Bloomberg Quicktake's video: Pete Buttigieg Stresses a Fix It First Infrastructure Policy

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is emphasizing a less-than-flashy item as a top priority for his national agenda: Fixing the country’s “maintenance backlog.” “‘Fix it first,’ I think, is going to be a very important mantra for us,” he said in an interview at CityLab 2021, a virtual summit for urban leaders hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute. “It doesn't always have the same sizzle as adding something new, but the truth is we’ve got to be doing both.” These comments add nuance to the secretary’s frequent emphasis on improving transportation systems through expanded high-speed rail, electric vehicle expansion and public transit, priorities he reiterated at the conference. “Look, if there’s a need, we should meet it. And I’m a big believer when appropriate, especially when it comes to transit, but also of passenger rail, of adding resources that could make a difference,” he said, pointing to the lack of dedicated federal funding for railways as a reason that “Americans are being asked to settle for less” compared to other countries. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake