Transportation Challenges for the New Administration

Perspectives of Past DOT Secretaries

Liisa Ecola

Expert InsightsPublished Apr 9, 2009

On January 29, 2009 (one week after President Barack Obama's inauguration), the RAND Corporation hosted a panel discussion with three former U.S. secretaries of transportation: William T. Coleman, Jr. (who served as secretary from 1975 to 1977), James H. Burnley IV (1987–1989), and Rodney Slater (1997–2000). These conference proceedings summarize the former secretaries' comments on such topics as which issues should be among the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) top priorities, DOT funding sources and the reauthorization of DOT appropriation bills, earmarking and transparency in the transportation funding process, and the federal role in transportation policy.

Supplemental Material

The following are audio excerpts from the panel discussion. To listen to the excerpts, click on the titles below.

  1. Duration 03:58

    Federal Role in Transportation

  2. Duration 02:15

    Momentum for Reauthorization

  3. Duration 03:42

    Transportation Funding

  4. Duration 03:16

    Earmarking

  5. Duration 01:32

    Major Transportation Investments

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Ecola, Liisa, Transportation Challenges for the New Administration: Perspectives of Past DOT Secretaries. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2009. https://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF257.html.
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