>> >>. >> host: professor welcome i am looking forward to getting into this book to have the appreciation i have had for the audience to go through the pages to follow the story line but i found interesting but you start talking about leadership. for you thinking about a book on leadership when you started or how did you get to that? >> guest: and leadership is my preoccupation and the

topic that is what i was going to do but i kept getting struck by the issue of infrastructure literally not only facts and figures in but was happening in this sad state of much of the infrastructure for innovation and change but but also potholes' like everybody else in stuck in traffic i was serious debt -- stories of inner-city people who could not get to jobs to take to with three buses and the subway to get to school. after going abroad to go to shaker high we went to another city for small subway connections to the trade was so fast we went to another city in 20 minutes otherwise an hour-and-a-half by bus so all things together made me feel this

is an important issue you were already set to help in the project i was already talking to you about a vision for america became sure putting forward that vision from when you're living leaving office and unfortunately the world changed in the 2000's with defense spending and preoccupation so we did not make those types of investments we need to make so i thought this is so importuned for the future of the country i am part of the competitive project that we care to make sure america is strong and the american economy and quality of life is as excellent as it could be as real leaders in the world but to put aside my

leadership book to write this then it was interesting that i ended up concluding it is all about leadership. there are many details but it is an that ovation for vision is as important as the engineering we have the technical skills in america and with technology believe though world we just are not always applying their own strength so leaders need to step up and i start to say vasari state of our infrastructure but there are many reasons for hope with many great projects and with enough discussion that we have been so active and involved to step up so that

is why i wrote a book to suggest it is about to is rotation infrastructure but also what we have to do in america we have to get moving. >> host: and we have to talk about the subtitle of putting america back into the leadership position but let me say this i want us to come back to the issue of leadership because you have a lot to say going forward but let's unpacked you talk about choose rotation as more as concrete and steel but as the family concern or a business concern. let's do that but let me ask

you of alice in and natalie and how you dedicate the book to them but then you tell us to think about it from their perspective of the infrastructure investment. >> guest: alison natalie take the bar three lovely little children. we need to think about this issue but only for business but also the children who were growing up i had the privilege to read books to those children including some of their favorites and my favorites which are great metaphors for what we need to do i know we will get to policy but i also wanted to signal it is about a friendly issue so a high proportion of household budgets up that 20 percent

for an average family of four's spend on transportation that is a big deal but they like the books of dr. seuss that is very is for racial in the middle of that book i was startled to see that they work going around like dr. seuss but then they ran the waiting place it was all about transportation ready for the buses to come or go and that it is inspirational for those who can do it. the other is truly a metaphor for america. i cannot imagine all the

other places have the generosity of spirit but the little engine stepped in and win all the big engines were too busy or too important to the establishment was not listening that is the signal we have to count on the little engine of the community people to push congress to do some of the work so i started the book dedicated to them but it is their future that we talk about. >> talk about congress and the president i know yesterday you were a part of the kickoff of infrastructure week with the vice president as we get to the end of the month where

congress has extended that transportation bill that if they have to again it will be 33 times if they just do six months or one months but the clarion call was we need a long-term plan for infrastructure investment. day think that is important? the smaller inches will produce many innovations and we do need long-term funding. so with the short-term effects -- fixed nobody can plan to make the you cannot plan for natalie or jacob is

for the long-term ahead is also short term with the amount of time to use the time stuck in traffic or the first responders so long term funding with that political uncertainty would attract more investors. that would be helpful to the public sector because it all could not have to come out of public money. so of that public side will run out immediately they're there for long-term commitments both u.s. private equity in the sovereign will funds with

the investment firm's it isn't simply politics but the short-term fix not something to authorize year by year. with traffic control but when the congressional budget cycles to make investments long term with the intellectual investment because it could start something then be cut off. >> host: you mentioned the issue of cost. to be stuck on the way to the future but of a couple of sentences worth reading for sure but it is the total

of 38 hours in traffic per year. this is the average so some is higher. 5.$5 billion of lost u.s. productivity annually. those are staggering figures so you say we all pay a cost. >> guest: we do. what about people who try to buy cars trees or health care appointments or get to school or school buses? but with high-school students is a huge costs because burning fuel and necessarily and pollution

from a steady in gore -- brooklyn that says 35% is to idle in cars or to drive around to find parking. although people complain there is a way the human mind will not realize there is something you could do about it. the new normal. so leave early, come home late, don't see the family there is so much cost and consequences that also requires a long-term investment.

