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

In Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012, our Federal Transit Administration signed more capital construction agreements for transit projects through its New Starts and Small Starts Program than in any two-year period in the agency’s history. That means that FTA is getting more transit projects started than ever before, bringing more communities the transportation options they want and need, and creating more jobs --hundreds of thousands of them-- at a time when families really need them.

Now, FTA is making a New Year's resolution to make it easier to submit projects for New Starts and Small Starts funding, and last week's Final Rule for Major Capital Investment Projects is a terrific first step. This revised approach streamlines the transit project approval process so communities can enjoy the benefits of transit more quickly.

The new rule reflects the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to strengthening public transportation across the nation as efficiently, effectively, and fairly as possible. It's also consistent with the President's Executive Order 13563, which called on Federal agencies to “modify, streamline, expand, or repeal” rules that may be “outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome.”

First, FTA is reducing regulations and red tape. FTA will allow project sponsors to bypass a detailed analysis of benefits that are unnecessary to justify a project. And FTA is developing methods that can be used to estimate necessary benefits using simpler approaches. Overall, these changes will significantly reduce the volume and complexity of the paperwork project sponsors have to submit.

That could save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars every year and help communities benefit from transit projects faster.

High-speed rail has been one of the defining initiatives at the Department of Transportation since President Obama took office in 2009.  His vision for safe, efficient, and convenient high-speed intercity train service is a vision shared by travelers all across the country.  And from coast to coast, 2012 saw many exciting developments on the high-speed rail front.

In California, one of America's most ambitious high-speed rail plans got a boost from dedicated partners at the state and federal levels.  Early in the year, the California High Speed Rail Authority released a revised business plan that lays out a faster, better, and more cost-effective path to building the rail system so critical to the state's economic future.  A few months later, Governor Jerry Brown signed a funding bill that provides nearly $5 billion in state funds for investments in rail infrastructure, which will be matched by $3 billion in federal funding.

DOT's support for California high-speed rail didn't stop there.  The FRA signed a Record of Decision clearing the final technical hurdle for construction on the Merced-Fresno segment, which the California High Speed Rail Authority now expects to break ground on in early 2013.  Additionally, the FRA is responding to President Obama's call to streamline the federal evaluation and permitting process by pledging to finish the environmental review of the Fresno-Bakersfield segment six months early.

The Federal Railroad Administration also helped open the door further for improved passenger rail service in the Midwest.  Just a few weeks ago, the FRA issued two Records of Decision about rail routes between Chicago and St. Louis, making the corridor eligible to compete for future federal funding.  

And passengers traveling between Chicago and St. Louis and Chicago and Detroit are starting to experience the benefits of high-speed rail firsthand: trains can now reach speeds of 110 miles per hour along segments of both of these routes.

One of the best things about MAP-21, the surface transportation law that President Obama signed earlier this year, is what it does for public transportation. 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."

To support that interest, the new law provides a big boost to the Federal Transit Administration's "State Of Good Repair" program. FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff and I have spent a considerable amount of time in communities across the United States, and we've seen first-hand how important it is to reinvest in transit.

So our commitment to bringing transit systems into a state of good repair across the nation really grows out of our awareness of  how great the need is.

And because MAP-21 provides $2.1 billion for State of Good Repair funding and $420 million in FTA's Bus and Bus Facilities formula program, we'll have a greater ability to help transit agencies keep their systems in the kind of condition passengers deserve.

MAP-21 also requires FTA to establish State of Good Repair performance measures and asks transit agencies to develop asset management plans to meet these standards. This will ensure that America’s public transportation is in good working order, whether you’re riding a bus in Portland, Maine, or a streetcar in Portland, Oregon.

Cross-posted courtesy of The Washington Post

Readers might recall that DOT was the most-improved large agency in this year's "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" rankings. Recently, I spoke with Tom Fox, a guest writer of the Washington Post’s On Leadership section and its Fed Coach blog. Mr. Fox is also the vice president for leadership and innovation at the Partnership for Public Service, which publishes the rankings, and he heads up the Partnership’s Center for Government Leadership.

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When you became secretary in 2009, DOT was ranked last among large agencies in levels of employee satisfaction and commitment. What was your reaction and how did you feel when the agency received recognition for improving so dramatically in 2012?

