On Tuesday, Anthony Foxx was sworn in as America's 17th transportation secretary. But before he could take over the keys to the department, outspoken DOT head Ray LaHood spoke with Sommer Mathis about the future of transport in America.
In an interview with The Atlantic Cities, the former Republican congressman who became a favorite of multi-modal transportation advocates for his support of alternatives to the automobile addressed outdated funding sources (gas tax, we're talking about you), the decline in car ownership, and the prospects for a bipartisanship transportation bill.
Among the interesting tidbits:
In a speech last weekend at the Aspen Ideas Festival, LaHood claimed that "[b]y 2025, all of us, every family, will have some kind of hybrid or electric vehicle."
And on the prospects for a car-free future: "People of your generation, my kids' generation, they're probably going to have at least one car. But yes, a lot of communities like Chicago, L.A., they're going to alternatives, and some people are even going to the Zipcar and such, but there are always going to be automobiles. People are always going to have at least one car."
Read the full story: The Future According to Ray LaHood: High-Speed Rail, But Also Tons of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority