Mary Peters

Also: Improves Puncture Resistance, Limits Speed, and Phases Out Oldest from Most Toxic Service

Monday, March 31, 2008 -- The safety of rail tank cars that carry the most dangerous hazardous materials will be dramatically improved under the most sweeping and revolutionary proposal in decades, announced U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters.

“This proposal is designed to significantly reduce the hazard of hauling hazardous materials by rail,” Peters said, explaining the performance-based standard will increase by 500 percent on average the amount of energy the tank car must absorb during a train accident before a catastrophic failure may occur.    » read more »

Thursday, February 14, 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today sent legislation to Congress seeking greater flexibility for states to target one of the leading causes of motorcycle deaths across the nation – riding without a helmet.

An avid motorcyclist, she credits her helmet and riding gear for saving her life during a 2005 motorcycle crash.    » read more »

Thursday, February 14, 2008 -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today announced that the United States and Australia concluded a landmark Open-Skies aviation agreement that will eliminate restrictions on U.S.-Australia air services for the carriers of both countries. The agreement comes after three days of negotiations in Washington.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Transportation Secretary Mary Peters today was told point blank by three members of Congress to close the border to trucks from Mexico.

Peters kept the border open after a law was enacted to close it. The U.S. Senate voted 75 to 23 and the House voted 411 to 3 to forbid funding for the unsafe pilot project allowing Mexican trucks to use U.S. highways.

The legislation became law on December 26, 2007 as part of the Omnibus budget bill.    » read more »

Mexican Truck Company With Poor Safety Record Drops Out Of Cross-Border Pilot Project

February 7, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters Union demands to know why U.S. inspectors opened the border to a Mexican truck company with an abysmal safety record.

The company last week dropped out of the cross-border trucking pilot program with no explanation from the Transportation Department.    » read more »

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 -- Having delivered nearly $9 billion in federal funding for 22 major transit projects since he took office in 2001, President Bush today recommended a $1.62 billion funding package for Fiscal Year 2009 that includes new projects in nine cities across the nation. This New Starts amount is part of a total public transportation budget proposal of $10.1 billion, a 6.8 percent increase over Fiscal Year 2008.    » read more »

DOT Budget Request Provides Vital Funding for Safety Programs, Road Congestion Relief, and Air Traffic Improvements

Monday, February 4, 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today said President Bush’s $68 billion budget for the U.S. Department of Transportation funds the Department’s critical safety programs, provides financing for much-needed congestion relief programs for the nation’s roads and airways, and honors the six-year transportation funding commitment under SAFETEA-LU.    » read more »