When I [found out] that DOT was last, I was stunned. I made a commitment that day to do everything I could do to engage people and really change morale and opinions at the department. Four years later, we’ve accomplished a lot. We still have a lot more to do, obviously. But I am really proud of it. It’s not a one-man show by any means. It’s a result of an all-out team effort from a group of people that made a commitment to improve the way people think about the workplace at DOT. This was very focused and comprehensive.

What were some initiatives DOT undertook to turn around employee engagement?

You may not know this, but the majority of our employees are FAA employees. There was no secret around here about how disenchanted National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) workers were for not having a contract for five years. One of our first goals was to reach a contract, which we did within 100 days of my being sworn in. Reaching that goal, and satisfying that number of employees, set us on a course that people understood, that showed that we care about our employees. It felt like it was a very good giant first step.

Two things I think directly impact our employees — we didn’t have a health-care center at headquarters, and we have over 5,000 employees. One of our goals was pretty simple: Establish a health clinic, which we’ve done.

This weekend, many Americans will be on the road. Whether they're heading toward reunions with family or friends, they'll be sharing the highways with others heading toward similarly warm gatherings of loved ones.

They'll also be sharing the highways with America's truck drivers.

The same truck drivers whose work makes it possible for stores to keep their shelves stocked for last-minute holiday shoppers. The same truck drivers who will be driving throughout the week to ensure that our grocery stores have food and our gas stations have fuel. And the same truck drivers who are on our roads delivering the goods 365 days a year, rain or shine.

As Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro said, "America's many safe and skilled truck drivers are heroes of our highways, not only for bringing us what we want for this holiday season, but also for all the goods they deliver that we depend on throughout the year."

I couldn't agree more. And I also couldn't agree more with Administrator Ferro's suggestion to the rest of us this holiday season:

"Let’s give these drivers back a gift we can all live with. When driving near a large truck, please keep out of their "no- zones," the areas alongside or behind a truck where the driver can't see your car. Letting them see your vehicle will help all of us stay a little safer this holiday, and every day.”

If you receive a gift from your wish list this holiday season, whether it comes from a brick-and-mortar store, an online retailer with a warehouse, or even the North Pole, chances are that it--or some part of it--spent some time on a truck.

So let's give some thought to Administrator Ferro's advice and thank America's truckers by staying out of the no-zone, respecting the difficulty of handling a big-rig, and giving commercial drivers extra consideration.

For safety and goodness' sake.

We were all children once, and we know how wonderful it is to wake up on Christmas morning and see presents underneath the tree. That's why air traffic controllers, inspectors, and technicians at the Federal Aviation Administration have been working overtime to make sure the sleigh and the flight plan are cleared for Santa's important annual flight.

And today, I'm pleased to let everyone know that Santa One has indeed been cleared for takeoff on Christmas Eve.

"We've been working overtime with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves to make sure his flight plan is in order and Santa One is working properly,” said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We want to make sure Santa has a safe flight around the world, and that the children receive their presents.”

FAA isn't limiting itself to Santa One flight clearance. www.faa.gov/santa also features a set of special gifts for everyone in the form of Santa and aviation-related fun facts that will occupy you and your kids while you patiently count down the days, hours, and minutes until Santa One takes off.

And what could be better than a cleared flight for Santa One? One that is safer, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than ever thanks to NextGen technology.

It's been quite a year for passenger rail in the Midwest, and it just got even better. Yesterday, the Federal Railroad Administration issued two Records of Decision that open the door further for improved passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis.

In one of the decisions, the FRA selected the Metra Rock Island Corridor as the most efficient route between Joliet and Chicago. And in the other, the FRA chose a consolidated route along 10th Street through Springfield.

With these decisions, required by the National Environmental Policy Act, the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor is eligible to compete for future federal funding.

That could mean new trains, better on-time performance, and improved speed, frequency, and reliability along this increasingly popular line. The right upgrades will ultimately reduce travel time between these two important cities to less than four hours.

This represents a major step forward, both for the State of Illinois and the Midwest as a whole. In addition to giving travelers a better, faster rail experience, future enhancements to the Midwest Regional Rail Network will also create jobs and strengthen the region’s manufacturing base.

We've already seen rail manufacturing in Illinois ramping up and adding jobs thanks to increasing demand for passenger rail. These Records of Decision represent a potential boost for Midwestern suppliers of rail materials and equipment and the workers they employ.

On Monday, the people of Hawaii lost a tireless champion, Senator Daniel Inouye. A Medal of Honor awardee for his wartime valor, the first Japanese-American in the U.S. Congress, and a truly bipartisan colleague--Senator Inouye's passing is a loss for all of us.

