With a 36-year career in public service, Secretary LaHood has extensive experience on major national policy issues, among them transportation and infrastructure. He served as the 16th Department of Transportation Secretary from 2009 to 2013 and quickly became known as a bipartisan leader and skilled conciliator in a highly partisan environment.
Secretary LaHood’s tenure was marked by landmark efforts to improve safety in every mode of transportation, from aviation and rail to pipelines and automobiles. Under his leadership, improvements to America’s infrastructure included building or replacing 350,000 miles of highway, repairing 20,000 bridges and renewing or constructing 6,000 miles of rail track. Secretary LaHood also achieved more stringent fuel efficiency requirements from automakers, took steps to address airline pilot fatigue and turned the problem of distracted driving into a national concern. As Secretary of Transportation, he oversaw an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a US$70 billion budget in charge of air, maritime and surface transportation. Before heading the US Department of Transportation, Secretary LaHood served from 1995 to 2009 in the US House of Representatives on behalf of the 18th District of Illinois and also served on various House committees, among them the powerful House Appropriations Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.
In September 2018, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the creation of a New Transportation and Mobility Task Force headed by LaHood. The Task Force will be charged with: evaluating the transportation landscape that is undergoing rapid technological change; making recommendations on how to support a vibrant public transit system; and incorporating new mobility technologies and companies into the City’s transportation systems.
Chicago’s New Transportation and Mobility Taskforce
…Chicago, like many cities, is a transportation-centric city with cars and buses and trains and bikes, and all different kinds of transportation. I think what the mayor would like is a little bit more coordinated approach so that when they’re trying to figure out if they can or how they should regulate Uber, how that fits in with bike share and how it fits in with the Chicago Transit Authority and how it fits in with Metra…Chicago has always been a transportation magnet in so many ways, but the coordination of it I think is what has confused people, and I think he’d like to have a blueprint for what really makes sense in terms of coordination and cooperation, and maybe in some instances, regulations.
Transportation Innovation Key to Successful Cities
Particularly in cities like Chicago or New York or certainly LA and Denver, the people that live in these cities want them to be livable and sustainable communities, and transportation is a big, big part of it. Parks are a big part of it, affordable housing is a big part of it, having a good job is a big part of it. Obviously, healthcare is a big part of it too. I think when you look at what the mayor has done, his focus has been on schools, it’s been on transportation and it’s been on fiscal matters. Those are his three areas that he’s really, really worked on.
Infrastructure is Stalled on a National Level
There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm when Trump was elected about the idea of fixing up America’s crumbling infrastructure, and it hasn’t happened…The national transportation system is completely stalled; there is no leadership at Congress, and there certainly is no leadership from the White House. I really believe that Trump, left to his own instincts, would figure out a way to fund infrastructure, would figure out a way to fund infrastructure, would figure out a way to really upgrade infrastructure, improve infrastructure, but I think he’s been held back by lots of other things.
Cities and States Solving Problems
In some of the cities, the mayors have really stepped up…The action is really in the cities and in the states where you have governors and mayors with a vision, using some of their own resources, using private resources, using PPP’s and making things happen. You need to have leadership by elected officials, by people who are charged with the responsibility for infrastructure. Whether it’s transit, whether it’s airports, whether it’s highways, it’s incumbent upon the elected leaders to have the vision and the courage and the ability to really make things happen. Citizens really rely on the leaders in their cities and states to fix the infrastructure, improve the infrastructure, enhance the infrastructure, and it’s going on in many different places around the country as there’s a real void in Washington DC.
Download full transcript (PDF): Ray LaHood on The Infra Blog
Tags: Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, New Transportation and Mobility Task Force, Ray LaHood, Secretary LaHood
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