Skip to main content

US Tranportation Secretary pessimistic?

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has expressed doubts that the reauthorisation bill will be passed in the current session of Congress, according to the Innovation Briefs report by Ken Orski.
March 15, 2012 Read time: 1 min
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has expressed doubts that the reauthorisation bill will be passed in the current session of Congress, according to the 3949 Innovation Briefs report by Ken Orski.

LaHood spoke during the recent annual meeting of the 2774 Transportation Research Board in Washington, where six US transportation secretaries discussed challenges they had met during their time in office. LaHood’s comments drew some surprise given recent announcements from the US Government about the importance of infrastructure.

There have been some earlier comments that the Senate Finance Committee may have arrived at a bipartisan agreement on providing the US$13 billion needed to fund the bill. However LaHood pointed out that the politically polarised situation in the 10 months to the next US election will make it hard for sufficient agreement to be reached that would allow the reauthorisation bill to be passed.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Safer roads needed for the gig economy
    May 14, 2019
    Roads everywhere are becoming high-pressure workplaces for millions of gig economy workers, meaning traffic police need a new way to regulate how highways are used. Geoff Hadwick reports from Manchester, UK The way in which the world’s highways are designed, built and used needs to change fast as the gig economy becomes a global phenomenon. Millions of low-paid and badly-trained freelance drivers are now using road as their workplace, all of them working hard under huge amounts of pressure. The tren
  • India pushing ahead with infrastructure projects
    July 4, 2012
    Despite the economic downturn, India looks to be pressing ahead with its major infrastructure projects to further boost its incredible growth. Patrick Smith reports India, which like most countries has been affected by the current economic climate, although not to the same extent, is pressing ahead with its ambitious highway construction plans. Each week new projects are completed, started or awarded as the nation seeks to improve its transportation requirements. These are needed to meet the aspirations of
  • Key courses are making a difference, one IRF Fellow at a time
    February 24, 2015
    66th Class of IRF Fellows Takes Part in Unique Leadership Course. The 66th Class of IRF Fellows has taken part in an innovative leadership course. In all 30 IRF Fellows representing 22 countries as diverse as Haiti, Kenya and Indonesia took part in the International Road Federation’s Road Scholar Programme in January 2015. Timed with the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting, the program is an annual 10-day leadership and orientation course which brings together the new class of IRF Fellows in Wash
  • Highways England: new agency with long-term investment strategies
    August 18, 2015
    Highways England, created out of the old Highways Agency, was set up on April 1 to oversee a closer relationship between government client and private contractors. World Highways went to a recent forum in London to hear both sides declare their hopes and challenges. Government reforms are often met with a certain amount of scepticism thanks to years of disillusionment over forgotten ministerial promises. Given that, highway contractors in the UK could have been forgiven if they had raised their eyes skyward