So it is fitting that, this morning, I joined the Senator's wife Irene and many others to celebrate the signing of a grant agreement to help fund the Honolulu rail transit system. This important project, for which Senator Inouye advocated strongly, will be a valuable part of the Senator's legacy.

 
FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff signs the grant agreement

The funding agreement signed today seals the Federal Transit Administration's commitment to a 20-mile rail line with 21 stations connecting riders to key education, employment, and activity centers in Honolulu.

This new line, Hawaii's first-ever rail transit system, means that thousands of commuters who are forced to sit in traffic on the  H-1 --one of the most congested highways in America-- will finally get some relief. For workers who commute into Honolulu every day from West Oahu, riding rail transit will mean saving more than 30 minutes each way.

With the holiday season in full swing, safety might not be your first thought. But, when you travel for the holidays, it should be. Whether you plan to fly, drive, or take a bus, we've got some tips to help you get where you're going safely.

For bus travelers, I can't recommend more strongly that you Look Before You Book with our SaferBus app and website from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FMCSA’s SaferBus app helps travelers consider safety as well as price when selecting a bus company.  Even if you've already purchased a ticket, you want to know your carrier's safety history before you board the bus.

SaferBus offers a user-friendly view of a bus line’s record, including its operating authority, insurance status, and safety performance—all in the palm of your hand or on a single computer screen.

The free app is available for easy download via Apple's iTunes store and links directly to FMCSA’s database with information on more than 46,000 passenger companies. Not ready for the iOS app? All of these resources are available online at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

 

Our Aviation Consumer Protection Division wants to help you fly right this season, so if you're traveling by air, please visit their Travel Tips & Publications site. There you'll find information for getting the lowest fare, avoiding baggage problems, and reducing the likelihood of other air travel complications.

The Department’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) ships T/S KENNEDY, T/S EMPIRE STATE and SS WRIGHT have served a unique role supporting Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New York. As their relief mission ends, I’d like to recognize the 120 men and women who served for more than 40 days as crew on these ships.

On Saturday, I was on Staten Island, New York, along with representatives from FEMA and maritime labor unions, to award captains and crews aboard two of the ships with the U.S. Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement. This medal recognizes their efforts to sail these vessels to New York and provide efficient, temporary afloat housing for Hurricane Sandy relief workers.

Administrator Matsuda presents award for participating in the Sandy relief effort

For six weeks, relief workers from all over the country, including many who had never been on a ship, stayed aboard. Galley crews made sure meals were ready starting at 5:30 a.m., so the relief workers could get an early start. And as these workers returned after long days ashore, crews worked to try to provide them at least some comforts, including internet access and even a few holiday decorations.

In all, the three MARAD ships provided more than 37,000 bed-nights and 72,000 meals for disaster relief workers from FEMA, the Red Cross, and other relief organizations. Because of this floating dormitory service, relief workers did not take up local hotel space needed for housing displaced families.

Kennedy at the pier with WRIGHT in the background under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

In October, we launched a redesigned and re-energized www.dot.gov to make it easier for you to find the information you need. The results from the past 60 days show we’ve made very good progress. And the best part? We’re just getting started.

For example, because they know that mobile device use is the future, last week our web team launched a truly responsive design. So now, when you visit our site using a mobile device, you won't just benefit from a page that scales to your smaller screen--instead, you'll see a page that rearranges itself to fit your device. We're all pretty excited about this new development, and I think it's a wonderful holiday gift to everyone who uses their smartphone or tablet to visit www.dot.gov.

Our goals for www.dot.gov are simple:

• To help you find what you need as easily as possible;
• To make the most popular resources more accessible; and
• To arrange our resources in line with how you think about transportation.

Just two months after our launch, our site statistics show that the decisions we made--using public input--are driving real results.

It's no secret that I love this season; anyone who's seen my holiday ties knows that. There is so much to celebrate at this time of year. But, because people are out celebrating in greater frequency--and often with alcohol--the holiday season can be an especially dangerous time on our nation’s roadways.

During the holidays, far too many people make the irresponsible and dangerous decision to drive after drinking.

That’s why this holiday season, more than 10,000 officers will be on the streets across the nation to enforce a simple safety message: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Although in 2011 we saw the lowest number of roadway deaths in six decades, we're still stuck with the fact that one in every three highway fatalities last year--9,878 in total--was alcohol-related. And in the last two weeks of December 2011 alone, 395 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes.

