US DOT highlights infrastructure accomplishments

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a report this week updating the public on the Biden-Harris Administration efforts to improve America’s transportation infrastructure.

The report includes updates on DOT’s key priorities, including rail safety, strengthening consumer protections for air  travelers, and the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), among others.

 “The public placed great trust in DOT, and we are honoring that trust by making improvements to transportation that get people and goods to where they need to be more safely, affordably, and sustainably while creating good-paying jobs,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, noting decades of underinvestment in transportation systems.

View the DOT 2021-2023 Progress Report here. Improvements on key priorities include: 

Making Roads and Vehicles Safer for All 

• Published the comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy
• Improved roadway safety planning for over 70% of the U.S. population
• Funded safety improvements for 4,515 intersections
• Secured commitments from over 120 partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who responded to DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy call to action
• Advanced rules on automatic emergency braking in cars and trucks that would save over 500 lives a year 

Improving Rail Safety 

• Conducted more than 7,500 rail safety inspections on hazardous material routes
• Funded projects to eliminate or improve more than 400 at-grade crossings
• Over 87% of Class I rail workers now have paid sick leave
• Funded 70 rail safety projects through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program

Making Generational Investments to Rebuild America 

• Awarded over $200 billion to over 40,000 projects nationwide, supporting tens of thousands of jobs
• Upgrading rail service on the Northeast Corridor, reducing Amtrak and commuter rail delays for over 200 million trips annually
• Funded repairs to 7,800 bridges and improving 135,000 miles of roads 

Strengthening Consumer Protections for Air Travelers 

• Investigated more than 20 airlines for failing to provide timely refunds
• Helped ensure airlines returned over $3 billion to hundreds of thousands of passengers
• Secured commitments from major airlines guaranteeing consumers’ rights such as free rebooking, hotels, and meal vouchers when airlines cause a delay or cancellation
• Published the first-ever Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights
• Reduced airline cancellations to under 1.2%, the lowest rate in at least a decade
• Proposed new rules requiring airlines to disclose hidden fees for extra bags, changes, and cancellations

Advancing Equity 

• Funding $3.3 billion to improve mobility and access through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program
• Awarded over $2 billion in direct procurement to small, disadvantaged businesses in FY23
• Established project labor agreements for 319 FHWA projects totaling $9.9 billion, including $3.2 billion with local hire preferences
• Awarded $686 million to improve accessibility at transit stations 

Achieving Net-Zero Carbon Emissions 

• Released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
• Providing nearly $9 billion in funding for climate resilience projects to protect infrastructure from extreme weather
• Funding sustainable aviation fuel and technology to reach carbon neutral aviation by 2050
• Funded over 2,900 zero-emission and low-emission buses
• Raised fuel economy standards to save consumers money at the pump and reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 billion tons

Building a Nationwide Electric Vehicle Charging Network 

• Set new national standards for EV charging to ensure everyone can use the network no matter what you drive or which state you are in
• Expanded alternative fuel corridors to 79,000 miles of highways in all 50 states
• Provided more than $2.2 billion in funding to states and communities to build a nationwide EV charging network
• Set the nation on the path to meet President Biden’s vision of building 500,000 chargers by 2030 

Driving Innovation 

• Accelerated the deployment of uncrewed aviation systems and electric aircraft
• Funded 59 smart community technology demonstration projects for the use of technologies such as connected and automated vehicles, advanced traffic signals, and uncrewed aircraft systems
• Launched the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Infrastructure (ARPA-I) to spur the development of game-changing transportation technologies
• Awarded $450 million to 34 university consortia to develop the next generation of transportation technology and professionals
• Launched the Intersection Safety Challenge seeking ideas to transform intersection safety