Travel is as enjoyable as it is precarious these days. Delays, snaking security lines and lost bags are an expected part of flying. Some of what we’re seeing is still pandemic-related and dregs from the years of so-called revenge travel that followed, while other pain points are simply a consequence of outdated infrastructure—decades-old constructions retrofitted to service a modern, booming industry. The latter is a focus of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law [BIL], a five-year, $108-billion investment in public transportation—the largest in the nation’s history.
The BIL, which celebrates two years on November 15, funds numerous things, including new Amtrak trains and the company’s goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, construction grants for highways and streets and transportation safety—from the roads to the rails to the skies. It’s also a significant driver of redevelopment happening at airports nationwide, most of which the public wasn’t even aware of until now. Nearly all federal funding went toward behind-the-scenes improvements, like radars, taxiway reconstruction and air traffic control towers, explains United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
“What's exciting about the infrastructure package is that now we're able to do more of the passenger-facing improvements—from elevators and escalators to security checkpoints and better baggage claim facilities, and even just better bathrooms, which is actually a pretty important part of what the airport experience,” he adds. “All of those things add up to just a better air travel experience.”
We spoke to Secretary Buttigieg over Zoom ahead of the BIL second anniversary, a moment he recalls as dubious for many. “People now forget that there were many times that the President's infrastructure plan was declared dead before it finally passed with bipartisan cooperation in Congress.” Still, there’s plenty to celebrate and more to look forward to, as he told us during our chat about airport enhancements, the customer service dashboard he helped launch and whether TSA pre-check is actually worth it.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Time out: What accomplishments are you most proud of as you enter year three of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law?
Secretary Buttigieg: What's exciting about year three is that this is when the money is really beginning to move and we're starting to see the dirt flying. We've identified 31,000 projects and counting that are getting some benefit from dollars in the infrastructure plan. Those projects are all at varying stages of readiness. Some of them are projects that can be done in a single season, and others will take years to deliver. They are the cathedrals of our infrastructure. What I'm proud of is that communities of every type and every size are benefiting. I've been in some of America's biggest cities and largest transportation facilities and I've been in rural environments—like Chamberlain, South Dakota, where their general aviation terminal is built off of a mobile home. What we're able to do now is bring much-needed improvements to these facilities and these places that have often been a pain point in the community that everybody's known about for years. They didn't have the funding to do something about it. We're changing that.
How are you prioritizing projects at airports?
We're trying to make sure we support airports of all sizes. So you'll see places like Chamberlain and Council Bluffs [in Iowa], where we're helping make something as simple as an elevator that they need, and those are six-figure grants. Then there are other places where massive projects are underway, like the complete construction of a new terminal in Pittsburgh, which we are supporting most recently with a $20 million grant, and Atlanta, where concourses need to be widened. Concourse D is crowded and cramped because it's just not wide enough. We're helping Atlanta fix that. Chicago O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world and one that was really, in some ways, bolted on one piece at a time over the decades—we’re now rehabilitating a 60-year-old terminal.
Infrastructure changes are slow and not immediately visible. What are some of the improvements passengers might notice as they head out in the next few months?
Concourse improvements are a great example. The difference between a 60-foot wide concourse and a 90-foot wide concourse in Atlanta is something that really affects how it feels and just how smoothly you can move through that space. When a new terminal is completed in Pittsburgh, that will mean dramatically less walking distance for travelers, and it comes with better security lines. Most of our airports were built before 9/11, and so getting these security checkpoints fitted to them has been a process of trying to grasp that onto an old structure or geometry. A whole new terminal creates all kinds of potential for things to move more smoothly.
So people should be patient when they see things under construction and need to detour.
Yeah, you're going to see a lot of dust flying these next few years, but please always remember that the end of it is going to be a much better facility.
The last two summer travel seasons were particularly challenging. Should Americans be weary of holiday travel?
We've been able to deliver a dramatic change in passenger protections compared to what was true even just a year-and-a-half ago, and certainly when our administration arrived. Not one of the top 10 airlines guaranteed things like hotels or meals if they got you stuck. Now, almost all of them do. Creating the flightrights.gov website has empowered passengers, and we're continuing to work on that, following up on complaints and making sure passengers get taken care of. We're also seeing the performance improve. We went through a very frustrating period of delays in 2022. This year, cancellations are actually below average. They're actually below the pre-pandemic average, and we're pressing the airlines to keep it that way.
Are there plans to expand the consumer dashboard to include more information or hold the airlines accountable differently?
We're currently working on rules that would create compensation for passengers in the event of an extreme delay. Right now, that's not required under current regulations. With a cancellation, you get your money back, but with a delay, it's up to the airline. We think there ought to be a baseline that you can count on. Other countries have done that successfully. We're also pushing a rule on family seating, especially as a parent now, I'm even more passionate than before about the idea that you shouldn't have to pay extra to sit next to your kid on an airplane. Meanwhile, we're just following through on all the customer information and the complaints we're getting through that dashboard on the website.
Security checkpoints have notoriously long lines at many of the major U.S. airports. Should more people look into TSA pre-check?
I think it is a great option if you're a frequent traveler. I've certainly benefited from it, and we want to make sure that there is a good set of solutions for frequent travelers. But you shouldn't have to have a pre-check arrangement to have a good experience at the airport. We want to make sure there's predictable and reasonable access for everybody. Still, we feel a responsibility to help make sure that the physical architecture of the airport supports the smooth process when you're going through security.
Time for a travel tip: are you a carry-on traveler or do you check a bag?
Oh, I will avoid checking a bag at all costs, but that's just me.