The U.S. Department of Transportation released a report January 10 providing an update on the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to improve America’s transportation infrastructure.
The National Roadway Safety Strategy showed that roadway safety planning improved for over 70% of the U.S. population, while funding for safety improvements went towards 4,515 intersections. Advancements were also made for rules regarding automatic emergency braking in cars and trucks that will save over 500 lives annually, the DOT said.
The update found that railway safety has also improved with more than 7,500 inspections on hazardous material routes. Funding was also provided to 70 rail safety projects through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program.
The Biden-Harris administration also laid out a plan to build 500,000 EV charging stations across the country by 2030, while expanding alternative fuel corridors to 79,000 miles of highways spanning all 50 states.
Since 2021, the DOT has provided $450 million to a 34-university consortia in order to create next-generation transportation technology and professionals, according to the report. The DOT launched the Intersection Safety Challenge to find more ways to transform and improve roadway intersection safety too.
“We are delivering for the American people with the resources now available because President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reversed decades of underinvestment in our transportation systems,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The public placed great trust in DOT, and we are honoring that trust by making improvements to transportation that get people and goods to where they need to be more safely, affordably, and sustainably while creating good-paying jobs.”
