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

As millions of Americans of all ages hit the road this weekend, many of them are going by bus. Bus travel is an affordable and efficient way to connect to destinations across the country. It's also one of the safest forms of travel. But it can always be safer.

From August 13 through August 27, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and our state and local law enforcement partners carried out a nationwide bus safety inspection sweep. FMCSA has been conducting these regional and national strike forces for the past 7 years. The reason is simple –to identify unsafe bus companies and drivers, get them off the road or out of business until they fix the problem, and keep our roads safe.

Oregon Division Safety Investigator David Bacon inspects a bus in Beaverton, Oregon, as part of an Agency-wide effort to check double-decker buses. (Photo by David Rios, Oregon Division State Program Manager)

When I visited Boston’s South Station earlier this month, I saw first-hand how our law enforcement community came together to conduct numerous inspections to make bus travel as safe as possible. Inspections like the ones I witnessed were conducted across the country in national parks, historic sites, amusement parks, and other popular destinations during the strike force.

And our safety reach is growing. For the first time, buses were inspected at locations such as Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Thousands of miles away, the island of Guam issued a special proclamation in recognition of the bus strike force. Far and wide, the need to ensure safety took priority for bus passengers at every inspection site. This good enforcement work by our dedicated investigators and inspectors has made travel safer for all bus passengers passengers –and all motorists who share the road with them..

Safety Investigator Mark Halter conducts a curbside inspection as part of the National Passenger Project.

We’re also keeping up our focus on unsafe curbside buses along the I-95 corridor that began tearlier this year. Inspections took place near traditional destination points along busy East Coast highways, and we targeted tire and weight restrictions on motorcoaches to prevent dangerous crashes caused by tire blow-outs.

For many of us, transportation is about getting where we need to go. For American businesses, transportation is about getting goods to markets. At DOT, we think about transportation in both ways---but we can't stop there. We've also been working closely with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make sure that health is part of the transportation conversation.

And we were pleased to partner with HHS and the CDC yesterday for a White House Roundtable on Health and Transportation.

We know that the transportation choices we make play an important role in building and maintaining healthy communities. For example, safer roadways and traffic patterns reduce crashes. Streets where walkers and bikers are protected from motor vehicles encourage people to get more exercise as part of their daily routines. Increasing the transportation options available in a community helps reduce congestion and air pollution even as it ensures that communities have access to necessary services like full-service grocery stores and doctors' offices.

That's why we brought a wide range of experts together to talk about how to build communities that support healthy, active living through coordinated transportation and health policies. Yesterday's roundtable, "Health and Transportation in the Built Environment," featured representatives from the health, wellness, livability, transportation planning, public transportation, walking and biking, complete streets, accessibility, environmental, and injury prevention communities.

Nearly 28,000 local public agencies--mostly cities, counties, and towns--own and operate about 75 percent of our nation’s highways. That’s roughly 2.9 million miles of local roads. To put that in perspective, just about all travel by people and goods begins or ends on a local road. To keep these critical roads in good condition, these agencies receive close to $7 billion each year in Federal-aid funding – around 15 percent of the entire budget for the Federal-aid Highway Program.

That’s 15 percent of our highway funds supporting 75 percent of our nation’s highways, so it’s important that local public agencies are well-versed on the ins and outs of our program and its requirements. The better prepared they are, the better they can oversee new projects, deliver them efficiently to the public and give taxpayers the best value for their tax dollars.

Earlier this week, in partnership with the American Public Works Association (APWA), we launched a new and innovative resource called Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies. This resource puts key information about Federal-aid requirements on a single public website, giving local public agency staffers a centralized hub for guidance, policies, procedures, and best practices for administering Federal-aid projects.

The website’s main feature is a library of videos covering key aspects of project development and the delivery process. Need to know more about the environmental review process? Want to make sure you’re complying with our policies on Disadvantaged Business Enterprises? It’s all there in the video library presented in clear and concise language that users can easily understand.

