Pete Buttigieg to return to Pittsburgh as Transportation secretary role nears end
Pete Buttigieg will visit the Pittsburgh area on Friday in one of his final trips as U.S. Transportation secretary.
Buttigieg is slated to make several stops to highlight transportation resources that have received federal support under the Biden administration.
Buttigieg is expected to tour Pittsburgh’s three rivers, including the Emsworth Locks and Dam on the Ohio River.
More than $857 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was awarded to help repair three aging locks on the upper Ohio, including Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery.
According to Transportation Department officials, Buttigieg also will check out ongoing improvements to the Pittsburgh Light Rail system and the new terminal construction underway at Pittsburgh International Airport.
He’s also planning to meet with professors and students at Carnegie Mellon University. Supported by $20 million in federal funding, the university is leading a consortium of institutions from across the nation to address transportation safety.
During his visit, he also will speak to United Steelworkers about the legacy of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In January 2024, Buttigieg traveled to Pittsburgh to tout federal funding for improvement projects along the Parkway East corridor. He also attended a town hall at Carnegie Mellon University and advocated for rail safety in the wake of the train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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