Is Infrastructure Week about to be more than a punchline?

Talking Michigan Transportation

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, analysis and speculation about what President Biden is likely to include in his much-anticipated proposal to address the nation’s inadequate and crumbling infrastructure.

Lloyd Brown, director of communications for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), returns to the podcast to talk about what he’s hearing.

Will “Infrastructure Week” move from punchline to serious discussion with results? The Biden administration signaled an intention to roll out tangible ideas, indicating with Monday’s announcement to expand offshore wind turbines that infrastructure means more than roads and bridges.

We know U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg has been working a lot of rooms, speaking with Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike. That plays to his strength as a collegial broker and strong communicator. And as a policy wonk, there is no doubt he’s quickly getting up to speed on the issues. Is this too much pressure?

In an interview with CNBC, Sec. Pete talked about why infrastructure offers a solid return on investment.

Other links and references from this week’s show:

Forbes on what we know now about the president’s plan.

Roll Call on a discussion about restoring earmarks.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription) on the president’s push for offshore wind projects.