D.C. The day after I was sworn in, my very first activity was to meet 50 local officials. I told them whenever I appoint a national transportation commission, a local official would sit at the table so we can listen and learn the local perspective. Unlike all of you, Transportation Secretaries aren t voted into office to bring jobs to communities and clean the air. But I say to you, every day, in every way, you can use transportation to help solve your cities problems, and this Transportation Secretary wants to help you.
Transportation is more than concrete, asphalt, and steel.
It makes our enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness possible. I learned that as a little boy. This week, I will send to Congress, the bill that will dictate how we invest in our highways and transit for the next six years. I know our city leaders will have two questions. We've decided to seek an 11 percent increase in funding over the old program.