This is a monumental day for the American people, the U.S. auto industry and the Obama Administration’s efforts to make our cars more efficient. Today, DOT and the Environmental Protection Agency are finalizing national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for passenger cars and light trucks built in the years 2017 through 2025.

Thanks to their work, the car or light truck you'll be driving in 2025 will not be your grandfather's Oldsmobile. The Administration’s combined fuel economy efforts represent the first meaningful update to fuel efficiency standards in decades. By 2025, the average car will achieve a fuel economy performance equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon, nearly double that of cars on the road today.

This will help American families keep more of their hard-earned paychecks into their pockets and spend less at the pump while still preserving the features and vehicle choices consumers want. In total, the Administration’s national program to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion on gas over the lifetime of a 2025 vehicle.

It will also slash U.S. oil consumption by 12 billion barrels, dramatically reducing our reliance on foreign suppliers.

President Obama understands that when Americans have the option of using less fuel, everybody wins. As our cars become more efficient, we spend less money refilling them, we preserve a crucial resource, and we reduce harmful carbon emissions. And he's exactly right. Consumers have already responded to the Administration's fuel efficiency standards for Model Years 2011 through 2016, and it shows in the popularity of cars like GM's Chevy Cruze and trucks like the Ford F-150 equipped with an EcoBoost engine instead of the conventional V-8.

Beneath our feet, our roads, and our houses, lie 2.6 million miles of pipelines carrying the natural gas and other resources we rely on to heat our water, cook our food, and fuel our economy. These pipelines are tremendously important, but they can also pose serious safety risks.

Hitting a pipeline by mistake while digging endangers your entire community. In fact, since 2002, excavation damage to pipelines has resulted in 38 deaths, 148 injuries, and more than $190 million in property damage. Many of these incidents are preventable, and our state partners are working hard to spread the safe-digging message.

So today, DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is announcing nearly $1.6 million in grants to 22 different states to strengthen and support their pipeline damage prevention programs.

The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety Act of 2006 outlines nine elements of an effective damage prevention program, and the grants we're announcing today will help states continue putting these elements into place.

As PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman said, “Pipeline damage prevention is a key component of protecting people and the environment. These grants will help states continue to focus on preventing pipeline accidents through education, training and enforcement.”

You can click here to see if your state is on the list of today's grant recipients and to find the safety agency working to prevent pipeline damage in your community.

As I wrote in yesterday's blog post, America's freight system is the lifeblood of our economy. When it's healthy, we can move goods quickly and efficiently to benefit both businesses and consumers across the country. So I'm pleased to announce that we're launching a Freight Policy Council to focus on improving the condition and performance of our national freight network to better ensure our ability to compete in today’s global economy.

The recent transportation bill--Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP21--that President Obama signed earlier this summer establishes a national freight policy and calls for the creation of a National Freight Strategic Plan.  And DOT’s Freight Policy Council will develop these and work on other key freight provisions in the legislation. 

Trucks and trains deliver and await containers at the Port of Seattle

A strong freight transportation system is essential for helping meet President Obama’s goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.

And nowhere is our progress toward the President's goal better demonstrated than in the State of Washington, where the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma move $20 billion in cargo each year and support more than 300,000 jobs. Their capacity is complemented by a rail and highway network that in 2010 allowed shippers to move 533 million tons of goods across the state.

Yesterday, I joined several of my DOT colleagues for a White House Business Council forum on American Economic Competitiveness focused on Transportation Infrastructure. It was great to sit down with businessmen and women from across the country; listen to their concerns and ideas; and discuss the Administration's initiatives on economic development, freight and passenger movement, and infrastructure financing.

Deputy Secretary Porcari at yesterday's roundtable; all photos courtesy Brian Farber, FTA.

It was exciting to meet with business leaders who understand that our transportation policies affect their bottom lines, and we heard over and over yesterday that transportation is an important priority for local chambers of commerce and their members.

Without freight corridors --whether air, sea, river, road, or rail-- businesses can't get access to raw materials or move their products to market. Without adequate transportation, employees can't get to their jobs and can't travel to meet distant vendors and customers to help grow their enterprises.

During the Obama Administration, transportation investments have generated much-needed jobs and have begun the critical task of rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. We have seen great success through both the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, and especially through our Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, a multimodal, competitive, and tremendously successful initiative helping communities develop the transportation solutions that best fit their needs.

Yesterday's participants acknowledged these successes and indicated that they would like to see even more progress being made. I was particularly happy to hear them say that they want to help be the drivers of transportation change. And I know that the private sector will play an increasingly important role in America's transportation future.

Team DOT listens carefully: (l-r) John Porcari, Greg Nadeau, Joseph Szabo, Peter Rogoff.

Our White House session also provided an opportunity for members of our senior team--including Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, and Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Greg Nadeau--to highlight important aspects of the new surface transportation legislation—Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21). 

The business community played a key role in calling for a long-term transportation bill, and in our meeting these leaders reinforced the need for federal, state, and local government to continue working closely with the private sector to share valuable information about how we're implementing MAP-21 moving forward.

Orrin “Mac” MacMurray, chairman of the C&S Companies in Syracuse, NY,
discusses transportation initiatives at White House forum.

Chris Bertram, DOT Assistant Secretary for Budget, also discussed project financing opportunities available through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA).  This innovative program provides credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to finance surface transportation projects of national and regional significance.

Improving America's transportation system is no easy task. And whether it's the U.S. Congress, State DOTs, or regional planning agencies, we can always use willing partners. So, we're excited to see growing private sector interest and involvement in transportation initiatives taking place across the country, and we look forward to an ongoing dialogue with the business community.

For farmers and other businesses in the West, the Port of Lewiston, Idaho, provides a critical link--through the Snake and Columbia rivers--to the Port of Portland and the Pacific Ocean. In 2011, cargo exported from the port reached 17 different countries, including 85 percent of the soft white wheat, peas and lentil grown in the region.

Yesterday, with Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter, U.S. Senator Jim Risch, and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, I had the opportunity to tour the port, and it was clear to see how important its container pier is to this community, to the state, and to the region. It was also clear to see how important it is to expand the port's capacity.

Many thanks to Senator Crapo for posting this photo on his Facebook page

The Lewiston-Clarkston Valley is one of few American communities with more than 50,000 residents that also lies more than an hour's drive from the nearest interstate highway, which makes the Port of Lewiston even more essential to the region's economy and explains why the port is one of the primary inland export terminals in the nation.

Expanding and upgrading this key port will allow farmers and other businesses even greater access to global markets. And that's exactly what a $1.3 million grant from DOT's TIGER program will help the Port of Lewiston accomplish.

For more than three years, DOT has been leading the charge to end America's distracted driving epidemic. We have worked tirelessly to let people know that texting or talking on a cell phone behind the wheel puts everyone on the road at risk.

In that time, we've been lucky enough to work with many individuals and organizations who share our commitment to safety. And today, I'm thrilled to welcome another partner to our effort: the hit FOX TV show Glee.

A few months ago, Glee featured a major storyline about the dangers of distracted driving. Quinn Fabray, one of the show's main characters played by Dianna Agron, was seriously injured in a car crash caused by texting while driving.

Today, footage from that episode is being used in a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) designed to help young people get the message that texting and driving don't mix. The "On My Way" PSAs emphasize that just reading a text message behind the wheel can take your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds – enough time to drive the length of a football field.

“This was a story we wanted to tell because we know the influence our show can have in starting conversations and raising awareness,” said Glee executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy. “We had been looking for an opportunity to tell the story of how a few seconds of carelessness could have a devastating impact on people’s lives, and we’ve already heard from thousands of our fans about how this story touched them."

