‘Sustainable’ policies vowed at Transportation

WASHINGTON – Former congressman Ray LaHood said Wednesday one of his priorities as transportation secretary will be to make sure the money Congress sets aside for construction projects to stimulate the economy is wisely spent.

One of two Republicans President Barack Obama picked to serve in his Cabinet, LaHood also signaled the new administration sees transportation as key to its environmental agenda, telling a Senate panel that all areas of transportation from roads to rails must be “sustainable” to “acknowledge the new reality of climate change.”

“One of my first tasks if confirmed will be to manage the open and effective use of those funds,” LaHood told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Investments in intercity rail and mass transit, as called for in the $825 billion economic recovery package congressional leaders are trying to quickly pass, are part of the sustainability effort “but only part,” LaHood said. “Sustainability must be a principle reflected in all our infrastructure investments, from highways and transit to aviation and ports.”

MSNBC