If the typical local and national news headlines make your head ache and heart race, the blogosphere is now serving up two new interesting alternatives you can peruse online while enjoying that morning cup of joe.
In 2008, Mary Peters, then Secretary of the Department of Transportation under the Bush administration, announced the start up a new DOT blog as a method to engage the public in discussion regarding “twenty-first century solutions” for the nation’s transportation system. Since the first post in April, the Fast Lane has become a virtual bulletin board filled with local, regional and national transportation related issues.
Embracing the Democrats increased use of technology, incoming DOT Secretary, Ray LaHood, lost no time picking up the frequency of posts when the Obama White House was sworn in. In early February he used the Fast Lane to announce the formation of the TIGER team. The group’s purpose is to make sure that DOT’s portion of recovery funding goes out to states and localities as quickly as possible to help create American jobs and strengthen our economy and transportation system.
In keeping with the new media outlets and communication channels rapidly being hatched on Capitol Hill, the National Journal, a group of nonpartisan editors and reporters who keep tabs on everything that comes out of Washington, recently started a new Transportation Expert Blog. The popular new venue attracts and supports an online community of transportation professionals who will focus on a different question or challenge each week.
Although it’s still relatively new, so far there have been some engaging conversations and diverse opinions being shared among a long list of transportation professionals. Heady stuff!
The Fast Lane, National Journal’s Transportation Expert Blog and FederalTimes.com blogs have been added to the RELORT Blogroll. Links to the NationalJournal.com online magazine has been added to the Reading Room.