Each of these deaths is one too many, and it simply has to stop.

 

With DOT's success in the 2012 Best Places to Work rankings, I want to share how proud I am of our hard-earned achievement as the Most Improved Large Government Agency. We are all deeply honored to have that recognition.

And with that improvement, I'm pleased to say that DOT moved into the Best Places To Work 2012 large agency Top 10.

At the Department of Transportation, we work to ensure a safe, efficient, accessible, and reliable transportation system that meets the needs of the American people today and will continue to meet their needs in the future. And we cannot pursue that mission effectively unless the Department’s 57,000 professionals in our 13 sub-agencies are committed to the work they do and the workplace they do it in.

Well, since 2009, DOT has jumped 11 percentage points in the Best Places to Work rankings. This improvement in job satisfaction didn’t just happen. It is the result of a deliberate and coordinated Department-wide effort.

And I do mean "Department-Wide." For example, the Federal Highway Administration made the Agency Subcomponent Top 10 this year, and the Federal Railroad Administration finished in the Top 20. Rounding out our Department-wide success, the Federal Aviation Administration was the fifth most-improved among the 292 sub-agencies.

It’s no secret that Americans love competitions with judges. American Idol is in its 12th season, and there are television shows recognizing almost every talent you can think of—dancing, cooking, fashion design, and more. But what happens if your talent is transportation research?

Then we've got just the thing. DOT’s own Volpe Center just concluded its first-ever “Innovation Challenge,” a competition where teams present ideas that help solve major challenges in American transportation.

Judges from Volpe's Innovation Challenge included (from left to right) Jo Strang, FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety; Robert Johns, Volpe Center Director; Gregory Winfree, RITA Acting Administrator; Christopher Bonanti, NHTSA Associate Administrator for Rulemaking; and Tony Fazio, FAA Director of the Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention (not pictured her). Tony participated via video teleconference.

I’ve written about the Volpe Center before. Home to cutting-edge human factors simulator work, award-winning low-cost solutions to safety and security, and much more, the center is a fee-for-service transportation research facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is part of our Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

Recognized internationally for its transportation research expertise, Volpe houses a diverse group of talented individuals, with experts in virtually every field, from economists and urban planners to mechanical engineers and computer scientists. The center is truly a multi-disciplinary organization, working to solve multimodal transportation problems.

Thanks to the work of previous generations, modernizing transportation in America doesn't always mean starting from scratch. Existing infrastructure often gives us a great springboard to leverage as we work to develop a true 21st century transportation network to support a thriving 21st century economy.

And that's what we've been able to do in Missouri, where the State DOT and local communities have transformed much of US Route 71 into the latest segment of Interstate 49, an important north-south freight highway. Once work in Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana is complete, the uninterrupted I-49 will stretch more than 1,600 miles and will significantly improve freight movement through the central United States from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Joplin student journalists Landon Moore and Noah Pinjuv interview FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez

Yesterday, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez was in Joplin to celebrate the I-49 redesignation. There, he saw how this transformation of Highway 71 is more than just a road project; it's the symbol of a community healing after the devastation of one of the worst tornadoes in US history.  The strength of the Joplin community--torn apart by tragedy 18 months ago--was reaffirmed yesterday at East Joplin Middle School where parents, students, neighbors, local and state officials gathered for the opening of a stronger tie between Joplin and the rest of the state, the nation, and the world.

And in talking about the opportunities opened up by this project, he really hit the nail on the head:

"Every time we open a new section of the Interstate Highway System, we add another link to the incredible network that ties this nation together. That’s very important as we look to create jobs, increase trade and continue the economic recovery that added 146,000 jobs last month and lowered the unemployment rate to the lowest level in four years."

He's exactly right. This transformation has put people to work rebuilding the roadway to interstate standards--including expanded capacity and improved safety features--but in the years to come will strengthen the economy by helping freight move more easily from the Midwest to markets worldwide.

This morning, I wrote that, for transportation, there is no time like the present to invest in the future. One city that understands that quite clearly is Charlotte, NC. And today I was delighted to be back in the Queen's City to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Charlotte Streetcar Starter Line.

This streetcar is the first phase of a planned 10-mile line that will expand transit options, spur economic development and improve access to jobs, education and medical facilities in the heart of one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.

