Three alternatives to work with incoming USDOT Secretary Duffy
Final Wednesday (Jan. 15), former Congressman Sean Duffy confronted questions from the Senate Commerce Committee, tasked to vet the subsequent Transportation Secretary. Listed below are three issues T4America gleaned from the listening to as alternatives for working with Secretary-designate Duffy.
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Whereas it’s tough with nearly any eventual USDOT Secretary to attempt to anticipate exactly how they’ll select to run the division, these affirmation hearings (and the nominee’s report to a point) may help give a tough sense of what they care about earlier than they’re confirmed. And the restricted period of time to arrange on this particular case would possibly imply that this listening to is extra of a have a look at Duffy’s priorities and pursuits slightly than revealing what he could also be directed to prioritize by the president and the chief department.
As one instance of how these variations are already rising, Duffy responded to questions on future spending beneath the infrastructure regulation (the IIJA) by pledging to observe that regulation and see these funds spent. But, on day one of many Trump presidency, President Trump issued an government order aimed toward suspending all IIJA funding for 90 days. (This could possibly be challenged within the courts, as these spending selections are decided by Congress and current regulation.)
It gained’t be clear for fairly a while what the Trump administration needs to perform in transportation—which seems to be farther down their checklist of priorities. However with that in thoughts, listed here are three areas the place some doorways could possibly be opened to collaborate or work with USDOT over the subsequent 4 years.
1) Security
Mr. Duffy strongly affirmed his want to go away a legacy at USDOT on security. We suspected this could possibly be an space the place he brings a robust curiosity as a consequence of his private connection to the problem: His spouse Rachel was critically injured in a visitors crash years earlier than they had been married, he was on an Amtrak prepare that crashed in West Virginia that killed a truck driver, and has regularly spoken about issues of safety.
Questions from the committee touched on numerous issues of safety, from autonomous autos, to passenger and freight rail (together with the problem of blocked railroad grade crossings impeding visitors and emergency response), and briefly on energetic transportation security. On that notice, Duffy stated he can be prepared to discover and have interaction in advancing and ultimately implementing the Sarah Langenkamp Energetic Transportation Security Act, which might make modifications to the federal Freeway Security Enchancment Program to assist spur states to construct and full protected bike and pedestrian networks. Mr. Duffy even spoke concerning the want for proactive federal guidelines on autonomous autos that may give attention to security, which is not the path Congress has tried to go in over the previous few years. With roadway fatalities persevering with to rise, regardless of advances in automobile security know-how and innovation that the committee spent intensive time on, this space could possibly be a possibility to work with the incoming USDOT Secretary. Automated autos shouldn’t be examined with out better transparency and safeguards. With a legacy emphasis on security, Secretary-nominee Duffy additionally supplies a gap to give attention to addressing current requirements for the nation’s roadways which are inherently Harmful by Design and should be essentially reworked.
2) Multimodal transportation investments
Members from each events of the committee raised points that contact on a large spectrum of various modes of journey, together with passenger rail, the resilience of public transit operations, and rural group connectivity.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) reminded Mr. Duffy that he’s as much as “be the Secretary of the Division of Transportation, not simply the Division of Vehicles.” Mr. Duffy expressed assist for a multimodal transportation perspective, along with supporting a strong and progressive automotive market that’s inclusive of electrical autos. (That is one other space the place variations with the President are already rising: the President is attempting to reverse incentives and mandates for electrical automobile adoption.)
Senators Baldwin (D-WI) and Duckworth (D-IL) additionally highlighted the necessity for Mr. Duffy to not neglect and combine the mobility wants of 70 million People with disabilities, who could also be mobility, cognitive, imaginative and prescient, or listening to impaired. Mild on particulars, Mr. Duffy did repeat on a number of events the necessity to assist a transportation community that facilitates shopper alternative. This leaves room for advocates and others to assist USDOT perceive their cost to advertise secure and environment friendly motion of all People, no matter capability and the group they reside in.
3) Transparency and streamlining
This could possibly be one of many areas of widespread floor for making much-needed reforms to the (arduous) technique of how transportation tasks get accredited and constructed—particularly transit tasks—and the way a lot they price. Practically each Senator touched upon implementing the 2021 infrastructure regulation and different associated congressional mandates, challenge supply, the NEPA course of, and the way to pace up environment friendly and cost-effective transportation tasks. Time and again we discover transportation tasks held up over onerous allowing and evaluation processes, which rightfully decelerate freeway boondoggles, but additionally maintain up stable public transit and zero-emission mobility tasks. There’s a dire must shake up the established order to streamline useful community-led tasks and maintain again tasks that divide by design.
Senator Fischer (R-NE) requested that Duffy sort out the problem of steering consistency, when USDOT headquarters says and interprets a coverage or guideline, then FHWA division workplaces use distinctive, inventive interpretations of the identical coverage or guideline. Senators Cruz (R-TX), Capito (R-WV), and Cantwell (D-WA) requested agency dedication for clear supply of knowledge to the committee, particularly on how USDOT is evaluating tasks for discretionary applications and program effectiveness.
A continuing concern from transportation stakeholders has been if current infrastructure legal guidelines can be undercut by the incoming administration. Mr. Duffy has indicated he intends to abide by congressional mandates and legal guidelines if confirmed as USDOT Secretary. There may be a gap to interact Secretary nominee Duffy on the standardized reporting, oversight, and environment friendly use of federal transportation {dollars}.
Wanting forward
Mr. Duffy is more likely to take pleasure in a comparatively easy affirmation course of. With the subsequent floor transportation reauthorization looming, Duffy’s USDOT will probably be charged with serving to Congress perceive what can or ought to be modified with the general transportation program to supply higher outcomes. Whereas it is going to take a while for his or her agenda to emerge, these openings in security, multimodal transportation investments, and transparency revealed in Mr. Duffy’s affirmation listening to may present some attainable pathways to make a considerable influence on U.S. transportation.
