Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Resigns

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 29, 2013 9:40PM

Ray LaHood, the former Peoria congressman who was one of the few Republicans in Barack Obama's first Cabinet, announced he was resigning as Transportation Secretary on Tuesday. The Sun-Times is citing columnist Michael Sneed with breaking the news Jan. 15 but LaHood made his intentions clear he was resigning as far back as late 2011.

Under LaHood's stweardship, the Department of Transportation promoted high-speed rail projects, repairing the nation's crumbling interstate infrastructure, implemented tougher fuel efficiency standards and earned praise from transportation advocates for his no-nonsense talk on safer driving, allotting more federal dollars to the creation of bike lanes and developing transportation projects as job creators. LaHood adopted a policy for the Transportation Department to give equal measure to projects involving bicycles and walking to those involving motorized vehicles, regarding grant eligibility.

In an email announcing his resignation, LaHood wrote:

As I look back on the past four years, I am proud of what we have accomplished together in so many important areas. But what I am most proud of is the DOT team. You exemplify the best of public service, and I truly appreciate all that you have done to make America better, to make your communities better, and to make DOT better.

The president praised LaHood in a statement. "Every American who travels by air, rail or highway can thank Ray for his commitment to making our entire transportation system safer and stronger."