Our New Bestie: Secretary Pete
Pete Buttigieg Is Connecting The Dots Between Transportation And Social Justice Issues.
Atlanta’s Got the Perfect Project
United States Department of Transportation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Our mayor and and the Atlanta city council will ultimately determine when light rail on the BeltLine becomes a priority for our city. Yet Atlanta transit backers have a new champion in 'Mayor' Pete Buttigieg, our 19th secretary of the Department of Transportation.
The DOT controls $87 billion in transportation funding. Might some of that money find its way to supporting construction of light rail around the BeltLine? (Quick reminder that MARTA anticipates completing BeltLine rail in 2040 or beyond - an epic fail in our opinion, since our city needs more transit options right now.)
At his recent confirmation hearing, Buttigieg said there was a “generational opportunity” to transform infrastructure. He also pledged to work with the nation’s state, local and tribal leaders, and said he would try to mitigate the effects that transportation policies had historically had on lower income and minority communities.
“I believe good transportation policy can play no less a role than making possible the American dream,” Buttigieg told the New York Times. “But I also recognize that at their worst, misguided policies and missed opportunities in transportation can reinforce racial and economic inequality."
Buttigieg also brings a following to the position of transportation secretary not previous seen for a typically low profile cabinet post. In the days surrounding his confirmation hearing, Mr. Buttigieg went on television shows including ABC’s “The View” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he spoke about how the Transportation Department could play a crucial role in advancing President Biden’s climate change strategy.
All indications point to a rising star in Secretary Pete, and his continued willingness to draw a direct line from the DOT to many of the most vexing social issues facing our country today. In early March, for example, Buttigieg spoke in support of decreases in the overall volume of city asphalt in support of climate, safety and mobility justice goals. From the DOT, no less!
It is our hope and our wish that Secretary Pete's star will rise in concert with the constellation that comprises transit on the BeltLine. We'll keep a roll of red carpet handy just in case that star happens to land in A-Town.