Pete Buttigieg at Lake Tahoe: Trails are not ornamental, they are fundamental

LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. - The keynote speaker at the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Summit was U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg where the theme was "Connecting Tahoe: Investing in Transit, Trails, and Technology for the Future."

"I see magic in this place and why you all work so hard to protect it," said Buttigieg of Lake Tahoe.

It was Buttigieg's first visit to Tahoe. The crowd was made up of locals, agencies, and government representatives, and they showed their appreciation for the Secretary who has served under President Biden for the last 3.5 years.

"This is one of the greatest natural gifts," said the Secretary. "I can see how this lake becomes a part of your soul."

Buttigieg announced recent awards to the Lake Tahoe region: $24M to build the new stretch of the East Shore Trail, $8M for diesel and electric hybrid buses around the lake, $2M for upgrades to emergency communication systems, and another $2M to deploy emergency strategies.

"We support your work on resiliency," said Buttigieg.

Buttigieg highlighted the impacts of climate change not only at Lake Tahoe, but across the country, and the globe. He said transportation is not only the biggest threat to climate change but also the biggest contributor to solutions.

"Nothing can be gained by denying [climate change]," said Buttigieg. He spoke of the highest temperatures around the world in recorded history this summer, more dangerous fires, hurricanes, bodies of water with algae problems, and mudslides.

Being smarter on transportation will be key in the future, and walking (the first active transportation he said), biking, and rolling are part of the solution.

"Trails are not ornamental, they are fundamental," said Buttigieg.

The Secretary said many argued there were no jobs in industries fighting climate change, but that is no longer the case. He also said it shouldn't be a divisive political situation.

"The only argument on addressing climate change, or if it is even true, should be who is going it better," said Buttigieg. "It should bring us together, not carrying arms, but being arm in arm."

"It's not each other we're fighting, it's each other we're fighting for," said Buttigieg.

He closed by highlighting the work being done to protect the future of Lake Tahoe, with "safer roads, cleaner air, clearer lake, and making sure this world is better for generations."

For the story on the rest of the Summit, visit HERE.