The 2011 David R. Goode National Transportation Policy Conference.

Bipartisan Conference led by Former Secretaries of Transportation Mineta and Skinner

The Miller Center hosted its second biennial David R. Goode National Transportation Policy Conference on November 29-30 in Washington, DC. Similar to the first, this conference convened recognized transportation experts and former and current policymakers with the goal of crafting a compelling message that emphasizes the importance of transportation in an optimally functioning economy and captures the attention of policymakers and the American public. Keynote sessions include a Transportation Secretaries’ Roundtable with former Secretaries of Transportation James Burnley IV, Rodney Slater, Samuel Skinner, Norman Mineta, and Mary Peters, and an address by Chair of the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee John Mica. Video and audio of the conference is available here.

While conclusions about transportation’s essential role in a healthy economy have been the subject of a broad consensus among transportation policy thinkers for some time, and despite the growing prominence of transport infrastructure as a central element in the stimulus effort, Congress has been unwilling to treat transportation program reform as a front-burner issue. However, conspicuous evidence of our transportation system’s steady deterioration and its diminishing capacity to support America’s economic growth is evident; bottlenecks in all transport modes have begun to compromise both the quality of people’s lives and America’s global competitiveness. Continued deficiencies in the transportation system will almost certainly impede the pace of economic recovery.

The goal of this meeting is to create an advocacy plan that will draw the necessary attention to this topic from the press and public in order to encourage the sustained attention from policymakers.

The group of recognized experts was convened in 2009 to facilitate original and necessary thinking about the financing, governance, and management of America’s transportation infrastructure. The conference report, titled "Well Within Reach: America's New Transportation Agenda," provides a credible agenda to guide the legislative process and offers lasting value to the discussion of the future of our transportation systems.

Click here to view the 2011 summit agenda or watch session video, or here to learn more about the 2009 conference.

Conference Co-Chairs:

Norman Y. Mineta

Conference Co-Chair Norman Y. Mineta served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush from 2001-06. In that role, he guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency with more than 65,000 employees and the largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II. He was appointed Secretary of Commerce under President William J. Clinton, and prior to that, he was vice president of Lockheed Martin, where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system in New York State. Secretary Mineta was a member of Congress representing San Jose, California, from 1975 to 1995 and a former Chairman of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Presently, he is the Vice Chairman of Hill & Knowlton, where he provides counsel and strategic advice to clients on a wide range of business and political issues, including transportation and national security.

Samuel K. Skinner

Conference Co-Chair Samuel K. Skinner served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush from 1989-91. As Secretary, Mr. Skinner was credited with numerous successes, including the development of the President's National Transportation Policy and the development and passage of landmark aviation and surface transportation legislation. He also was the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of USF Corporation, a former President of Commonwealth Edison Company and its holding company Unicom Corporation, and former Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority of northeastern Illinois. Secretary Skinner also served as President George H.W. Bush's Chief of Staff. Presently, he is Of Counsel at Greenberg Traurig LLP, where he consults with clients in areas that include state and federal regulatory matters, governmental matters, transportation issues, and corporate governance.