At the 2026 Washington Briefing in Washington, DC, AASHTO President Russell R. McMurry sat down for a fireside chat with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to reflect on a year of leadership, reform, and results. Secretary Duffy discussed key accomplishments including a $12.5 billion investment to modernize air traffic control, efforts to restructure USDOT for greater efficiency, streamlining project delivery, and improving safety across aviation, highways, rail, trucking, and transit systems. The conversation also explored infrastructure reauthorization priorities, permitting reform, rising construction costs, and the importance of strong federal–state collaboration to deliver measurable outcomes for the American people. Together, McMurry and Duffy emphasized a shared commitment to building faster, building smarter, and strengthening America’s transportation network through transparency, accountability, and partnership.
View From Washington DC
View From Washington DC
