Transportation and the Economy

On April 28, the Brookings Institution’s Opportunity 08 project hosted U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters for a discussion of America’s transportation infrastructure. Secretary Peters focused on the challenges facing the nation’s transportation network, and how local, state and national leaders can take advantage of new technology and approaches to unleash a new wave of transportation investments in this country.

Secretary Peters has more than 20 years of experience in transportation, having served in state government before joining the Bush Administration in 2001. She served as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration for four years before becoming Transportation Secretary in 2006. In that role she has focused on fighting congestion across all modes of transportation, improving safety and addressing the strains on traditional sources of transportation funding.

Michael O’ Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Opportunity 08, provided introductory remarks. A panel discussion featuring Brookings experts Pietro Nivola, Rob Puentes, Robert Crandall, Clifford Winston and Jason Bordoff, followed.

Opportunity 08 aims to help presidential candidates and the public focus on critical issues facing the nation, providing ideas, policy forums and information on a broad range of domestic and foreign policy questions.