‘Every Transportation Decision in the 21st Century Is a Climate Decision Whether We Recognize It or Not’
Buttigieg touts infrastructure projects with appearance by the Golden Gate Bridge
A variety of factors come into consideration when determining which projects get funded by the federal bipartisan infrastructure plan approved by Congress last year, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
These include safety and economic benefits — but impact on global climate change is also a top consideration, he said.
Buttigieg was in San Francisco, Calif., Monday to tout federal support for the repair and refurbishment of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
That $400 million project is consistent with the goals the federal government looks for in any such effort, including improved bridge safety from seismic-related retrofits, as well as the regional and national economic benefits from some 500,000 freight trucks which rely on the span, said Buttigieg.
“Well, it really is about the merits of the project. There are so many applications that come in. We prioritize them based on the main reasons that our department exists and the reasons we needed this investment in the first place. Number one on the list is safety, and that’s definitely on our mind with something like strengthening this bridge against earthquakes,” he said in an on-camera appearance on CNBC. “But we are also looking at what is going to benefit our supply chains, lead to economic strength, support jobs. We are looking at investments that are fair, that contribute to equitable economic growth.
“We are looking at climate impacts because every transportation decision in the 21st century is a climate decision whether we recognize it or not,” he added. “And thankfully, because we have such a big investment, you don’t have to look at which states got funds from this infrastructure law and which ones didn’t.”
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