LaHood seeks to improve sustainability

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spoke on how sustainability relates to transportation yesterday at the Kimmel Center as part of the New York Transportation Council Meeting.

LaHood noted that the transportation sector has room to improve: Transit currently produces one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for three-fourths of petroleum consumption.

LaHood said that currently 98 percent of goods come into New York City via truck, but he would like to see the boroughs switch to freight and rely more heavily on marine highways.

"Ports are the economic engine, wherever they are at," LaHood said.

LaHood praised the expansion of bicycle and walking paths in New York, stressing the department of transportation's goal to improve sustainability in transit.

"Now more than ever our nation's economic future depends on our energy independence," he said. "And the nation's most transit-intensive region, the New York-New Jersey region, will point the way forward."

Roselyn Sebastion is a contributing writer.