Today, we're taking a huge step forward in our understanding of transformative road safety technology. In partnership with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the community of Ann Arbor, we are launching the largest ever vehicle pilot program that will eventually include 3,000 vehicles actually communicating with other vehicles to help drivers survive crashes or avoid them altogether.

Cars talking to cars is the future of automotive safety. Wirelessly connected vehicles will allow us to do more than protect people in a crash or whittle down the number of crashes in America; this Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technology has the potential to prevent or reduce the severity of 80 percent of all crash scenarios involving non-impaired drivers.

And the volunteers in Ann Arbor will help us better understand that potential on a community-wide scale.

During the next year, real people are going to drive nearly 3,000 V2V-equipped vehicles as they go about their normal lives. They'll drive them to work. They'll drive them to school. They'll drive them to the grocery store, the doctor's office, or to the post office.

What will these vehicles say to each other that could lead to better road safety? Simply that one vehicle is approaching another or is sitting in your blind-spot in a nearby lane. How does that lead to safety? By informing drivers of what they cannot see or of dangerous situations that are only beginning to develop, giving the driver more time to react.

It's simple really. Providing better information to the driver leads to safer decisions behind the wheel.

America's merchant fleet is an essential part of our transportation system, a key player in our economy, and an important resource in our national defense. For more than seven decades, the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, has trained young men and women for careers at sea in the service of our nation and instilled in them the discipline, skill, and character to become leaders in the maritime industry.

Since taking office, this Administration has made a comprehensive effort to renew the Academy's facilities and teaching resources. Today, Kings Point has secured a new training vessel--the MV Liberty Star--that will help the Academy's midshipmen take their preparation to the next level.

As Senator Charles Schumer, a staunch champion of the Academy, said, “When we toured the Academy, I asked for three things, and today we are batting 3-for-3: we have a new superintendent in place, we were able to increase capital funding in the senate appropriations bill and now we have a new training vessel on its way.” 

Those familiar with the historic U.S. Space Shuttle program will recognize the Liberty Star as one of NASA's two solid rocket booster recovery vessels. Along with its twin, the MV Freedom Star, Liberty Star played a vital role in NASA's shuttle missions, positioning itself 140 miles offshore of Cape Canaveral in advance of shuttle launches to retrieve the two 146-foot, 200,000-pound reusable booster casings ejected during shuttle flight.

After shipyard work to add sleeping berths and other training features, the Liberty Star will immediately add tremendous value to the Academy. Marking the transfer agreement between NASA and DOT's Maritime Administration, Academy Superintendent Rear Admiral James Helis said, "This state-of-the-art training vessel will help us provide the best education and hands-on experience for our future maritime leaders.”

In 2002, DOT launched the Small Community Air Service Development Program to help address the challenges of securing local air service in communities that lacked access to air travel.

For these small markets, obstacles like high fares, insufficient levels of service, and lack of competition pose significant barriers. But during the past decade, SCASDP awards have helped more than 300 communities develop good projects that eliminate those barriers. From providing financial incentives to carriers to conducting studies of expanded service, DOT is helping smaller communities attract the air service they need.

And last week, we announced a new round of grants to 33 more communities.

From Culebra, Puerto Rico, to Corpus Chrsti, Texas, and on up to Casper, Wyoming, the $13.9 million we awarded will go a long way toward helping these communities maintain important access to our national air transportation system.

Mural at Casper, WY, airport

At DOT, safety is our number one priority.  We care about everyone, but we have a special responsibility to protect our most vulnerable passengers –America’s kids– and do everything possible to keep them safe.

Last Friday, I was pleased to join U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to focus on a danger that is 100 percent preventable: the deadly combination of summer heat and children left alone inside of hot cars.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children under the age of 14.  Since 1998, at least 550 children nationwide have lost their lives to vehicular heatstroke, and most of those children were age three or younger.  Already this summer, there have been at least 23 deaths and an unknown number of serious injuries to children left unattended in hot vehicles.

