boondoggles. And full transparency.

 

At the Department of Transportation, we are absolutely committed to accountability.

 

The true meaning of bipartisanship is when the President gives the only Republican in his nominated Cabinet the most amount of money to spend in the recovery program.

 

They may sound like kidding around, but I do not take this responsibility lightly.  Not at all.

 

The American people have put a tremendous amount of trust in their government, and they deserve to see that trust pay dividends in careful, well-documented spending.

 

That is why I am personally addressing Department of Transportation employees regarding our peculiar responsibility for $48 billion in ARRA funds.  While we have always taken our oversight role seriously, now it’s time to kick it up a notch.

 

And, we have already jumped out in front of this by establishing our TIGER team of leaders across several offices to manage these funds. Their task is to track the money as it is being spent, ensure transparency, and meet all accountability requirements.

 

I have directed all DOT employees to cooperate fully with that team, and I fully expect they will.

 

The transparency made possible by recovery.gov provides yet another layer of accountability.  So, as we at DOT go about the important business of creating jobs and encouraging economic development around the nation, I expect the American people to hold our feet to the fire.

Vice President Biden and Secretary LaHood Highlight Impact of $8.4 Billion in Public Transportation Investments

Miami Intermodal Center Cited as Model for 21st Century Transportation Hub

Today Vice President Biden and I visited the site of an ambitious public transportation project in Miami, Florida, that represents the future of transportation—and provides a window onto our economic recovery. We stood on the site of the Miami Intermodal Center, a massive ground transportation hub that will connect Miami International Airport with commuter rail, transit and intercity buses, airport shuttles, and other modes of transportation—even bicycles.

The future of greater Miami as a major center for commerce and tourism rests with projects like this one. The project is very much in line with our key goals at DOT: safe travel, less traffic, and livable, greener communities that offer many transportation choices.

The DOT is financing about a third of this $1.7 billion project. And today, the project got an added boost. Vice President Biden announced that the Florida Department of Transportation would be able to invest an additional $2.1 million in the project, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These funds will be used to relocate an aging Miami Greyhound Terminal to the intermodal center, from its existing isolated location.

As the Vice President noted, what’s happening here in Miami, is happening all over America. Resources are being put to work not only creating jobs not, but also investing in the future.

This is only the beginning.

President Obama, Vice President Biden Visit DOT

President Obama, Vice President Biden Visit DOT
To Mark Historic Transportation Investment

Today, history was made at the U.S. Department of Transportation when, for the first time ever, a sitting President and Vice President paid a joint visit to the Department.  The occasion was even more significant because President Obama, along with Vice President Biden, announced funding for the first round of transportation projects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The $26.6 billion made available today, to be distributed by the Federal Highway Administration, will boost the nation’s economy while helping states and local transportation authorities repair and build highways, roads and bridges.

Some of the funds went to work today on the first project approved under the recovery legislation – the resurfacing of a one-mile stretch of State Route 650 in Montgomery County, MD.  This project will not only mean a smoother, safer ride for motorists using the highway, but also will support 60 local jobs.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will enable our nation to rebuild, retool, and revitalize the vast network of roads, tunnels, bridges, bus and rail systems, airports, and waterways, that we have long depended on to keep the economy moving and growing.

Among the approximately 500 DOT employees greeting the President and Vice President were members of the team I created to accurately track the money as it is being spent, ensuring transparency and that all accountability requirements are being met.  The team, known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) team, is composed of officials from across the Department and is co-chaired by Lana Hurdle, deputy assistant secretary for budget and programs, and Joel Szabat, deputy assistant secretary for transportation policy.  I’m very proud of the team we’ve assembled to accurately track the money as it is spent, and ensure it is spent properly. 

In the coming days and weeks, millions of men and women around the United States will go to work, rebuilding America—while earning an honest paycheck to support their families and their communities.  Today’s events demonstrate that President Obama is keeping his promise to the American people to improve our infrastructure and put Americans back to work.