Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao is close to beating a record. Chao, who served as George W. Bush’s Labor secretary for eight years, could soon beat the record for longest duration served in the Cabinet by a female official. The reigning title was last set by former Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, the first woman to...
In a much-needed first, Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today unveiled a national strategic plan to smooth the $52 billion-a-day freight delivery system and eliminate bottlenecks that can slow the shipments of energy, food, and even packages from Amazon, Walmart, and Target. With the first-ever National Freight Strategic Plan, she put the government’s focus on...
As Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Elaine Chao plays a vital role in shaping the industry. She oversees the formulation of national transportation policy and serves as principle advisor to the president in all matters relating to federal transportation programs. Redefining the Road magazine recently caught up with Secretary Chao to talk about her personal career journey, her perspective on gender diversity and her...
The United States’ top transportation official discusses USDOT’s approach and response to the pandemic and how non-pandemic priorities continue to move forward. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted priorities in every business sector, as well as the day-to-day lives of people. At the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the pandemic intensified efforts to uphold the department’s...
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all for that warm welcome. And it is a great honor for me to be here on such a special day to welcome 16 new Americans to the American family. Give yourselves a round of applause. (Applause.) And it’s an honor to be here with some extraordinary public servants...
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao answered these questions from ARTBA. Q: The surface transportation system continues to undergo transformation, in terms of both the technology on our roads and the way the traveling public uses the roadways. How has USDOT prioritized innovation to ensure we are prepared for the future needs of our...
Long-awaited revisions to the hours of service (HOS) regulations were released on May 14 to mixed reviews. The changes, published in the Federal Register on June 1, will become effective on Sept. 29. The 120-day period before the ruling becomes effective allows time for training of enforcement agencies and updating of ELD equipment. In announcing...
Playbook Reporter Anna Palmer: Welcome to Playbook. I’m joined by my colleague and Playbook co-author Jake Sherman to host a virtual Playbook interview with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to talk about her role in the recovery, how she’s handling the safety for herself and the agency, the future of airlines and her outlook on a...
CONNELLSVILLE, Pennsylvania — It is 6:59 a.m., and Amtrak’s Capitol Limited is slowly pulling up to the station here that sits along the Youghiogheny River. For many people, this little station in one of the poorest counties in Pennsylvania is their only lifeline to travel to family and friends during the travel restrictions of the...
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania — Help is on the way for airlines and airports, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said. During the coronavirus pandemic, the suffering is obvious to anyone who walks into an airport like this one: Pittsburgh International Airport has seen passenger traffic in and out of the facility go from 26,000 people a...
