U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is leaving President Obama's cabinet, according to an announcement today.
This is a blow to cycling advocacy as LaHood was a tremendous supporter of bicycling as a mode of transportation and fought to include funding for bike infrastructure in the federal transportation projects budget.
"[W]hat Americans want is to get out of their cars, and get out of congestion, and have opportunities for more transit, more light rail, more buses, and some communities are going to street cars. [M]any communities want the opportunity on the weekends and during the week to have the chance to bike to work, to bike to the store, to spend time with their family on a bike."
--Ray LaHood, April 2010.
LaHood, 67, the lone Republican in the Obama cabinet, was named transportation secretary in January 2009. Before that, he served seven terms in the U.S. House as a representative from Illinois.
"I want to thank Secretary LaHood for his dedication, his hard work, and his years of service to the American people - including the outstanding work he's done over the last four years as Secretary of Transportation," said President Obama in a statement.
Related articles:
- U.S. Cyclists all smiles over new Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
- "What Americans want," according to Ray LaHood
- All about the Bicycle Commuter Act
- Ray LaHood announces a "sea change in policy," calling it the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized, and that walking and bicycling should be treated as equals with other transportation modes.
- Flashback: Mary Peters, previous DOT boss, says bikes are not transportation
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