U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao joined with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno in Washington, D.C., on June 27 to co-host the first-ever Americas Transportation Summit. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) said the summit brought together delegations from 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries, including nine Transport Ministers, and was themed “A path toward competitive, safe and secure transportation services.” USDOT notes that the summit discussed visionary leadership to safely integrate innovation in transportation.
“The United States looks forward to continuing to work with all its partners in the region so that safer and better transportation technologies and systems can be deployed for the benefit of all,” said Secretary Chao.
The Americas Transportation Summit engages both the public and private sectors in exploring innovative practices to advance competitive, safe and secure transportation services. This Summit supports the Administration’s efforts to continue to build relationships with this important region. The event gathered ministerial authorities from the region's transport sector, recognized international experts, and representatives of the private sector.
“These initiatives improve people’s lives in tangible ways. They lower commuting times, reduce air pollution in cities, improve safety, and give people more time to spend with their families. These are the types of concrete gains that governments across the Americas want to deliver for their citizens,” said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno.
At the Summit, Sec. Chao spoke with Latin American and Caribbean Ministers of Transport about the Department’s number one priority, safety, along with infrastructure improvements, investments, and emerging technology such as UAVs (drones), autonomous (self-driving) vehicles, and commercial space. The leaders shared and exchanged information and best practices to address common transportation challenges. The Summit is historic – the first-ever meeting between these Ministers of Transport, IDB and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Throughout the history of the United States, transportation innovation and infrastructure expansion have propelled economic growth, created new jobs and improved quality of life.