While parents and caregivers are the first line of defense, everyone has a role to play in preventing these needless tragedies. That’s why it's so important that we're joining forces with HHS to mobilize the network of Head Start and child care providers nationwide to prevent further tragedies.

At DOT, we know that America’s transportation infrastructure is in need of attention, while construction workers across the country remain eager to get back on the job repairing, replacing, and modernizing our roads, rails, and runways.

Over the last decade, Congress has set aside $473 million in transportation funds that were never spent.  These idle earmarks have sat on the shelf as our infrastructure continues to age and fall into disrepair, and hundreds of thousands of construction workers look for work.  That ends today.

I’m excited to announce that this Administration is freeing up this unspent money and giving it right back to the states so that they can spend it on the infrastructure projects they need most.

As President Obama said today, "My administration will continue to do everything we can to put Americans back to work.  We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges."

Commercial drivers and the inspectors who help keep their vehicles properly maintained play a critical role in keeping our roadways safe. And last week, the best inspectors and drivers from across the country gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to show off their skills and engage in a little friendly competition.

FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro was on hand for the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC), where fifty roadside inspectors from across the U.S. and Canada turned out to compete against each other by inspecting hazmat vehicles, passenger buses, and cargo haulers.

Administrator Ferro presents Grand Champion Award to Christopher Smithen.

Christopher Smithen, a certified inspector from the Nevada Highway Patrol, was this year's big winner of the Grand Champion Award for his exemplary performance at the event.

As Administrator Ferro said, "The NAIC is a great opportunity to recognize the top safety inspectors from across the country who are working to save lives on our roadways every day."  

An inspector during the competition.

Following the Inspectors Championship, attention in the Minneapolis Convention Center turned to some of America's best commercial drivers.  The National Truck Driving Championships, also known as the "Super Bowl of Safety," challenge competitors' driving skills and knowledge of safety, equipment, and the trucking industry. This year, the American Trucking Association event celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Yesterday, NHTSA kicked off its annual anti-drunk driving campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” More than 10,000 police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country will support the campaign, which begins August 17th and continues through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Their goal: to help get drunk drivers off our roads.

Thanks to the dedication and hard work of law enforcement and our safety partners, we've made significant progress in reducing roadway deaths in recent years. In fact, alcohol-related driving deaths in 2010 declined in many parts of the country. But there's still work to be done.

New NHTSA statistics show that 70 percent of deaths in drunk driving crashes in 2010 involved drivers with a blood alcohol level that was nearly twice the .08 legal limit. People aren't just making poor decisions about drinking and driving--they're getting deeply intoxicated before getting behind the wheel.

The horrific result is that alcohol-impaired crashes account for nearly one in three deaths on American roadways each year. That’s the equivalent of one death every 51 minutes.

But we know that through tough laws, consistent enforcement, and ongoing public education campaigns, we can make significant progress. And we're fortunate to have strong safety partners joining us in the “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Administrator Strickland at the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" kickoff in Washington, DC.

It’s no secret that safety is DOT’s number one priority.  That’s why I’m grateful to organizations like the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) for all they do to promote safety on our nation’s roads.

Each October, NETS hosts Drive Safely Work Week, an opportunity for organizations to help their employees focus on safe driving.  And while the 16th annual Drive Safely Work Week doesn’t begin until October 1, it’s never too early to start thinking about how we can make our roads safer for everyone.

NETS makes available a Drive Safely Work Week toolkit for employers, which is now available at www.trafficsafety.org. Now is the time for employers to download the toolkit and begin thinking about how to mark this important week and help employees focus on driving safely whether they're at work, on vacation, shuttling kids to soccer practice, or just running errands around town.

As summer progresses around the northern hemisphere, the navigation season on the St. Lawrence Seaway has been a busy one. And last week, Deputy Secretary John Porcari traveled to Massena, NY, to see DOT's Seaway facilities first-hand.

