I want the new freeway to be this wide!

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has some explaining to do.

LaHood, who famously stood on a tabletop and thanked bike advocates for their hard work at the 2010 National Bike Summit and later posted on his blog that, "This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized," has now become an enthusiastic booster of the Columbia River Crossing project — a five-mile long, highway widening mega-project being proposed by the Oregon and Washington departments of transportation. (more...)

Sec. LaHood has suspended
an FHWA program that
sent Americans overseas
to learn transportation
best practices.
(Photo © J. Maus)

After ABC News questioned spending on a trip to Europe by American bureaucrats to study outdoor advertising practices, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has suspended all funding for the FHWA's International Technology Scanning Program.

That program has funded many transportation policy-related trips over the years, including one that looked at European biking and walking safety and mobility practices in 2009.

In May 2009, 12 transportation experts visited five countries in Europe to glean lessons on how to improve biking and walking safety and mobility. Among the officials on the trip was Oregon's former state traffic engineer Ed Fischer (now retired). We reported on that trip and linked to their final report, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe back in September. (more...)

We've got to hand it to US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood. Whether it's showing panache by hopping up on a table for a speech at the National Bike Summit, or creating a buzz about biking on Huffington Post — this guy understands how to communicate and he keeps bicycles in the limelight while doing so.

In that same vein, Sec. LaHood just released his latest "On the Go" video where he answers questions posed to him via Facebook, Twitter, or on his "Fast Lane" blog. One of the three questions he answered had to do with bicycles. Someone asked, "Is DOT improving bicycle infrastructure? Bikes are for transportation, not just recreation." (more...)

The US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) projections show that between 2009 and 2010 traffic fatalities dropped to their lowest level in recorded history (PDF of report). The numbers come despite what the US DOT refers to as a "significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove."

Interestingly, the US DOT press release (full text below) singles out the Pacific Northwest as showing the greatest drop in fatalities — which is also the region where traffic volumes are on a noticeable decline. (more...)

LaHood (R) listens as Congressman Earl Blumenauer
discusses the SW Moody project. Mayor Adams
is in the background.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The US Department of Transportation Secretary is on a whirlwind trip through Portland to show his support for road safety, bicycling, and streetcars. LaHood is joined by several high-level DOT staffers and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. I was hoping to meet up with him for a bike ride this morning, but LaHood is apparently suffering from a cold and the ride has been canceled.

Yesterday, LaHood visited the manufacturing headquarters of United Streetcar along with Congressman Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer. As he did in his 2009 visit, LaHood had nothing but good things to say about Portland's commitment to streetcars and the bonus points we get for making the streetcars right here in Oregon. Writing on his blog this morning, LaHood shared shared his love for Portland: (more...)

Detail of SW Moody cross-section.

As we noted recently, US DOT Sec. Ray LaHood is making a visit to Portland next week. While here, LaHood will join Mayor Adams, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer, David Wu, Kurt Schrader, and regional transportation bigwigs in the South Waterfront District.
(more...)

Sec. LaHood is coming to Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) has nabbed a personal visit from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. At the BTA's request, LaHood is slated for an invite-only event that will take place in Portland on March 21st.

BTA Executive Director Rob Sadowsky says they initially asked LaHood's staff if he'd be willing to accept an award of recognition in person at their annual Alice Awards gala slated for April 23rd. That date didn't work for LaHood's schedule, so his office suggested a different date and the BTA was happy to oblige.

At the event, Sadowsky says the topic will be crash reduction and distracted driving — two key pieces to the BTA's current focus on the 'Vision Zero' strategy. (more...)

Ray LaHood.
(Photo © J. Maus)

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that the latest traffic data shows "major, across the board declines" in all categories of fatalities and the lowest numbers in six decades.

Updated fatality and injury data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that there were 33,808 motor vehicle fatalities in 2009, a decline of 9.7 percent and the lowest number since 1950. This decline occurred estimated vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increased by 0.2 percent over 2008. The number of people killed while riding their bicycles dropped 12 percent, from 718 deaths in 2008 to 630 deaths in 2009. (more...)

Headline on Huffington Post isn't quite true.

An Associated Press story about US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood that's making rounds on the Internet today (it's running on Huffington Post and BusinessWeek.com just to name a few) says there's "A backlash is brewing over his new bicycling policy."

