LaHood advocates sustainability, livability

DOT pick’s opening statement

Steve Hawley, Jan 22, 09.

Ray LaHood, President Obama’s choice for Transportation Secretary, named sustainability and livability as two of his biggest priorities in his opening statement at wednesday’s confirmation hearing, according to Transportation for America. The Washington Post notes that LaHood enjoys substantial bipartisan support and should face an easy confirmation process. Here are some excerpts from his opening statement:

“Indeed, much of our economic success in recent decades has been built on the wise infrastructure investments made by our predecessors. And so at a minimum, we cannot let the assets we inherited fall apart. Accordingly, I am committed to supporting investments that will help bring the country’s transportation assets up to a state of good repair.

“Our transportation system and the development it enables must be sustainable. We must acknowledge the new reality of climate change. This has implications for all areas; investments in intercity rail and mass transit, as called for in the economic recovery and reinvestment plan, are part of the equation, but only part.

“Sustainability must be a principle reflected in all our infrastructure investments, from highways and transit to aviation and ports. President-Elect Obama is committed to this principle and so am I.

“In our surface transportation programs, it implies a commitment to the principles that some refer to as livability; that is, investing in a way that recognizes the unique character of each community. The era of one-size-fits-all transportation projects must give way to one where preserving and enhancing unique community characteristics, be they rural or urban, is a primary mission of our work rather than an afterthought.

“A key challenge for those who craft and manage the nation’s transportation programs – that is, all of us here today – will be to link decision- making to performance at all levels. This will require a new commitment to measuring performance in real time, as was called for in the recent report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Commission, and to adjusting our course where progress is not rapid enough. The practice of performance measurement will be key to assuring both that new money is invested wisely and that the public has the confidence to continue supporting continued investments.”

An archived webcast of the hearing is available through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The video starts at the 10:40 mark, and LaHood begins his eight-minute statement at 85:40.