Senate Confirms Mary Peters As Secretary Of Transportation

      The Senate has confirmed Mary E. Peters as secretary of transportation. Peters, who was formerly chief of the Federal Highway Administration, takes the seat vacated by Norman Mineta, the longest-serving secretary of transportation.
      In a statement, President Bush said Peters "is an innovative thinker who will work with state and local leaders to confront challenges and solve problems."
      Peters has said that a top priority is to decrease congestion in all the modes. "Our vital transportation infrastructure is showing signs of aging," she said in testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee. "Traditional transportation programs and their funding sources are no longer able to keep pace with demand. Increased congestion on our highways, railways, airports and seaports reduces our nation's economic productivity and consumes our citizens' time."
      In her previous position at FHWA, Peters pushed for public-private partnerships and tolls to supplement fuel taxes for highway funding. As secretary of transportation, she is chairman of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, which is studying how to use private money to fund highways, as Indiana is doing by leasing the Indiana Toll Road to a private company. Safety and security also are a concern, she said. "We cannot complacently accept fatalities and injuries as the 'price we pay' for mobility," she said.
      American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves applauded Peters' confirmation.
      "Mary is a leader whose knowledge of our nation's transportation system makes her a strong advocate for infrastructure improvements," he said. "We look forward to working with Mary to design and implement a strategy that moves transportation forward safely and efficiently."

– Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor

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