Foxx talks transportation needs in Connecticut, Minnesota

Anthony Foxx (Photo: MGN Online via KSTP)Anthony Foxx (Photo: MGN Online via KSTP)

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Monday took his first official trips, visiting New Haven, Connecticut, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Foxx, who officially took on his new role as DOT chief earlier this month, discussed transportation needs in each city he traveled to.

The Connecticut trip was focused on rail safety, according to a report from The Courant. Foxx said he had promised Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) he would travel to the state to lobby for rail safety funds following the Metro-North derailment that occurred in May.

However, Foxx did not guarantee any funding for the state’s New Haven-to-Springfield commuter rail project, promising only that the USDOT is “evaluating options” for providing money for the project.

“I heard the message loud and clear about how much of a priority this is for the state,” Foxx said during a press conference at Union Station. “We understand how important this is.”

While in Minnesota, Foxx met with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and other local officials to talk about the state’s transportation needs, the Twin Cities’ KSTP reported.

Foxx’s trip to Minnesota also included a visit to the rebuilt I-35W bridge, which highlighted infrastructure problems in the U.S. when it collapsed in 2007.