Obama's DOT, City Transport Council Share Hugs

We didn't know that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood had a blog, let alone one with the fanciful name Welcome to the Fast Lane. LaHood's style is breezier than we might have expected, too ("I have to say, the folks there have really turned out something cutting-edge," he says of Norfolk Southern's Juniata Locomotive Shop, which "has done terrific job in pushing the envelope to get one of the first battery-powered locomotive engines in the country up and running").

We are grateful to the Observer for pointing out this and LaHood's praise for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's "A Shared Vision for a Shared Future." The Secretary likes the Council's "investments in public transportation and infrastructure in a century," including the Second Avenue Subway and Moynihan Station, its promotion of "walkable, bikeable neighborhoods," and concern for global warming...

The NYMTC returns the favor, telling the world LaHood "gave well received keynote remarks to a large crowd" at their September 24 meeting. LaHood obligingly links to the item.

LaHood's remarks at the meeting got traction elsewhere downstate; Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano said, "In terms of livable communities, we're way ahead of the rest of the country so this is right up our alley."

Transportation critics aren't always so positive about federal policy in the cities, but with the rare emergence of a free-spending Democratic Administration, it's understandable that our local transport officials would want to play nice.