Press Release - Readout of Transportation Secretary-designee Pete Buttigieg's Meeting with U.S. Mayors

Transportation Secretary-designee Pete Buttigieg met with a group of mayors on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the critical need for transportation and infrastructure investment in cities across the country. As a friend and former colleague, Buttigieg — who served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, for eight years — highlighted his understanding of the need to work with local leaders, and shared his priorities of safety, climate, equity and jobs as the four pillars that will drive the work he does at the Department.

Mayors of small, mid-sized, and large cities agreed with and applauded Buttigieg's priorities for the agency while sharing they've had four years of little to no engagement and a lack of investment and communication from the federal government on infrastructure and transportation issues. In addition, mayors shared with Buttigieg that they would like to ensure that the transportation and infrastructure of the United States is not only innovative and competitive, but the U.S. is a global leader in transportation. They stressed the need to ensure that local governments were able to use funds to hire and contract with local workers and small businesses to serve as an economic engine in their communities. In response to the pandemic and natural disasters, they discussed the need for resiliency plans that not only encouraged rebuilding, but building back better. The group also talked about the importance of Federal funding programs including Community Development Block Grants and Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants that are vital to their cities.

Throughout the call, Buttigieg and the mayors expressed a deep respect for one another and the work they are doing around the country, and committed to working in partnership on the president-elect's agenda to build back better for the American people.

Participants joining the secretary-designee included:

• Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, KY and President of the US Conference of Mayors
• Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, TX
• Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA
• Michael Hancock, Mayor of Denver
• Lori Lightfoot, Mayor of Chicago, IL
• Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, OH
• Patrick Wojahn, Mayor of College Park, MD
• Tom Cochran, US Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director