we still would not head for the future because we grow it in population we need to do something. >> just with that paragraph that we lose $121 billion of cost for fuel and lost time over 70 billion for people stuck in traffic. what about the person who says listen to a book on tape? >> we are very good at making sense of something to make is a normal. but you to listen to that interoffice. but even if we were mitt to do live in the archives in

to help to build a middle-class with the automobile. [laughter] >> the cupholder was the biggest to make our car into a dining room but we don't want them to become the living room. but it is also the fuel and the frustration and bad weather. every had severe weather and there was a time in 2014 in atlanta where cars could not move because of vice over 20 hours people were stuck in their cars. that is scary because the heat or a cramped space these are the dire stories

and consequences. it that we don't have to except this in there are solutions in place in some parts of the country. >> we don't have to excepted but this is the country that thought tomorrow could be better than to day. with the inter-continental rio road. the interstate what do you think of this moment now? going to the question of leadership but with the history of the transcontinental railroad railroad, and many people point to that why couldn't

it be like that today? it was not so glorious because it took decades of discussion until abraham lincoln would force it through. it did not work perfectly in when they did not meet in the middle. with tales of corruption with jpmorgan and rockefeller made their fortune to start monopolies but we could envision that project because he envisioned the growth of the u.s. from coast to coast

that the railroad connected it. to get goods to come back west to make it possible for the settlements you know, that from your time as secretary of transportation that you get economic growth so we did it then but because it did take of leader to florida of coalition from the interstate highway from the transcontinental railroad with 1000 miles of highway opened up all kinds of opportunities in to help the

american end economy and then they could grow even more. and then get to working cities they felt abandoned but the defense rationale for the big projects including sputnik gore the space race are those investments some are serious because president eisenhower that we could evacuate cities but in hurricane katrina it was clear you cannot evacuate by ever ready to pile in their car to head to the interstate. it does not work with those

great rationales we are stuck in the past to have those from the '50s or the '60s about the roles the projects play in our future will have a gorgeous bridge of signature bridge that people live my your. >> host: i love this discussion. >> but also there are not efficient for what we need to do to connect people to help them move across the bridges so it is time for a new vision of the 21st century that is with the vision 2000.

>> host: i want to come back to that but once thought before really fear is interesting and fdr thinking of that national system of roads took a few years of gestation but with the emphasis of defense to move before word. the question and maybe with the issue of competitiveness might that replace the edge driver of defense and security? fetid say rationale with officials local state and federal.

but i am not sure by itself but there indochina is investing a great deal after world war ii but it is of little remote to say we want to be ranked number one because it does not translate to would improves people's lives what i say in this book to the people who are elected leaders i'm trying to be a thought leader that we need a of vision of ability. but we have to be able to move goods our so sorry get

where we want to go others are moving faster so to compete with other countries but we have to continue to be the land of opportunity but we have to get that back is all about building the middle-class because one of the things it says may get to jobs to make it a accessible to people so mobility and competitiveness together two figurative a good way to you talk about it there and dash not

nationally called the defence act but but the space race by itself is also inspiring to people. in this picture of people depending on the moon. sova to look at the future to recite imagination entreprenuers are dreaming up but you mentioned both china and in japan now china is one belts of one road initiative where they try to

bring up to date the old silk road that is all about trade in to participate in the global economy. but i was recently in japan i was on the bullet train with the 50th anniversary. now they'll look at a advanced technology. that is the future. >> guest: in that sense that we can learn from them. but i have been in japan to ride those trains i landed

and i had of a colleague of was unsure how we would get there but as i would exit from security we were on the train faster than you could get any city in the united states to downtown. and seamlessly it is impressive when i found out the bullet train only an average deviated from schedule 32 seconds. tell anybody who takes amtrak gone the northeast corridor. >> host: i know. and the president knows this

to get it going again and your good friend is very interested. >> guest: i know they are trying but i tell a great story about amtrak getting the government regulators to be little more flexible in pennsylvania with the keystone corridor raising the speed only a mere 20 miles per hour was enough to make a lot of people abandon their cars to take the train it was just enough time saved. we could start with that but that is what i mean about small things.

besides the idea of the northeast corridor that could take many decades there are private companies that are investing in high-speed rail in texas, texas central and florida. what is exciting about that these are private companies that signaled the benefit from federal loans are matching funds and in miami there is a desperate need but there is a talk of all aboard america is building a terminal that could be a place to connect light rail in the private company would jump-start the public

investment that is exciting 78 via even though we don't write them think about how many times i have saying the wheels of the bus. this should excite people but people don't think about it. that is why i wrote a book that tells the story but what i thought was interesting when you tell me the anniversary of the bullet train i started to think that was post rolled war how they introduced a high-speed rail hours is nothing compared to theirs. we could celebrate the 100th anniversary of

wiring because we have antiques so we know this from our personal lives we put off maintenance within new shiny house or apartment and i have friends who would think about moving rather then repaint a little bit of a story of america that now they should be highly desirable but they have deteriorated so badly. >> host: it is interesting to turn from that that isn't

