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Transportation outlook after unprecedented disruptions

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the U.S. transportation sector has faced unprecedented disruptions in recent years.  

“I would say the most concentrated and varied set of disruptions and issues since 9/11 and most of those have had to do with the pandemic or the result of the pandemic, but we’ve been able to work through those,” he says.

His outlook for 2023 is cautiously optimistic as many transportation infrastructure projects get underway across the country.

“What I’m really looking forward to this year, even as we face the inevitable curveballs or disruptions that can hit the system, is a new era of putting our money where our mouth is and getting projects up and running around the country,” he says.

Buttigieg tells Brownfield there will be a lot of construction in the next few years.

“Sometimes that construction can be inconvenient but on the other side of it are improvements that we’re going to be using and benefiting from for the rest of our lives,” he says. “My kids will be driving over some of the bridges and using some of the tunnels and being on some of the roads that we’re fixing right now and that’s something that excites me and everybody here in this department.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced nearly $274 million for transportation projects that aim to increase connectivity, improve safety and reliability, support regional economic growth, and improve the quality of life in rural communities.

Audio: Pete Buttigieg