Welcome to the Fast Lane

The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Fast Lane features commentary and observations from the Secretary and Administrators, contributions by guest bloggers from outside the Department. It is access to the minds of The Secretary of Transportations, and other government officials.

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Nov 19
DOT office connects service-disabled Vetrepreneurs with opportunities : Yesterday, Brandon Neal Director of our Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) hosted a Vendor Day focused on procurement opportunities....
Welcome to the Fast Lane
Nov 19
Sen. Kaufman honors FAA safety expert on Senate floor : As the busy Thanksgiving travel week approaches, Senator Ted Kaufman (DE) has done the FAA a great service....
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Nov 18
A day in the life of a Recovery Act transit grant : In July, Santa Rosa CityBus received a Recovery Act grant of $4.2 million for paratransit services, solar bus shelters and eligible operating assistance....
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Nov 17
Report, petition call for safer roadway planning : Last week, our friends at Transportation For America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership released a valuable report called Dangerous By Design....
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Nov 16
Transportation TV covers the National Road Safety Awards : Our friends at AASHTO have a great online broadcast called Transportation TV. Transportation TV produces a regular web newscast on transportation issues....
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Nov 16
Adding safety to FTA's mission : Safety is our number one priority when it comes to planes, trains and automobiles....
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Nov 13
Advisory committee to seek a brighter future for US aviation : Yesterday we hosted the Administration’s first forum on the future of the U.S. aviation industry....
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Nov 12
Vice President Biden announces DOT approval of over 10,000 Recovery Act projects : Today, in the words of Vice President Joe Biden, we passed "a significant milestone on the road to recovery."It was my great fortune to be by the Vice President's side today when he announced that in...
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Nov 12
DOT bike commuters leading by example : Last week, on a walk through DOT headquarters, I met Thomas Dorset....
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Nov 11
Merchant mariners have an important place in Veterans Day ceremonies : On this Veterans Day morning, I had the honor of laying a wreath and saying a few words at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC.   We gather on Veterans Day to remember al...
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Nov 10
The FAA, an active and vigilant partner in aviation safety : Today I want to focus on aviation safety and share some things I told the National Air Transportation Association earlier in the week.The basic point--that safety is this DOT's number one priority--ca...
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Nov 9
Message to American Chamber of Commerce Executives: Transportation is a gateway to economic development : Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Board of Directors....
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Nov 6
DOT teams up with Roadway Safety Foundation to award innovative safety projects : Right off the bat, I want to thank Greg Cohen and the Roadway Safety Foundation, DOT's co-sponsor for the National Roadway Safety Awards. The National Roadway Safety Awards ceremony, held yesterday,...
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Nov 5
DOT supports twin maritime efforts: commercial competitiveness and port-readiness : Most of us know that strategic seaports must operate with peak efficiency and effectiveness to attract commercial shippers and keep commerce flowing freely in our highly competitive global marketplace...
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Nov 4
DOT, FCC launch partnership to reduce distracted driving : Today, Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski and I announced a partnership to evaluate technology that may help curb the dangerous epidemic of distracted driving.This DOT-FCC join...
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Nov 3
Federal Highway Administration passes Recovery Act milestone: $20 billion obligated : Today, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a major milestone--obligating over $20 billion in Recovery Act highway, road, and bridge investments.Now, that is over 75% of the $26.6 billi...
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Nov 3
DOT ready to talk about future of rail : Yesterday, the Infrastructure Technology Institute held its Annual William O. Lipinski Symposium on Transportation Policy. Their theme? Moving the Goods: Chicago and the Nation's Freight....
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Nov 2
Recovery Act transportation investments: good for New Hampshire, good for America : When I visited New Hampshire last April, they were already rolling out the orange cones to begin shovel-ready projects....
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Oct 30
On Clunkers debate, one point we can all agree on : A big "Thank you" to the White House blog team for a witty and perceptive account of Cash for Clunkers' real contribution to our economic recovery.If you haven't read about the brush-up that prompted...
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Oct 30
DOT's Secretary Awards ceremony recognizes service above and beyond : Yesterday we held DOT's 42nd annual Secretary Awards ceremony....
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Oct 29
House Committee tackles distracted driving : Today I went back to Congress to talk about distracted driving. Distracted driving poses a serious danger on our roadways. And I have made it my cause to reduce that danger....
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Oct 29
Senate getting the message: texting is a perfect storm of driver distraction : Yesterday, I reminded the Senate Commerce Committee of two things readers of this blog have heard from me repeatedly: Transportation safety is the Department’s highest priority.  And distracted drivin...
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Oct 28
The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act--seizing the future : The Obama Administration and the Department of Transportation believe that making the transition to a clean energy environment and combating climate change are major priorities, and the time to act is...
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Oct 27
Fuel Cell Hybrid-Powered bus visits DOT headquarters : Imagine a bus that runs entirely on battery power for 3 hours then recharges in less than 10 minutes. Imagine a bus that cuts fuel costs to transit agencies from $40,000 a year to $4,000....
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Oct 27
DOT, Aviation Enforcement Office are dedicated to protecting consumers : First let me say that I support Chris Elliott's advocacy on behalf of airline passengers. Our society needs people who are willing to step up to the plate on behalf of others....
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Oct 27
DOT Safety Council; ten operating agencies, one goal : On several occasions I have written here that, "Safety is our highest priority." Today, I convened the first meeting of our newly created  DOT Safety Council, where DOT's ten operating administrations...
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Oct 27
Good ideas from good people; GreenGov Challenge rounds final turn with nearly 6,000 sustainability suggestions : This is the final week of the GreenGov Challenge, and I urge everyone to view some of the remarkable sustainability ideas submitted thus far by government and military employees....
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