as spiffy as it used to be and he referred to the work of our time in office a part of that was to introduce high speed rail but we have seen a significant increase of writer ship but we need to see that across i remember unveiling the high-speed rail corridors president clinton and vice president gore were very interested. with that vision pace -- peace working from the year 2000 through 2025 was because we were successful to pass the legislation before us but the recognition of a growing economy with the interface

with peas -- peace and prosperity to think about the future for brian excited about secretary fox in the near book because you don't say it has to be accepted but it has to be in focus with what can be. you talk about the city's you have a significant revelation tell us about that. >> wouldn't want with the

northeast corridor it is limited by age infrastructure with the purchase 100 years ago when to mean that it cannot go up to speed. 11 we will get to that one but to repair an injury new and reinvent. one with those benefits but when this is known to people in various regions around the u.s.. they were really great win

office it is hard to understand with the city that which only 6 percent of commuters use anything other than a car is very car centric but they have refurbished union station just like in washington or chicago with his song the way but there's also a terminus but it becomes a city center to move around a better. anything from taxis to uber. denver has done that and other cities have seen that

and it is a consensus is a lot better at the regional level people see those benefits to the project it isn't as though they want to explore their neighborhood and also don't want it in their neighborhood if it is disruptive but yet with visionary leaders and with different parts of the committee at the table you can get support so people think if it isn't official they are against it because they don't like taxes but in fact, in houston man there was a vote several decades ago in favor of the light rail system that was in

general but then the second though was taken and was shot down with those poor communities who were left out of the process because all of the parking places were in suburban areas. and it took 20 years later that houston finally got what my real purpose of it is all about leadership what leaders have to do is understand how many stakeholders are at the table. they will get real support the business community would like to see public transportation and have often pushed public officials in chicago in

their daily with the new runway so to support that regionally and does not mean that states have to pay for it then sells because wine regions are much broader we need national standards in division and a national strategy and finding which does not pay for it all but it hits the accelerator and a the rationale. subject year earlier question of long-term funding what does the dreamers in the in planters with every mode of transportation into the plan

and no large part was intermodal. >> host: most people don't care which road -- voted transportation simic been entrepreneurs would beat excited and yes there are cities doing great things in trying to fix the problem when that spans the political administration and in chicago that i love when one is mayor emanuel inherited but it is the untangling of something of every buddy who is watching one because everybody has been struck at a train

crossing to know there are unnecessary deaths in america there is startling new statistics because people in cars when think they can beat the trade -- the train aside by suicide also fatalities moi were so in chicago this is a particular problem was because one-quarter of all traffic goes through chicago and it is a old system at a time when u.s. did not have a system but separate railroads with tracks where ever they wanted.

so they all across at an angle and a multiple with a commuter or passenger with light rail and freight but then a freight train could tie up traffic 20 minutes. >> host: let me ask you this. this is what you talk about you have a segment called the slowest 6 miles of america. this is in chicago. go ahead. >> a freight train going from los angeles to chicago to approximately 24 hours just to cross their own short stretch in chicago. [laughter]

when there is a problem like bad weather it wasn't even recently. the delay of cargo affected the whole country over months. >> host: that is what we don't fully appreciate but to say you cannot get goods that have been ordered to sell to other places. >> the mayor is changing that but in the late 90's with the administration so in this field there are so many acronyms so was started with federal funding 72

different projects over had passes underpasses to straighten this out so a lot have been completed but a lot more to go and watching a teflon of the path may be more. they have done innovative things but they would not have lost their plant if they did not do that but now because of the untangling i know it sounds like it is lindsay but we did this in massachusetts with instant bridges over 14 weekends 14

different bridges in place over one weekend but i saw there will be a park a real green space to be developed for the fact that it is nearby there are all kinds of suppliers of lot of jobs are at stake and is the impressive project under way in but it takes time and will run out of money. there is still a lot of projects. that is one that is promising. i believe we ought to get rid of every place in america where train tracks

cross streets or roads but that will take along time. >> host: it will but that was a big issue with the federal railroad administration during my years. >> guest: that is the kind of thing look at those and some bridges that is what if they had the will we could make that a goal mean that is the only one. go ahead. >> go into some of the others that mayor emanuel is doing with the infrastructure fund it is nine the list for inland and mayors and governors. sova finance is a part of it

that issue that is attached from political exclusions so with bad infrastructure bank it has not gone anywhere in congress and other countries have infrastructure banks brazil has one with that e.u. to set aside is subject to oversight to have the community lookit the projects to think about the political or pork-barrel to have a longer-term vision it doesn't all have to be just giving the money. but they're not all using

