USDOT Convenes Transportation Stakeholders and Administration Partners to Celebrate Climate Progress and Set the Stage for Continued Action

WASHINGTON – On July 11-12, the U.S. Department of Transportation hosted a Transportation and Climate Symposium, where climate champions and nationwide, innovative solutions were recognized. Solutions that help decarbonize our transportation systems and create more accessible and affordable mobility options for all Americans were highlighted.  

The symposium brought together hundreds of decisionmakers from the private and public sectors including State, regional, Tribal, and local governments from across the country to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda – including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act – is working to reduce climate emissions, protecting communities against the impacts of climate change, lowering costs for families, and creating good-paying jobs for workers. 

“Every transportation decision we make is also a climate decision, and this Administration recognizes that we need to make bold decisions to protect our future,” said Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Christopher Coes. “This symposium is a celebration of the work we’ve done and the work we will continue to do to build a cleaner, more resilient, more sustainable America thanks to President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” 

Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg opened the two-day symposium with a keynote fireside chat joined by General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development General Counsel Damon Smith. The conversation focused on the importance of improving coordination of housing and transportation at the local level.  

“There is no silver bullet for decarbonization and that is why we at the U.S. Department of Transportation are partnering with agencies like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help communities with their land-use decisions and planning while providing more mobility choices,” said U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “Through our agencies’ work to integrate housing and transportation, coupled with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are making historic investments in rail, transit, walking, biking and more to support local efforts to de-carbonize the transportation sector and help communities thrive.”  

“It was a great to connect with Deputy Secretary Trottenberg, fellow federal colleagues, and stakeholder partners at the Department of Transportation Climate Change Center’s Transportation and Climate Symposium,” said Damon Smith, HUD’s General Counsel. “The collaboration between the DOT and HUD on transit-oriented development and climate mitigation is exemplary of the Biden-Harris administration’s innovative efforts to break down silos and help create accessible, affordable, and sustainable communities for all.” 

The discussion was followed by the roundtable, “The Cost of Inaction on Climate” led by Federal Highway (FHWA) Administrator Shailen Bhatt with guests Francis Bouchard, Managing Director at Marsh McLennan, and Martin Durbin, Senior Vice President at U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  

The roundtable highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to strengthen America’s climate resilience and nationwide investments to help states and local communities save taxpayers money while strengthening surface-transportation systems and making them more resilient to extreme weather events worsened by the climate crisis. 

“Communities across the country are experiencing more frequent extreme-weather events due to climate change, which are resulting in billions of dollars of damages to roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure,” said FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “With 1 out of every 4 dollars of infrastructure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law running through the FHWA, we are helping states not only recover from extreme weather events but also build the kind of infrastructure that will be able to weather natural disasters in the future.” 

The first day concluded with an insightful discussion on how the Biden-Harris Administration is building on the climate leadership of state governments to create a more sustainable transportation system. The discussion was moderated by White House Deputy National Climate Advisor Mary Frances Repko, and featured the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll, New Mexico Department of Transportation Executive Director Jerry Valdez, Secretary of the Colorado Department of Transportation Herman Stockinger, and American Association of State Transportation Officials Executive Director Jim Tymon.  

On the second day, officials from the Departments of Transportation, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency discussed the importance of the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization to address the climate crisis and meeting President Biden’s goals of securing a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  

“We are collaboratively laying the groundwork for a resilient and sustainable transportation future,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels Michael Berube. “The U.S. Transportation Decarbonization Blueprint provides the approach needed to decarbonize our transportation sector. Now, we are building on the Blueprint to offer a clear path forward for communities to increase adoption of quality and accessible transportation solutions to serve every American.” 

“In many communities, our aging housing stock wasn’t built to modern energy efficiency and climate resiliency standards, putting far too many families at risk of weather-related disasters, and increasing the costs of energy for hard working Americans,” said Solomon Greene, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. “At HUD and throughout this Administration, we are aligning federal investments with state, local, and regional partners to build housing that is both climate resilient and affordable to families in mixed-income communities near affordable transit options.”  

“EPA is delighted to join our federal partners in working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb air pollution from the transportation sector,” said Vicki Arroyo, EPA Associate Administrator for Policy. “Addressing these fundamental challenges requires us to take a whole-of-government approach to support alternative transportation options, expand the availability of cleaner vehicles and fuels, and promote beneficial land use decisions.” 

