In the wake of the Jan. 6 siege on the United States Capitol by a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has resigned. The wife of outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the first member of the defeated President’s Cabinet to quit in the wake of the insurrection fueled by Trump’s insistence that he actually won what he calls a “stolen” 2020 election “by a landslide.” Chao’s resignation is effective Jan. 11.
With his nomination as Federal Railroad Administrator awaiting Senate confirmation, Ronald L. Batory has been named as a special assistant on railroad matters to Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
A pilot program to advance the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, or drones) will partner the U.S. Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions in developing rules that will allow broader testing.
The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to streamline the environmental review process for multimodal projects, to speed development while removing bureaucratic obstacles.
Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao says the Trump Administration’s forthcoming infrastructure proposal will cover more than infrastructure, and reiterated the belief that regulatory red tape, not funding, is responsible for holding up projects.
Caltrain has warned that the viability of its project to electrify the 52-mile San Jose-San Francisco corridor may be in jeopardy after newly appointed United States Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao ordered the Federal Transit Administration to defer federal funding.