The initial 1.5-mile section of the streetcar line will feature six stops--including a hospital--along a transit corridor that will make it easy for passengers to catch a local transit bus or LYNX light rail. It will also propel Charlotte yet another step forward in its vision of an inter-connected, modern transit system that gets people into, around, and out of the city without needing a car.

Increasing transportation options for residents, students, and commuters means less reliance on oil; it means spending less money; and it means less time stuck in traffic. It also means more jobs and additional investments in business, housing, and retail.

When it comes to transportation, there is no time like the present to invest in the future. Transportation projects take time to complete, and they endure for generations. Because the impacts of these projects extend so far into the future, the infrastructure choices we make today have huge consequences for our nation’s ability to reduce oil consumption, increase safety, preserve air quality, improve public health, and keep more money in people's wallets.

One project currently under construction that will provide all of those benefits--for residents, commuters, business travelers, and tourists alike--is the DC-to-Dulles Silver Line in Northern Virginia.

The Silver Line is a 23-mile addition to the Washington, DC, regional Metrorail system running from Falls Church, VA, to Dulles International Airport and Virginia's Loudoun County. The extension will serve Tysons Corner, Virginia's largest employment center, and the Reston-Herndon area, the state's second largest employment concentration. And it will provide a one-seat ride from Dulles International Airport to downtown Washington.

Metrorail is not just the Washington area’s metro system. It is America’s metro system. People from every state in the country—and from every corner of the world—use Metro in our capitol city. We need to connect the region's busiest international airport to America’s metro system—and the opportunities that come with it.

The holiday season is a magical time, filled with food, family, and friends.  It’s also a time for communities to come together and brighten the spirits of those in need.

On Saturday morning, I was excited to once again spread holiday cheer at United Airlines’ annual Fantasy Flight to the North Pole, which took off from Washington Dulles International Airport.

The first Fantasy Flight at Dulles began 22 years ago and helps bring a little holiday magic to seriously ill kids from Children’s Hospice International. 

After checking in at the airport and heading through security, the children and their families boarded a Boeing 777 at Gate D7, took off for a brief flight, and landed at the “North Pole” – a special gate at the airport decked out in holiday decorations and featuring carolers, a band, costumed characters such as the Nationals Presidents, holiday treats, face painting, toys, gifts, and the star of the show, Santa Claus.

It was great to meet some of the children and share a special treat from President Obama – White House M&Ms.

This morning, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its annual report on traffic safety in America--and the news was good.

In 2011, highway deaths fell to 32,367 in 2011--the lowest level since 1949, and a nearly 2 percent decrease from 2010. The updated Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data shows 2011 also saw the lowest fatality rate ever recorded, with 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2011, down from 1.11 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2010.

These declines are even more impressive when viewed with our overall highway safety gains in recent years. Since 2005, the number of traffic fatalities has declined by 26 percent.

There are many factors behind these record-breaking declines in traffic deaths, but three in particular are worth highlighting: safer cars, safer roads, and safer drivers.  

NHTSA's Five-Star Safety Ratings Program, which measures crash worthiness and rollover safety, means that vehicles are the safest they've ever been.  Infrastructure investments in our nation's highway system are improving crash barriers, installing better signs and lights, and creating safer intersections.  And public awareness and enforcement campaigns like NHTSA's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Click It or Ticket" are reminding drivers about the importance of safe behaviors behind the wheel.

I'm always ready to talk transportation.  So it's no surprise that one of my favorite ongoing projects is our "On the Go" series.  And today, I'm excited to share another episode with you.

This month, we partnered with The Atlantic Cities blog, which is dedicated to exploring innovative ideas and pressing issues facing today's global cities.  And their readers submitted a number of terrific questions about what we're working on here at DOT.

Click play below to hear my answers on high-speed rail, economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses, and my proudest accomplishments during President Obama's first term.

Want to have your question answered? You can:

• Post on my Facebook page,
• Tweet me using the #q4ray hashtag, or
• Leave a comment here on the blog.

Thanks for tuning in, and keep sending in your feedback.  You never know when you might find yourself featured in an upcoming episode of "On the Go."

I've wasted no opportunity in the past four years to talk about the short-term benefits--jobs--and the long-term benefits--economic competitiveness--of investing in transportation. And yesterday, I brought that message to the 2012 UIC Urban Forum at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

It was pretty clear I had the advantage of a friendly audience because most of America's cities and urban planners share my belief in the value of infrastructure investments.