What he saw in the North Country is people working hard to keep the American economy moving forward.

In Massena, Deputy Secretary Porcari told the men and women of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation that, "We know you keep the Snell and Eisenhower locks open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the season. And we know that your work makes it possible for American-made goods to get to markets around the globe."

Deputy Secretary Porcari meets Seaway employees in Massena.

And he's right about that. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System is a tremendously important resource. Moving goods by water lets consumers and producers save money, and it helps protect our environment by reducing carbon emissions.

This means that, through the Seaway, we can ship goods affordably from the Midwest out to the world. That includes bringing agricultural products to markets so America's farmers can thrive. And it includes exporting raw materials and finished goods so American workers can earn a good paycheck and feed their families.

At DOT, we’re committed to helping Americans get the transportation options they want--whether you want to ride a bike in one of our world class national parks or take a train through the heartland, we're working to make sure you have a choice.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our country’s great national treasures, Grand Teton National Park, to celebrate the completion of the Jackson-to-Jenny Lake multi-use path network.

This is a project that benefits everyone who lives in and visits Jackson Hole by giving park visitors another transportation option, improving safety, and enhancing the quality of life in the region.

The new pathway is also a model for parks and rural communities across the country. It demonstrates that biking is not just an option for urbanites in the big cities--it’s a good option for Americans in rural areas, too.

The project enhances rural livability by providing a well-connected bicycling network between Grand Teton National Park, The National Elk Refuge, Teton County, and the Town of Jackson.

DOT was proud to give $4.3 million in federal funds to help build the 6.5 mile section stretching from Gros Ventre Junction to Moose.

In its entirety, the path now stretches over 20 miles through the most breathtaking scenery in the country.

With summer winding down, many Americans are making a mad dash to finish those last minute back yard projects. Installing a fence, planting shrubbery or even hiring a contractor might seem simple enough, but digging underground can be dangerous--if you don’t call 8-1-1 two to three days before. With 2.6 million miles of pipelines crisscrossing the country, some could be right in your own backyard.

That’s why I’m urging you to stay safe and know what’s below; call 811 before you dig.

A Washington Gas representative marks underground utlity lines prior to excavation

In case you’ve missed my previous posts about it, 811 is a toll-free national number that alerts local companies to mark underground utilities in your area so you can dig around them safely.

Each year, DOT and our safety partners across the country mark August 11 as National 8-1-1 Day. It's an opportunity to remind people that the natural gas and other liquids we rely on to heat our water, cook our food, and fuel our economy are transported beneath our feet--and our shovels.

To mark National 8-1-1 Day 2012, officials from our Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration today partnered with local safety officials and Washington Gas to demonstrate how calling 8-1-1 works and how first responders handle incidents resulting from failure to make that call.

PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman

Today's Air Travel Consumer Report has terrific news for airline passengers: During the first six months of 2012, the 15 largest U.S. airlines posted the highest on-time arrival rate for any January-June period in the 18 years the Department has collected comparable data.

The good news doesn't end there. Air carriers also posted their lowest rate of mishandled baggage for the January-June period—2.97 reports for every 1,000 passengers—since this data was first reported 25 years ago.

And, for domestic flights in the U.S., airlines reported only four tarmac delays longer than three hours. That is a tremendous reduction from the 586 extended tarmac delays suffered by U.S. airline passengers in 2009, the last year before DOT's historic tarmac delay rule. Even better, the airlines have achieved that reduction while also recording their lowest flight cancellation rate--just 1.1 percent--of the last 18 years.

When she was young, Lois Gordon lost her 17-year-old brother in a car crash that devastated her family. Later in life, after she became a mother, she lived in fear that one day there would be a knock on the door about her only son.

On May 18, 2008, that day happened.