them that was very visionary. to be mayor of chicago, to other things that is happening now one is to call it incremental is bus rapid transit it may save a few seconds here or there but it adds that. but essentially it is dedicated leans with platforms but what the platform does means people can wait on the platform and can afford at the level of the bus and taking go a little faster here and there to have implications across

the whole line. this is one where the first run was there. >> host: and i have visited there during my tenure. >> guest: because the mayor who got that into place spoke at harvard. he made a green city before it was fashionable but now paris has this been in stempel has this i was watching the buses speed by as i was stuck in traffic for cruz good weekend too great community things because they try to think comprehensively but complete

streets means they try not only to help the buses go faster one but four pedestrians to modernize the whole thing they also fix the water pipes than chicago has some aging water pipes with tree trunks more than 100 years old using some of those now better not being used for fiber-optic saw so by having a complete vision you can do everything. chicago isn't the first ad

has political moments but it is being used. >> a feel you take your life into your hands what is that but that is the serious point because what we have in america is a car culture we all love our cars but the millenials don't love them so much every time we put together the guys talk about their cars with technology millenials don't get their licenses at the same rate so that is my modification the

we have been a car centric now with more complete streets. so we don't yet have a bite culture to have a road rage or a culture so they put in traffic lights but cars have to know to not cut off the bike. >> and whenever the sinn fein -- by sharing it is said disaster first but it took a little while. so i feel right now we're on

the cusp of change to talk about infrastructure and the technology to do it. >> i would like to focus on that as we move to the close but as soon as you touched on it where the book talks about this more road reads the smart phone. but and rapid some more. but you start off saying transportation by road must get smarter developments in the past decade sophisticated sensors'' computing, head shape -- gps challenging old business models is you putting in your leadership pat in your

business at so they definitely change the way we see and do things in the way we have to live call-in for word that is very exciting. >> we were already beginning to use sensors for traffic matters it was invisible to the consumer yet but the smart phone really is not that old since 2007 also with full disclosure both love verizon networks without wireless business has been growing dramatically and mary berra from general motors pointed out that the cell phone was

originally referred to as the car from i remember having a very clunky car phone in the auto industry missed said that to not jump on that they did with the emergency connected services but now i think they jump because everybody is in the transportation business to transport data more than people and will google build a car? apple does not make the i film that makes the software could google collides with nearly every industry they're also trying collaboration. >> host: with amazon and facebook so we don't know

roads are getting smarter because we put in the sensors like electronic tolls. >> host: and dynamic tolling to change the price depending on congestion and people make the decision will i pay more to go at this hour? in to talk about the former deputy mayor of new york said we cannot talk about congestion pricing because it puts together two words congestion and pricing but we do that and it is very handy we now have transponders in cars but we still don't have a national system only the northeast states has started to cooperate from boston to new

york city we need the national system there the roads could descents of potholes' so there would bv app to work with tech entreprenuers to develop these. see you are connected by a smart phone to detect potholes' from the vibrations of the car. you don't have to report it. the car would report that for you. that is the smart phone. i hope they don't get smarter than we are but then we have these services. such a great idea to deal with local permissions for them to work out because

that is how you get into the car remotely with other similar services is more on demand or were you get information exactly where to meet the van into no more with a five minute walk to tell you when to be there but this will revolutionize how we get a look around with aviation our technology >> host: it is exciting. i have often said that possibly the most important thing to happen during the clinton administration may not have been the passage of major piece of legislation. they were significant and

big but through the executive order that llowed for the commercial and civilian use of gps in the most sophisticated form and that is what enhanced that capability to say i can have it to you at a certain time because i know how to get there and how much time it will take and i can read those congestion maps. all of that comes into play and it was that executive order that took a military defense type of apparatus or technology to apply that to a business community. >> guest: that is so right it made a huge difference also the internet at around the same time it was those

visionary members of congress and understood their needs to be some regulation and it is striking to see the way with these little experiments because of uber pizza hut says we can track your deliveries and i said i can track my fedex package all the time. we have been doing that the consumers have not seen that possibility. but now they will. there is no reason why we can. often they were coming from defense but we have to spend directly because i do know how much defense spending because they invented the microwave oven. >> also with the research

institution clearly these institutions have given us the benefit of the intellectual muscle that applies that creation to our everyday experience with greater enjoyment greater transparency. so we have to continue to invest in research and development. that is why. >> guest: thank you. >> host: i find this conversation fascinating as i was recently reading "the wall street journal" article of the map of the state's of california all the locations that we have already mentioned and it had the location of automotive facilities in there all

along this same track meaning they're removing from the midwest with that technology apparatus to place that at the center of activity along route 128 as well one. >> one of the things that killed kodak as a company is it stayed in rochester new york but all the work was happening that was a digital. so i invented and mary berra from gm but should mention from ford as well.