What I appreciate even more than that shared belief, however, is how our cities have taken the transportation ball and run with it. From Denver's Union Station project and light rail development to DC's Capital Bikeshare, cities across the nation have proven themselves to be champion innovators--moving people faster and more reliably, creating jobs, and paving the way for future economic growth.

We need look no further than our host city's ambitious Chicago Infrastructure Trust for proof that--faced with concern about the availability of resources--cities are taking bold steps to help secure their future.

And DOT is ready to partner with these innovators through a variety of programs that reward this kind of creative planning.

With cold weather coming on, road work in Alaska will probably be slowing down for another long winter. But that doesn’t mean our 49th State’s infrastructure businesses will be taking it easy.

For Alaska’s small and disadvantaged businesses, next week brings the opportunity to step up to the next level through a Bonding Education Program (BEP) from DOT's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).

Bonding Education Program participants at a Construction Accounting Workshop.

Bonding opens the door for businesses to expand. Without bonding, a small business looking for work must rely on a prime contractor. Once bonded, that business can compete directly for work. It's an important step toward growth and independent access to bigger and better contracts.

But getting bonded isn't easy. That's why, since 2010, OSDBU has been helping businesses learn the ins-and-outs of the bonding process.

Small business owners at a BEP event.

The BEP is the first of its kind at DOT and helps small businesses obtain and build bonding capacity by partnering with the Surety and Fidelity Association of America. The BEP has been established in 26 cities since 2010 and plans have been made to expand the program to at least 20 more cities in 2013. More than $200 million in aggregate bonding capacity for BEP participants has been obtained thus far.

In fact, the OSDBU team is finishing up a Bonding Education Program in Sacramento today. Sessions in Portland, OR, and Houston also ended recently.

And the program is making a difference to our nation’s job creators.

Jim Sulkowski, representing the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, explains the
bonding process to BEP participants during orientation.

Since I took this job, the Department of Transportation has made great progress developing infrastructure on tribal lands. The Obama Administration has listened intently over the last four years to the transportation concerns of tribal leaders, and today we've taken another big step forward.

At the White House Tribal Nations Conference yesterday, we announced that 72 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes will receive a total of $15.5 million to enhance local public transit service on tribal lands.

President Obama returns to the White House after the Tribal Nations Conference.
Photo courtesy Pete Souza, White House.

Transportation is not simply how we get from one point to another—it’s how we connect to opportunity.

That is especially true in Indian Country, where a rebuilt road or a new transit system can be the difference between a child going to school or not—or the difference between a tribal elder going to the doctor or not. And no one knows better than America's Tribal leaders that transportation is the key to accessing jobs.

Today's grants--from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Tribal Transit Program--will enable tribal governments to continue providing the critical transit services that thousands depend on every day, and in some cases to plan for future transit as well.

 

This past summer I asked the DOT family to help shape the future of the Department by taking the 2012 Employee Viewpoint Survey.  A record number responded. 25,892 in all. 

Now, the survey results are in, and I am delighted to announce that the Department of Transportation continues to be one of the most improved agencies in the Federal government.

In fact, DOT was the only agency in the entire Federal government to show improvement across all four survey categories:

• Job Satisfaction—8th, up from 15th in 2011, and from 35th in 2008;
• Talent Management—20th, up from 27th in 2011, and from 33rd in 2008;
• Leadership & Knowledge Management—27th, up from 30th in 2011, and from 36th in 2008;
• Results Oriented Performance Culture—29th, up from 33rd in 2011, and from 36th in 2008.

These figures document the Department’s steady improvement over the past year, and the extraordinary progress we have made in the past four years.

That improvement didn't just happen; it's the result of a conscious effort Department-wide.

As proud as I am of the work the Department of Transportation has done here in the United States during the past four years, I am particularly proud of our DOT professionals who have volunteered for difficult duty in Afghanistan.

Readers of this blog know that I am a big believer in the economic power of transportation investments. But the idea that investing in infrastructure will create jobs today and pay valuable dividends tomorrow is not limited to the United States. That's why DOT personnel have served in Afghanistan since 2005.

Speaking with the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce

Our mission is to support Afghanistan’s economic development and to help it fulfill its potential as a multi-modal hub for Central Asia. And just as we have been doing in America, we're working in Afghanistan to develop a safe and integrated transportation network—one that allows for the affordable and reliable movement of goods and people within the country and to regions near and far.

The reliability of transportation networks is critical to a strong, secure future for all of Afghanistan.  A good transportation network will ensure that farmers, factories and businesses can get their goods to market. And it will help reduce poverty in the region.

