Secretary Anthony Foxx

SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition

College Station, TX

January 29, 2016

Good evening. I’d like to thank Marilyn for that introduction, as well as [Texas A&M University’s] President Young for welcoming me to this beautiful campus today.

As one of the top engineering and technology institutions in the country, Texas A&M is the perfect place to host a competition that is all about igniting groundbreaking ideas and encouraging young minds to solve some of the critical challenges we will face in the future. I’m excited to be here.

I want to also thank all of the folks at SpaceX for putting together this great competition.

And let me congratulate the more than 1,000 students and young innovators who are here representing over 100 universities, 3 high schools, and 21 countries.

You have put an incredible amount of time and effort into your designs and should be proud of the amazing work you are showcasing this weekend.

I’d like to kick off the pod design competition this evening by noting that this is a crucial time in the history of our nation’s transportation systems.

Almost exactly one year ago today, our Department released the Beyond Traffic framework, a report examining the challenges facing America’s infrastructure over the next three decades.

These challenges include a rapidly growing population, increasing freight volume, demographic shifts in rural and urban areas, and more frequent extreme weather events.

And one of the most crucial findings of this report is that we can expect a population growth of 70 million people and a 45 percent increase in U.S. freight volume by 2045, as well as a corresponding increase in demands on our transportation systems.

But you don’t need to look a decade or two down the road to see this increasing demand – we are already seeing it today. Last week our Federal Highway Administration reported that 2015 likely broke the record for most Vehicle Miles Traveled.

By the end of November, U.S. drivers had racked up about 2.9 trillion miles. We are still crunching the December 2015 numbers, but even if the data show no gain from December 2014 – which is unlikely – that would put the 2015 total over 3.1 trillion. That's 100 billion miles more than last year.

Each of those miles represents additional wear and tear on our roads. And when combined, those miles represent a significant challenge to our capacity and more traffic congestion. Which means lost time, lost money, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

At U.S. DOT we see that this pressure is mounting. And frankly, it’s alarming. But at the same time, we see new transportation technologies emerging – technologies like autonomous vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, and smart city infrastructure.

These innovative technologies are exciting, offering us solutions to meet the challenges outlined in Beyond Traffic and a chance to truly improve the safety and efficiency of transportation across the nation.

And this evening, we are gathered here to recognize one of those technology ideas. SpaceX's Hyperloop concept has captured the fascination of the nation and inspired the next generation to get excited about the future of transportation.

Even more impressive than its bold Hyperloop idea is SpaceX’s willingness to engage and involve bright young innovators in the process.

In fact, some of the teams on campus right now will have the opportunity to have a real impact on bringing this concept to life by testing their pods during a competition weekend at the Hyperloop test track in California this summer.

Now, I’ll admit that I had a lot of reservations when the Hyperloop concept was first unveiled. I reflexively felt that this proposal was impractical because it faced some seemingly insurmountable barriers.

And if there had been a Secretary of Transportation when the automobile was being invented, I guarantee that he or she would have thought that idea was unrealistic. The same would have been true when passenger air travel was first proposed.

Frankly, up until now, government hasn’t done a great job embracing proposals that are new and unfamiliar.

But, skepticism is the enemy of progress. And government must stop automatically saying “no” to innovative new ideas, choosing instead to give fair consideration to these proposals that have the potential to make life better for Americans.

That’s why our Department is working to transform government for the 21st Century, harnessing and supporting innovative technologies that have the ability to make our transportation systems safer and more efficient.

We are looking to play a constructive role in embracing new technologies, digging in to see how we can push the boundaries of what’s possible and leading the way toward a bright future for transportation.

One of the most effective tools we have for supporting innovative ideas like the Hyperloop is our University Transportation Centers, or UTC, Grant Program. 

UTCs are operated by colleges and universities across the country and play a critical role in advancing transportation technology through research and education.

We’ve made countless successful investments in the past, including right here at Texas A&M University. In fact, Texas A&M established one of the original UTCs and has received several grants since the program was first launched in 1988.

One of these grants funded the testing of Bluetooth devices designed to measure and report real-time traffic conditions. Another helped develop a Border Crossing Information System which produced data to help travelers and commercial freight operators manage trip times.

To date, the Department has awarded tens of millions of dollars to fund creative research projects in institutions across the country. And Congress recently authorized a new grant competition in the FAST Act, so I’m excited to say that we will be announcing the availability of additional UTC funding in the very near future.

Now, Beyond Traffic also illustrates that Americans want choice when it comes to the way they travel, and that the various modes of transportation are not in competition with one another. Rather, they are interdependent and part of an ecosystem. 

So, we are lending support to technological transitions when it comes to every mode of transportation, as well as launching some innovative initiatives to help cities and local communities embrace the technology of the future today.

Last month, our Department launched the Smart City Challenge, a competition to create a first-of-its-kind city that uses data, technology and creativity to shape how people and goods move in the future.

As a former mayor, I recognize that local leaders, planners, and stakeholders know the most about their respective transportation systems.

So, we are encouraging these local leaders to develop their own unique vision and blueprints to demonstrate to the world what a fully integrated, forward-looking transportation network looks like.

We will be awarding the winning city up to $40 million. But we’re also partnering with some of the most innovative folks in the private sector, including Paul Allen’s Vulcan, Inc. and Mobileye, to offer additional funding and support.

And we continue to invite other companies, non-profits, and universities to partner with us as the Challenge continues.

We believe this Challenge is going to do more than just help one city adopt innovative and forward-looking ideas. Instead, it will serve as the catalyst for more widespread change in numerous communities across America.

So, we are excited about this Challenge. And we are excited about the many other things that our Department and the Administration are doing to transform transportation, such as proposing $4 billion of investment over 10 years to fund pilot projects that help accelerate development of safe vehicle automation; launching pilot projects in cities throughout the country to test new smart technology in both infrastructure and vehicles; and deploying NextGen technology to upgrade the world’s largest and most complex air traffic control system.

These initiatives are important, but they are only part of the solution. It’s going to take the creativity and brainpower of folks across the board to ensure we are ready for the future.

And I believe we will truly be able to accomplish great things when we merge the technological might of the private sector and the vision of local leaders and city officials with the boundless imagination of young minds.

We are in a position today to do some incredible things in transportation. And I know we are going to see some groundbreaking achievements in the next decade or two because bright young individuals like those of you in this room are embracing and creating game-changing technologies that will improve our lives.

There is no question that we have some complicated challenges ahead of us. But what I see here today gives me great hope for the future.

So, thank you and good luck to you all. And I’m happy to take a few questions.

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