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

FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez covers the bases at AASHTO Spring Meeting

Last weekend, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) met in Traverse City, Michigan, and Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez was there to update them on a number of issues.

From safety to signs to the all-important reauthorization debate currently underway in the US Congress, Administrator Mendez covered all of the bases.

First, let me thank Administrator Mendez for his deep commitment to safety. Administrator Mendez understands as thoroughly as anyone at DOT that safety is our number one priority. And whenever he speaks publicly, he never fails to mention the importance of safe driving.

Sunday's remarks also included a discussion of recent changes to the regulations governing roadway signs, known in the highway field as the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or MUTCD. To the delight of many AASHTO members and communities across the country, the FHWA recently eliminated 46 different deadlines for replacing traffic signs. State and local officials made it very clear that the best use of taxpayer dollars is to update these signs to the new standards when existing traffic signs wear out.

This is how we work at DOT. We listen. And as long as good safety and good stewardship are assured, we do our best to give states, counties, and municipalities the flexibility they need to do their jobs.

But we will not compromise on safety. As Administrator Mendez told AASHTO members, we did retain 12 deadlines for sign upgrades that are critical to public safety, for example STOP and YIELD signs at railroad crossings where there are no automatic gates or flashing lights.

National Maritime Day offers a moment to celebrate a bright past, prepare for a brighter future

From America’s earliest days, we have been a maritime nation.  Maritime trade was critical to our initial growth from a few isolated outposts into a thriving land, and shipbuilding was one of the first manufacturing industries in our original 13 colonies.

We are bordered by two oceans and connected by a vast network of inland waterways. So, we depend on our Merchant Mariners to support our economy and protect our nation. As Maritime Administrator David Matsuda said at today's festivities, "Mariners are the people who move American products throughout the world. Mariners are the people who shepherd American military personnel and equipment to where our country needs them most."

In peacetime, the men and women of the US maritime industry work on tugs and ships, in shipyards and at ports. Their hard work ensures delivery of goods around the country and exports to other nations—both essential parts of a strong economy. In fact, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles employ twice as many men and women as the Hollywood entertainment industry.

When called upon to support our nation’s military operations, America's mariners don't shy away from danger. During World War II, nearly 215,000 Merchant Mariners served our nation, and nearly 1 in 30 gave their lives in that effort. Kings Point was the only US service academy to lose students in the line of duty—142 of them. And our nation remains ever grateful for their sacrifice

Memorial wreath and bell in honor of absent merchant mariners. Photo credit Julie Fischer, DOT

In recent years, our merchant fleet has delivered essential resources to battlefields around the world.

And, during national and international emergencies, our Merchant Mariners are also on the scene, helping with rescues, recovery, and rebuilding.

With that strong, brave, and proud tradition at its foundation, President Obama understands that our shipping industry is a vital building block of an America built to last. Today more than ever, our marine transportation system is crucial to our economic well-being and security.

Photo credit Julie Fischer, DOT

Annual Click It Or Ticket effort saves lives with simple message: buckle up, for real

From 2006 to 2010, seat belts saved the lives of more than 69,000 people in motor vehicle crashes. However, if all passenger vehicle occupants aged 5 and older in 2010 had worn seat belts, an estimated 3,341 more lives could have been saved.

More Americans than ever are connecting the dots. They understand that seat belts are a major factor in whether crash victims survive or perish, so they're doing the smart thing and buckling up. And in 2011, 84 percent of vehicle occupants used their seat belts.

That's a pretty good rate--well above 1994's 58 percent--but we can do better.

So, as the summer driving season gathers steam and Memorial Day Weekend approaches, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its law enforcement agency partners across the country are launching their annual Click It Or Ticket mobilization effort.

Through the next two weeks, approximately 10,000 officers will be out in force making our roads safer by writing tickets to unbelted drivers.

 

Dubuque cuts ribbon for Millwork District complete streets, realizes its potential as a sustainable community

The weather is getting warmer, Memorial day is getting closer, and graduation season has arrived once again. 

On Saturday the class of 2012 threw their hats in the air at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, just as they did two years ago when I delivered the commencement address at Loras.  But there is something special about the class of 2012; they are the first class to graduate into a more livable, sustainable Dubuque.

 

Just a few months after this year's graduating class entered college, the City Council of Dubuque adopted the Historic Millwork District Master Plan.  This innovative proposal laid out a plan to convert factories and mills that had lain vacant for decades into mixed income housing, workplaces, and entertainment centers. It brought together partners who set aside their differences and focused on their common interest, a revitalized Dubuque.

The Millwork District plan relied on a complete streets approach to transportation: making the district's streets accessible for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. The plan also created hundreds of jobs and attracted thousands more as businesses--like IBM--relocated to the redesigned district.

Cutting the ribbon for the Mllwork Distrcit complete streets project, photo courtesy City of Dubuque

Just like those freshmen at Loras, Dubuque was full of ambition and ready to get to work.  And just as those freshmen grew into cap and gown clad graduating seniors, the city I saw last Friday was quite different from the city I saw in 2009 when I first toured the Millwork District.