There might be a backlash from some who still don't get it, but at least one voice of the trucking industry still thinks LaHood is great -- bike policy and all.

The policy is question is LaHood's recent proclamation that the Obama Administration will preside over the "end of favoring motorized transportation" over non-motorized modes. (more...)

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is doing more than his part to dismantle our nation's car-centric status-quo. After his "end of favoring motorized transportation" proclamation last month, LaHood is now telling anyone who will listen that the American people have his back.

As validation of his views, LaHood is touting a new survey released by Transportation for America that shows a majority of Americans want options -- other than wider roads for cars -- to get around and relieve congestion.
(more...)

DOT Sec. Ray LaHood's comments at the National
Bike Summit continue to reverberate.
(Photo © J. Maus)

My, what a difference a few years makes.

It was less than three years ago when then US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters proclaimed that "bike paths" were not a part of transportation infrastructure. Fast forward to early this month when the current DOT chief Ray LaHood issued a strong statement calling for the "end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized." (more...)

US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a new set of pro-bicycling and walking policy recommendations meant to inform transportation planning at the state and community level.

He announced them on his blog this morning, after the "dust settled" on his enthusiastic speech at the National Bike Summit Thursday night. Why didn't he announce them in front of 700-plus bike advocates? "The crowd's enthusiasm was so contagious," he wrote, "the idea of introducing a major policy revision in that setting quickly evaporated." (more...)

US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood stands atop a table to address Summit attendees at the Congressional Reception held in a Senate ballroom on Capitol Hill.
(Photos © J. Maus)

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US Dept. of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Obama's Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that he'll hold a summit in September to "address the dangers of text-messaging and other distractions behind the wheel."

The summit is slated for late September in Washington D.C. and, according to a US DOT press release it will include senior transportation officials, elected officials, safety advocates, law enforcement representatives and academics.

In a statement about the summit, LaHood said, "If it were up to me, I would ban drivers from texting, but unfortunately, laws aren’t always enough." (more...)

U.S. DOT Secretary
Ray LaHood.
(Photo © J. Maus)

U.S. Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood issued a statement today proposing an immediate, 18-month "highway reauthorization" to the current transportation bill.

The proposal is being made in an attempt to replenish the ailing Highway Trust Fund that could run out of cash by late August.

Also, beyond the 18-month mini-reauthorization, LaHood wants to reform the bill to help the federal government, "make better investment decisions with cost-benefit analysis, focus on more investments in metropolitan areas and promote the concept of livability to more closely link home and work."

Perhaps sensing the eyebrows this move might raise on Capitol Hill, LaHood added that, "with the reality of our fiscal environment and the critical demand to address our infrastructure investments in a smarter, more focused approach, we should not rush legislation." (more...)

George Will, Public Weasel No. 1.

Remember just over a year ago, when U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer told the crowd at the Oregon Bike Summit that we need to "Hold the weasels accountable" when their partisan bickering holds up good bike policy?

Now, Blumenauer is doing just that in his efforts to take Newsweek's George Will to task for an anti-Portland screed he penned in a recent column. Will's story was based on faulty assumptions about America's relationship with bikes and cars and it directly insults Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his (gasp!) love of Portland.
(more...)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Ray LaHood addressed the National
Bike Summit this morning.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Ray LaHood, President Obama's Transportation Secretary kicked off the opening plenary at the National Bike Summit this morning.

LaHood, sporting the ubiquitous bike pin, made it clear that he symbolizes a new era of cooperation between the U.S. Department of Transportation and bike and active transportation advocates around the country. As I reported last night, LaHood is focused on the idea of "livable communities".

At the outset of his remarks, he said, "I want all of you to know you have a full partner at the US DOT in working toward livable communities". A key theme of LaHood's remarks was that he and President Obama will work hard help make communities nicer places to walk and bike. LaHood said that he and Obama, "Will work toward an America where bikes are recognized to coexist with other modes and to safely share our roads and bridges." (more...)

Congressional Quarterly has the full transcript from today's press conference where President-elect Obama introduced his choice for Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood. Below are some key excerpts interspersed with my thoughts...

This is Obama giving some background (emphasis mine):

"...Our economy boomed in the 20th century when President Eisenhower remade the American landscape by building the interstate highway system.
(more...)