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

Great Lakes Waterways a critical part of America's economic engine

Last night, in his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama spoke about his vision for thriving American economy. One of the keys to the kind of economy the President talked about is a strong maritime transportation and port system.

If we want American businesses to compete effectively, getting the goods from point A to point B quickly, safely, and affordably is essential. And our waterways offer us an important freight alternative that checks all three of those boxes.

The President knows this. We at DOT know it. And the maritime professionals attending this week's Great Lakes Waterways Conference in Cleveland know it.

I went to the Great Lakes conference to talk about the opportunities that abound for the region's waterways. Opportunities to create jobs, opportunities to improve safety and efficiency, and opportunities to invest in a revitalized fleet of Laker vessels, international vessels, and revitalized ports throughout the region.

We know from a just-completed Maritime Administration (MARAD) study that the regional industries served by the Great Lakes, their ports, and the St. Lawrence Seaway are rebounding from the recent recession.

Lake cargo volumes are recovering from their 2009 lows. The Lakes and the Seaway are supporting more than 226,000 jobs. And with the shift in our nation's energy needs, the Great Lakes region is poised to play an even greater role in our economic future as the supply chain for oil, gas, and renewable resources continues to expand.

To improve the state of the union is the task of us all

In last night's State of the Union address, President Obama charted a clear course for the next 12 months. "It is our generation’s task," the President said, "to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth -- a rising, thriving middle class."

And one way to reignite that important engine is by investing in American transportation.

As the President said, "Ask any CEO where they’d rather locate and hire: a country with deteriorating roads and bridges, or one with high-speed rail..."

And he noted that, "The CEO of Siemens America – a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina – has said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they’ll bring even more jobs."

So, the President’s plan to build on the progress we've made during his first term and to make America a magnet for jobs and manufacturing includes a “Fix-It-First” program that puts men and women to work as soon as possible on our most urgent infrastructure repairs.

On Lincoln’s birthday, it is for us to be dedicated to the great task remaining

On this day in 1809, our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Today, 204 years later, I was honored to help mark the anniversary of his birth at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial here in Washington, DC.

You don't have to be a student of American history or of Lincoln's biography to know that President Lincoln was a great leader and one of our greatest Presidents--if not our greatest.

As a former Member of Congress from the same part of Illinois that Abraham Lincoln represented when he served a term in the House of Representatives, it was a true privilege for me at today's ceremony to read aloud Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

And while I was reading it--in the shadow of Daniel Chester French's larger-than-life sculpture of this American hero, I couldn't help but think about the leadership Lincoln demonstrated.

During a time of great conflict, with the fate of the nation less certain than at any time since the American Revolution, he kept us united. Through his determination, and the sacrifices made by so many soldiers and their families, he succeeded.

He was equally determined to lead this nation through the difficult peace that was to follow. He understood that it would be no easy task, that Congress would be divided by factions, but still he charted a course--beginning with the 13th Amendment to our Constitution--that would carry us forward.

Although he was denied the opportunity to see that effort through, he understood that only together could our nation thrive. Only when we work together, setting aside our differences, can we solve our nation's problems.

As Lincoln said: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

We have work to do. Let's get it done.

  

The State of American Passenger Rail is good......and getting better

Four years ago, President Obama laid out a bold vision for transforming American passenger rail. Since then, DOT and its partners have been working hard to realize that vision, and this morning I had a chance to update members of the US High Speed Rail Association on our progress.

Through our High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program, the Obama Administration has invested nearly $12 billion in higher performing passenger rail, funding 152 rail projects in 32 states. In 19 states and the District of Columbia, 52 passenger rail projects worth $3.6 billion are currently under construction, or will be soon.

We have 11 projects that are now complete. And those projects are already paying dividends for the American people.

Last year, for example, trains on the Chicago-St. Louis and Chicago-Detroit corridors began reaching 110 miles per hour – the fastest speeds outside the Northeast Corridor. In two years, trains will run at that speed throughout most of both routes – cutting trip times on each by close to an hour.

In the Pacific Northwest, we are moving forward with 21 projects that will increase the number of roundtrips and cut trip times.

In the Northeast, new service to Brunswick, Maine, has linked thousands of travelers to Portland and Boston and has attracted millions of dollars in private investment and economic development to Brunswick.