Of course, just as it is here at home, safety is the number one priority of our work in Afghanistan.

At 8th Annual A-ACC US-Afghanistan Business Matchmaking Conference

President Obama has long understood that investments in our infrastructure--including public transportation--create jobs today and pay valuable dividends tomorrow. And DOT has been a strong champion of that idea.

One of our most important and successful job-creating tools is the Buy America program. Buy America ensures that rail projects—from trains and tracks to new stations—are built with American-made parts and supplies.

 
Workers at United Streetcar in Oregon show off newly made transit parts

Our commitment to the principle behind this program is simple: we want to revive the “Made in America” label. That’s good for manufacturers, taxpayers, rail passengers, and the skilled workers of the next generation.

As Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff said, "We hear over and over from companies participating on FTA-funded projects that they must use a certain part that can only be made overseas. But here’s what we’ve learned: If you challenge American companies to source their products here in America—rather than abroad—they can and will find a way to do so."

That’s why, over the last five years, FTA has been able to dramatically reduce the number of approved Buy America waivers –requests from companies that need a part from overseas– from more than 37 down to just three this year.

When we at DOT help improve transportation safety--whether on the road, over the rails, or in the skies--we're fulfilling the most important aspect of our mission. And when we partner effectively with State DOTs, we're fulfilling another worthy goal. When we can do both at the same time, that's even better.

And that's exactly what the Federal Aviation Administration achieved yesterday by putting in place new technology to help pilots better handle inclement weather around Montrose Regional Airport in western Colorado.

The new technology--known as Wide Area Multilateration (WAM)--is part of our NextGen program. It improves safety and efficiency by allowing air traffic controllers to track aircraft that are outside radar coverage, even in Colorado's mountainous areas.

The new system was activated as part of the Colorado Surveillance Project, a partnership between the FAA and the Colorado DOT (CDOT) that began providing radar-like service to the mountain communities of Craig, Hayden, Steamboat Springs and Rifle in 2009.

It's an excellent example of state and federal governments working together to improve safety.

Today, our DOT headquarters hosted the Housing and Urban Development Grantee Conference, a gathering of the planners and civic leaders on the front lines of developing America's sustainable communities. Convening the nation's brightest minds in housing at the nation's transportation agency makes perfect sense because at DOT we know that housing and transportation decisions are inextricably intertwined.

It also made it a lot easier for me to thank them for the tremendous work they've done trying to make their communities back home models of livability. After all, although we call these folks our partners, they're the ones doing the heavy lifting.

And that's why we value their ideas and why we want to continue supporting their efforts to build the communities America needs in the 21st century.

Shelley Poticha, Director of HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing Communities, at today's conference.

This year, DOT, HUD, and EPA celebrated the third anniversary of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the Obama Administration's historic program of cooperating between agencies, sharing ideas, and coordinating investments to help communities thrive.

Our TIGER program took that idea one step further by rewarding innovative solutions that make a real difference to the economic future of a community and in people's daily lives.

I've seen that difference firsthand in places like Dubuque, Iowa, in Denver, and in Kansas City. In each of these cities, we've taken steps to synchronize housing development, environmental cleanup, and transportation improvements from road repairs and new sidewalks to bus service and revived transit stations. And it's working.

If you're familiar with downtown Chicago, then you probably know how important Wacker Drive is to the more than 60,000 drivers and 140,000 pedestrians who use it each day. And you probably know that this central artery--part of the city's history since the 1950s--badly needed repair and modernization.

That's why Lower Wacker, the subterranean stretch of this iconic roadway, has been closed for reconstruction since 2010. The $300 million project, which received $240 million in federal funds, is the first major repair to the north-south Wacker Drive since it was built.

And last Friday, Chicagoans celebrated as Deputy Secretary John Porcari joined Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to reopen the rejuvenated Wacker Drive.

 

In addition to replacing a badly deteriorated, 65-year-old viaduct, workers constructed a new and improved ramp from the lower level to the Congress Parkway above and reconfigured the Congress Parkway interchange to improve sight lines and create longer merge lanes to reduce accidents.

The newly reopened stretch also features wider sidewalks and crosswalks for greater pedestrian safety.

In addition to increasing safety for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, the improvements to Wacker Drive will reduce traffic congestion throughout the downtown area, shortening commute times and ensuring that goods carried by truck move more efficiently around Chicago.