Transportation isn’t just about roads or traffic—it’s about access to jobs, housing, and opportunity. In this episode of The Government Fix, Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria sits down with former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to explore how transportation systems shape daily life—and why fixing them requires long-term thinking and bipartisan leadership.

Drawing on his experience as the US Transportation Secretary under President Obama and as the former mayor of Charlotte, Foxx explains how aging infrastructure, uneven funding, and political gridlock have left many communities behind. He breaks down why transit systems are harder to fund than highways, how the FAST Act unlocked long-term investment, and why uncertainty across administrations makes it difficult to plan projects that take decades to complete.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Anthony Foxx is the Emma Bloomberg Professor of Public Leadership and Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. He served as US Secretary of Transportation from 2013 to 2017, where he helped pass the FAST Act and modernize transportation policy. Foxx is also a former mayor of Charlotte and former Chief Policy Officer at Lyft.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

• Anthony Foxx at Harvard Kennedy School: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/anthony-foxx
• FAST Act overview (U.S. DOT): https://www.transportation.gov/mission/legislation/fast-act

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX:

The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.

Explore all episodes and learn more: codeforamerica.org/thegovernmentfix

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codeforamerica/podcasts

Transcript available here: https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/the-government-fix-for-transportation/

The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.