By Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a nearly $8.7 million grant to the Gerald R. Ford Airport to media and guests on Monday morning in Grand Rapids.
Speaking at the airport where construction workers were expanding Concourse A in the background, Buttigieg spoke highly of the federal grant.
“As part of the terminal gate expansion project, this grant is going to help fund eight new passenger boarding bridges so this airport is able to handle more travelers, and so they can walk or roll more comfortably from their gate to their plane,” Buttigieg said. “It’s going to make traveling better, and allow Grand Rapids to accommodate that increasing passenger growth, and support the economic opportunity that is emerging across West Michigan.
Improving airport experiences
“Today, when you look at global rankings of great airports, not a single airport in the United States ranks among the world’s top 25. And we feel those shortcomings too often flying through terminals that need a lot of work, and now we are in a position to fix that. We’re making sure people are going to be proud of their airport experiences across America and support the good work that is already happening in communities like Grand Rapids.”
The bridges also will enhance energy efficiency with pre-conditioned air and auxiliary power.
Buttigieg said the Department of Transportation fielded nearly $14 billion worth of applications and awarded $1 billion.
“That gives you the sense of just how much need is out there,” he explained. “For the long term, we have to modernize the infrastructure itself … for the decades ahead. This was a very, very competitive program.”
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
“This President and Congress finally delivered,” said Buttigieg, of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “The Biden Harris administration has already announced about $3 billion headed to Michigan to improve a range of transportation and infrastructure assets, and we are just getting started.
“We are not just building infrastructure, but building better futures and building careers. What we’re really talking about is creating jobs. It’s part of a bigger picture.”
On a Personal Note
Buttigieg said it was a pleasure to be in Grand Rapids, whose Mayor Rosalynn Bliss often had conversations with him when he was the mayor of South Bend, Ind.
“I’ve often compared notes with Mayor Bliss about what it means when you have civic pride and a lot of energy and commitment to growth,” Buttigieg said. “This is also a city where we spent some time last fall when our little guy was being treated at DeVos (Children’s Hospital). We couldn’t be more thankful for the care he received from the medical staff there.”
He and husband Chasten adopted twins (Joseph “Gus” August and Penelope Rose Buttigieg) last year.
Traverse City Home
Buttigieg also revealed why they recently relocated to Traverse City.
“We are here (Michigan) because of family,” he explained. “When I married Chasten, I married into Michigan, at some level to begin with. But it was really the arrival of our children that cemented our relationship to Traverse City.
“We depended on the help we got from my mother- and father-in-law (the kids’ grandparents) and found that it really is a great home and we have a great support network there for raising our kids.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel welcomed Buttigieg to his new home state of Michigan.
“Mr. Secretary, you could not have picked a better state in the union to become a resident of,” she said. “I certainly hope that you like college football. We have a lot going on in this state. We are so thrilled to have you as a Michigander or a Michiganian, depending on who you speak to about that.”
