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[Music] Hello, this is Ray LaHood,
Secretary of Transportation.
Every day, people all across America share their thoughts
with me on Facebook and Twitter, which helps me
to know what the American people really care
about when it comes to transportation.
To help keep our dialogue going, I?ve decided
to periodically answer some of your questions,
and then post the video to the web.
So, keep your feedback coming ?
and with that, I?ll go to our first question.
It?s from Shelli Ralls, and she writes on my blog
about distracted driving, which we have been passionate
about for the last two years.
We?ve held two distracted driving summits here
in Washington.
We?ve helped form an advocacy group called FocusDriven.
We have a website called Distraction.gov,
which has videos of people talking
about their heartbreaking stories of losing loved ones
as a result of distracted driving.
We?re just beginning to really educate people
about distracted driving, about the fact
that you can?t use a cell phone, you can?t text
and drive and be safe.
We know that it will take personal responsibility
for people to buckle up and put their cell phones
and texting devices in their glove compartments.
We know that it will take good enforcement.
We know that there are thirty states now
that have passed laws, but we need good enforcement.
But, more than anything else, we need people
to realize you cannot drive safely while using a cell phone
or a texting device.
Buckle up and put the texting device
in your glove compartment.
That will really be an opportunity, I think,
to save lives and save injuries.
Our next question is from Jeff Cook, who writes on my blog:
?Is the Administration pushing for reauthorization
of the Recreational Programs
and Transportation Enhancement Activities??
Absolutely.
We?ve spent the last two years in this job promoting livable
and sustainable communities, and the definition
of that really is the opportunity for people
to have access to many different forms of transportation.
We know that people are always going to have cars,
but we also know that people want to get out of congestion,
they want to get on a streetcar, they want to get
on a transit system, they want to get on a bus,
and they also want the availability of walking
and biking paths and the amenities that those provide
in communities to really make them communities
that provide the options for people
that they really are looking for.
And so we will continue our efforts.
And President Obama has included
in the 2012 budget the opportunity for many
of these programs to continue at a very good funding level.
The third question is from Tracie Sanchez,
who writes on my Facebook: ?Will there be a TIGER 3??
The TIGER program was really a program that allowed communities
that wanted to address serious problems to come directly to DOT
with their creative ideas,
with their creative grant applications, and to really say
to us, ?this is a way to solve a problem in the community.?
And we accepted those applications under a TIGER 1
and a TIGER 2 process,
and funded many creative projects around America ?
walking paths, biking paths, transit systems, light rail,
streetcar programs, road and bridge projects.
So many different kinds of opportunities for Americans
to come directly to DOT and to say that ?we need help
in funding our important projects.?
With the kind of talk that?s going on in Washington now
about deficits and cutting back, we?re not sure
if there will be a TIGER 3 program.
The Congress really likes TIGER 3.
I think what will happen is if you look at our 2012 budget
that the President has put out, we?ve included some programs
where people can come directly to us.
We don?t call them TIGER,
but we call them an infrastructure program
and transportation awards that we?ll be giving
out if our budget passes.
So, we?ve accounted for the fact the TIGER program was very
successful, and really allowed communities
to address serious problems.
And the President has included a couple of different pots
of money in the budget for transportation
which we hope Congress will pass.
The last question comes from Armin Sher, asks on Facebook:
?Our bridges and highways are in need of major repair.
Are the programs we have in place still viable,
or may new government cutbacks cause improvements
to be delayed??
Not really.
Again, we?ve made a lot of progress over the last two years
as a result of the stimulus program
that provided $28 billion to fix up roads and bridges.
As a result of the $48 billion that we received, we were able
to create 15,000 projects and put 65,000 people to work.
We know, we get it ?
we know that roads, fixing up roads
and bridges is really a jobs opportunity.
It puts thousands of people to work, it always has.
And in the President?s budget ?
the President also understands
that the transportation budget is also a jobs program.
And so the President has increased dramatically
over the next six years the amount of money
for roads and bridges ?
over $336 billion, a 48% increase.
The President is committed to making sure that our roads
and bridges are in a state of good repair.
And in some states, obviously, we will be working
with our partners to build new roads and bridges and continue
to make sure the existing roads
and bridges are really in good repair.
Well, lookit, there are lots of questions and lots of concerns
about transportation, and I?m delighted to have a chance
to really, personally let you know that we think
and care seriously about what we read on our Facebook
and other opportunities ?
on our blog ?
questions you have.
And we?ll continue to do this.
So, we thank you very much for joining us and sending in all
of these great questions.
And let?s keep the conversation going on my Fast Lane blog,
Facebook, and Twitter.
Thank you very much for your interest in all that we?re doing
at the Department of Transportation.
[Music]