DOT

March 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts: Susan Burk, Special Representative of the President, with the rank of Ambassador, State Department; Raphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Michelle J. DePass, Assistant Administrator for International Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency; Cynthia J. Giles, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Environmental Protection Agency; Michael L. Connor, Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Scott Blake Harris, General Counsel, Department of Energy; and Joseph C.    » read more »

March 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a new partnership to help American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs.

The average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs, making these two areas the largest expenses for American families. Donovan and LaHood want to seek ways to cut these costs by focusing their efforts on creating affordable, sustainable communities.    » read more »

March 19, 2009 -- CONCORD - New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and Transportation Commissioner George Campbell today announced the state Department of Transportation would use a portion of federal stimulus funding to embark on an aggressive road resurfacing program.

In total, the DOT plans to pave nearly 760 miles of roads across all 10 New Hampshire counties this year. Without federal stimulus funding, the DOT would have only been able to contract for 250 miles of road resurfacing.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- OLYMPIA - Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire along with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) today announced Washington’s first state highway construction “Washington Jobs Now” projects funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) were advertised to contractors.

The WSDOT advertised three contracts worth nearly $9 million this week that will ensure the continued availability of Interstate 90 as a safe and reliable cross-state corridor and will preserve US 101 and SR 103 in Pacific County.

In all, WSDOT will build 34 Washington Jobs Now stimulus projects valued at $341 million, supporting an estimated 3,300 jobs.    » read more »

Funds Directed to Projects Sponsored by Capital District Local Municipalities; Projects Expected to Create 1,000 Jobs

March 9, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced additional transportation projects eligible for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which will make much-needed improvements to highways and bridges owned by local governments and not the State.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- CONCORD - New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch today announced that the Office of Economic Stimulus has created and put online at www.nh.gov/recovery an inventory of federal stimulus fund programs.

The inventory includes a one-page sheet on each of the programs that the state is likely to receive funding through; the responsible state agency, where applicable; and the program’s current status. The reports will be updated as the federal government releases more information on the programs.

Much of the funding provided by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be distributed through existing grant programs already administered by state agencies. Other funds will be awarded through a competitive bidding process.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that the state’s Recovery Working Group approved more than $200 million in federal stimulus transportation projects to quickly create jobs on dozens of statewide transportation projects, including bridge replacement and repair, road paving and traffic signal work.

“We literally want shovels in the ground and people hired by next month,” Governor Rell said. “It is essential we put people back to work and money back into our economy as soon as possible. These projects will do that as well as improve the condition and safety of our roads and bridges.”    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has directed the Department of Transportation to immediately begin working with municipal leaders on a plan that would secure state funding for local bridge maintenance and repair.

The $28 million local bridge program has provided financial assistance to towns and cities since 1984, but because of the serious budget deficit the state is facing, the bridge program had been slated for possible suspension. Cities and towns use program funds for the construction and maintenance of bridges on municipally maintained roads.    » read more »

March 4, 2009 -- Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri was joined by Speaker William Murphy, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Michael P. Lewis, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), at a press conference today to announce details of the RIDOT projects to be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Under the Act, Rhode Island will receive $138 million in direct funding to support 50 transportation and infrastructure projects across Rhode Island. These projects will be completed in conjunction with nearly $60 million worth of projects – including the first allotment of funds toward replacement of the Pawtucket River Bridge – already scheduled to go to construction in 2009.    » read more »

March 3, 2009 -- President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden today announced the release of $28 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to states and local transportation authorities to repair and build highways, roads and bridges. This investment will lead to 150,000 jobs saved or created by the end of 2010. The President and Vice President were joined at the Department of Transportation by Secretary Ray LaHood.

State highway departments have already identified more than 100 transportation projects across the country, totaling more than $750 million, where construction can start within the month. The U.S. Department of Transportation will monitor state compliance and track job creation, and information on the projects will be posted on Recovery.gov.    » read more »

Vice President Biden, Secretary LaHood Join in Ceremony at DOT

March 3, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – President Barack Obama, joined by Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, today marked the release of $26.6 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to states and local transportation authorities to repair and build highways, roads and bridges. The release of the funds came eight days earlier than required by law and took place before more than 500 headquarter employees at the U.S. Department of Transportation.    » read more »

February 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; Charlie Rose, General Counsel at the Department of Education; and Roy Keinitz, Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Transportation.

President Obama said, "It gives me great confidence to announce the addition of such distinguished individuals to my administration, and I am grateful that they will be dedicating their considerable talents to serving the American people. I look forward to working with each of them as we steer America toward a new era of prosperity and security."

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the follow individuals today:    » read more »

February 26, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation today unveiled the framework of its proposed fiscal year 2010 budget. Additional budget details will be available in April of this year.

President Obama has laid out a fiscally responsible blueprint for 2010 and the Administration will work closely with the Congress over the next few months to determine the details for funding surface transportation.

“This Administration inherited a difficult problem – a system that can no longer pay for itself,” Secretary LaHood said. “We are looking at every option to solve it, but we are not going to be ready overnight.”    » read more »

February 24, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced it has made steady and measurable increases in air safety that have made flying safer than ever before. The work of DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) resulted in a 65 percent reduction in the aviation fatal accident rate between 1997 and 2006.

Prior to the fatal accident near Buffalo this month, there had been no fatal commercial accidents for more than two years. The rate of runway incursions also has fallen, as have the number of accidents caused by ice on aircraft.

The FAA is committed to further reducing accidents related to icing in all parts of the aviation industry.    » read more »

Today And Tomorrow

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2008 -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to coordinate the operational and support activities of numerous federal agencies in response to continued flooding in the Midwest.

FEMA and its federal partners are working closely with state and local governments as well as with the private sector to support those areas still fighting the floods and to assist those beginning the rebuilding process.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

* Where waters have receded, FEMA disaster assistance workers are providing resources to individuals seeking assistance in the Midwest.    » read more »