Public Transit Has a Friend in USDOT
5/21/2025
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy addressed attendees at APTA’s 2025 Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, telling them that President Trump has asked him to focus on “building big, beautiful infrastructure that moves our people and goods. It’s not just roads and bridges; it’s also transit infrastructure. That’s what’s so important in America.”
Duffy told attendees: “Your work has such an important impact. The people that you serve and the cities that you serve … you get it right and people have a remarkable relationship with you. So doing your jobs well and serving people well matters, because you move families, you move commuters to work, you allow people to get to their healthcare appointments, and you allow people to shop with local businesses.”
Noting that he grew up in rural America, Duffy said that there are many of people who rely on transit as the “last lifeline. If they can’t access public transportation, they can’t access opportunities. They can’t get to a job. They don’t have a shot at supporting their families.”
The U.S. will be host to both the World Cup and the Olympics, offering the opportunity to “showcase our great work,” said Duffy. “We’re going to try to move people around these communities in massive numbers, and we have to make sure that our transit system is going to crush it. Congress is going to have to help us out, but the Congress and DOT are going to invest in these communities and these cities to make sure we show the world what we can do.”
“I want to partner with all of you,” Duffy concluded. “You have a friend in me and in this department.”