U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg got a warm welcome earlier this month for his visit to one of the world's busiest cargo hubs at Louisville International Airport in Kentucky.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer welcomed Buttigieg in a Dec. 6 post on Twitter.
"We are pleased to welcome @SecretaryPete!" Fischer said in his Twitter post. "We know our city is critical to keeping the US supply chain rolling. Grateful for his leadership in implementation of BIL across the nation, but especially in Louisville where @USDOT has awarded 2 RAISE grants — for 9th St & for Broadway."
Airports Council International's 2020 data report found that Louisville International is the second-busiest cargo hub in the U.S., and the fourth-busiest for cargo worldwide. Louisville International saw an uptick in cargo traffic during the pandemic, a period when other hubs saw declines. The world's largest cargo hub, Hong Kong International Airport, sustained a 10.9% drop, compared to Louisville International's 2.2% growth during the pandemic.
In August, Louisville announced it received $20.5 million in federal RAISE grants for two projects. There will be $15.5 million to fund the design finalization and construction of the ReImagine Ninth Street project and $5 million for design work for Broadway all the Way.
"Both products will improve connectivity, mobility, safety and aesthetics, while promoting economic development and quality of place," the Louisville announced said.
ReImagine Ninth Street will improve environmental resiliency and fight climate change while resolving transportation challenges in the area. Broadway all the Way will expand the city's Bus Rapid Transit by connecting to the Dixie Highway Rapid bus service, the announcement reported.
The combined timeline for the projects is 20 years, "which focuses on modernizing our transportation infrastructure, improving connectivity across our city and better supporting all modes of transit," Fischer said in the Louisville announcement.
Buttigieg stressed the importance of a smooth and efficient supply chain, especially with the upcoming holiday season, according to a Twitter post.
"The holidays as we know them wouldn’t be possible without transportation workers who go into overdrive this time every year, powering supply chains that deliver in every part for America," Buttigieg said on Twitter.