Her son, John T. Gordon, nicknamed "Rusty" for the color of his hair when he was a boy, built his life in Marion, Ohio. He was a law enforcement officer who worked alongside his father as part of the only father-son bailiff pair in the state of Ohio.

This was a point of pride for him and his father, John P.T. Gordon, but his real joy came from being a husband and a father to his son and daughter.  According to his mother, Lois, John made sure to attend every sports event, recital, and dance class his kids participated in.

On May 18, 2008, John was riding his motorcycle on Ohio State Route 4 when a young man driving a truck swerved into oncoming traffic. John was struck and died instantly.

Records later showed that the driver was using his cell phone at the time of the crash.

“Before our son was killed, I never thought about people using their cell phones while driving.  But now, I see it everywhere,” said Lois. “We're missing the birthdays, the holidays, our son walking his daughter down the aisle. And for what? A telephone?”

As Lois says, "You may get away with it four or five times, ten times, or fifty times--and not get hurt or hurt someone else--but there's going to be a day when you don't."

If you have a distracted driving story to share, email faces@distraction.gov.

Every summer, when high school and college students are taking a break from classes, the ranks of companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies swell with summer interns.

Here at DOT we welcome these eager young men and women, and we put them to work. With so many transportation professionals throughout the industry eligible for retirement, these fresh faces--and the skills and preparation they represent--will have a very important role to play in America's transportation future. And when that time comes, we want to make sure they are ready and willing to step up to the plate.

In addition to transportation, the more than 400 DOT interns also have the opportunity to explore the field of public service. And you don't have to live in Washington, DC, to understand how important it is that our nation has bright and talented young men and women who are enthusiastic about helping government work for the American people.

At a recent town hall event, we had the opportunity to gather DOT's interns together in one room--and via teleconference--to thank them for their service, hear about their experiences, and encourage them to continue in the fields of transportation and public service.

As Deputy Secretary John Porcari said: "You've seen what we do, what our colleagues across federal, state, and local government do, and you've seen the great pride we take in delivering services to the American people every day. It's a position of trust, and it's one that we are honored to serve in. And I hope you've shared in that and will remember that feeling when you choose your careers."

In the last couple of weeks, several blog posts here have discussed how the new transportation bill, MAP-21, affects our highways. From a boost to our TIFIA program to faster project delivery, MAP-21 offers innovative steps forward for America's roads.

And today, Deputy Federal Transit Administrator Therese McMillan is speaking to the American Public Transportation Association's Sustainability Workshop about what MAP-21 means for our nation's transit systems.

Transit advocates should be cheered that MAP-21 declares: "It is in the interest of the United States, including the economic interest of the United States, to foster the development and revitalization of public transportation systems..."

The most important aspect of MAP-21 as it relates to transit is the new safety oversight role for FTA. Since 2009, this Administration has been pressing Congress to help us ensure that transit systems nationwide operate under a consistent set of safety standards. Now that MAP-21 has given FTA the authority to develop these safety standards, Americans will be able to ride transit with greater confidence than ever.

As Deputy Administrator McMillan said, "This will help ensure that transit is safer and more reliable than ever—that’s key to encouraging people to take transit, which is central to building sustainable communities."

FTA Deputy Administrator Therese McMillan, photo courtesy Pat Ryan, Business Visuals

When we invest in transportation, we create long-term benefits for people across regions, states, and the nation.

And yesterday, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez joined Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in Reno to celebrate the benefits of one such investment at the opening of the I-580 freeway extension.

Administrator Mendez and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval ride in a 1913 Pearce Arrow during the I-580 ribbon cutting. In the background, the beautiful Galena Creek Bridge, one of nine new bridges in the project. Photo courtesy Nevada DOT.

The new extension, which covers 8.5 miles and includes the construction of nine bridges, marks the completion of the state’s bold plan to build an interstate connecting two of Nevada's economic centers, Reno and Carson City. This corridor is helping to strengthen Nevada’s economy for generations to come by providing people and businesses with a safer, faster way to get where they need to go.

That’s an outstanding use of our highway dollars to meet some of our most important priorities: job creation, economic growth, relief from congestion, and – most importantly – safety.

Each year, vehicles on America's highways travel more than 2.9 trillion miles. Trillion. That means our nation's roadways are handling an incredible load--they are helping us get where we need to go, and they are absolutely essential to our economic competitiveness.

The critical role our highways serve also means we must do what we can to make them as safe and efficient as possible. And as you can see from the crews across the country widening lanes and building new bridges this summer, that's a lot of work.

To support that work, the Federal Highway Administration today announced more than $363 million in funding for a variety of highway projects. From interstate repair and maintenance to technologies that improve highway performance and reduce congestion from road construction, these investments will create jobs, increase safety, and keep our economy moving forward.

The FHWA invited states, cities, tribal governments and local planning organizations to apply for federal funding from 12 different grant programs. Congress authorized these programs to support projects that improve roadway safety, maintain the nation's roads and bridges, and make communities more livable.

Nearly 1,500 requests poured in from all corners of the country, totaling almost $2.5 billion. We awarded grants to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

As FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez said, "The President asked us to rebuild America, and that's exactly what we're doing--mile by mile. We have work to be done and Americans ready to do that work.”

At DOT, we are constantly looking for innovative partnerships to help solve our transportation challenges. Through our work in the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, we've helped communities boost economic development at the local level by thinking comprehensively about transportation, housing, and environmental needs. Good community planning requires a unified and collaborative approach.

That’s why DOT is proud to join HUD and EPA in supporting the Governors’ Institute on Community Design in a new effort to help states grow their economies and make better use of taxpayer dollars. And yesterday, Deputy Secretary John Porcari joined EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe and current and former governors from around the country for the launch of this exciting partnership.

This collaboration--which has grown out of our very successful Partnership for Sustainable Communities--will allow governors from across the country to tap the expertise of these three agencies to tackle pressing issues in their states.

It will ensure that the federal government supports cities and towns that are looking to create sustainable, healthy, and economically vibrant communities.

The Institute, established in 2005 and administered by Smart Growth America, helps governors create practical solutions to the individual issues facing their states, and develop a better understanding of how community design can be used to increase the social and economic well-being of their citizens.

It was my distinct pleasure to welcome the 2012 transportation Champions of Change recognized yesterday by the White House. The 14 individuals selected for this honor comprise an amazing roster of transportation excellence and leadership.

We've accomplished a lot at DOT in the past few years, but we did not do alone. In communities across the country, we have found bold, innovative leaders who have taken up the important cause of changing the way we think about transportation and have created jobs in the process.

These Champions are making a difference every day in their local communities and across the country. And, thanks to them, it is a new day for transportation in America.

White House Champions of Change with DOT leaders; photo credit Julie Fischer-McCarthy, DOT

Transportation today is not simply about building new roads or widening bridges. It's about looking at how people want to get where they need to go and how they are affected in different ways by the decisions we make.

It's about putting men and women back to work doing the work we need done. It's about incorporating the needs of employers who must have a reliable way of getting workers to their jobs. It's about saving aviation fuel and increasing the efficiency of our airspace and runways. It's about considering how a set of new transit stations will generate economic opportunity and help revitalize a neighborhood.

It's about examining the transportation requirements of people who have traditionally been overlooked or underserved. It's about reminding Americans that the rivers and rails that moved our freight for more than a century and a half are still thriving and keeping our economy moving forward in 2012. It's about transportation workers and their changing needs--whether it's training for new manufacturing opportunities, greater security at rest stops for truck drivers, or safer work zones for road crews.

And it's about building the kinds of communities where people can work, live, and play.

Meeting our nation's transportation challenges requires innovative thinking and the leadership skills to translate plans and dreams into greater mobility, better jobs, and more livable communities. And that is exactly what these Champions of Change have demonstrated--each and every one.