The event continued with keynote remarks by White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. 

“Decarbonizing our transportation system is critical to reducing climate threats and addressing environmental inequities to our most vulnerable communities,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Under President Biden’s leadership, we are working collaboratively with state transportation departments, industry and communities to deploy historic investments and innovative solutions that will continue to spur domestic manufacturing, create good-paying union jobs, and increase zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure across the transportation system.”  

Their remarks were followed by a roundtable with USDOT leadership including Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer Victoria B. Wassmer, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Annie Petsonk, FHWA Deputy Administrator Kristin White, NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman, FRA Deputy Administrator Jennifer Mitchell, and FTA Executive Director Matt Welbes where they highlighted USDOT climate actions and progress.  

“DOT is advancing tremendous work to improve our climate through the investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act” said Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer Victoria Wassmer. “With this historic level of funding, DOT is taking on the climate crisis with measures that will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transportation-related pollution,” 

“The Biden-Harris Administration has supported generous incentives to help the aviation industry innovate toward its pledged clean future,” said Annie Petsonk, DOT’s Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs. “Now it’s time for the airlines to move forward on meeting their commitments and expanding the sustainable aviation economy – starting with the global market-based measure they designed and championed.” 

“Through the NEVI, CFI, and PROTECT grant programs, we’re investing nearly $15 billion in communities to expand the nation’s electric vehicle charging network and alternative fueling infrastructure, promoting clean freight movement, developing green infrastructure, and strengthening transportation infrastructure to make our coastal cities more resilient to extreme weather, including climate change,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “These revolutionary programs will bring a systems-wide change, but we also recognize the role of small investments in making transformative change. We’re partnering with tribes, local communities, private industry, and state and regional governments to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s goals of a cleaner future.” 

“NHTSA is proud to have finalized new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards that will help save Americans money at the pump, ensure a variety of fuel-efficient vehicle options, and make our air cleaner for everyone. We’re working with our sister agencies at DOT and across government to provide clean and safe transportation options for all Americans,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. 

“Through President Biden’s infrastructure package, FRA is investing in new innovative technologies, like zero-emission locomotives, and growing America’s passenger rail network, including investing in high-speed rail corridors and new sustainable infrastructure that will provide Americans with an alternative to congested highways and airports and reduce pollution in the air we breathe,” said FRA Deputy Administrator Jennifer Mitchell. 

“FTA is proud of our accomplishments supporting people who rely on buses, trains, and ferries nationwide, especially our record level of federal support for low- and no-emission buses and bus facilities grants, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said FTA Executive Director Matt Welbes. “In fact, thanks to the Bipartisan infrastructure Law FTA is providing 10 times more federal funding to this program than before.” 

The Department has enacted multiple programs to help meet the demands of climate challenges across all modes of transportation. This includes investments in low- and no-emission buses and transit, establishing new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, administering the PROTECT formula and discretionary grant programs, and advancing high-speed electric rail projects. 

This was followed by a discussion featuring USDOT and USDOE Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Lincoln Mayor Leiron Gaylor Baird, and Mesa Mayor John Giles on local leadership and climate ambition.  

The afternoon included an Innovation for Decarbonization Tech Showcase on Third Street Plaza that featured 30 public and private sector participants with test rides and live demonstrations of innovative solutions to support greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the transportation sector. Remarks from USDOT Chief Scientist and Deputy Assistant Secretary Robert Hampshire, DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Marootian, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director Justina Gallegos, and Streetlife Ventures Cofounder and Managing Partner Laura Fox. 

“We stand at a critical juncture to propel climate research and transportation technologies to confront the climate crisis head-on, implementing bold solutions to leverage emerging technologies for decarbonizing transportation,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer Dr. Robert C. Hampshire. 

The Transportation and Climate Symposium concluded with Rip Rapson of Kresge Foundation, Neeraj Mehta of McKnight Foundation and Arturo Garcia-Costas of New York Community Trust discussing how investments from philanthropy are augmenting federal climate funding to build the partnerships and momentum necessary for systemic change, and a closing plenary with Sam Smith, AFL-CIO to discuss the future of the clean transportation economy.  

The Transportation and Climate Symposium’s agenda also included hands-on workshops on topics like micromobility access, Tribal and rural leadership, reduction of freight emissions, and more.  

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