U.S. Transportation Secretary joins Gov. Cooper to break ground on new Winston-Salem trail

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, was among those on hand Tuesday to break ground on a new multi-use trail in Winston-Salem.

The shovels were out to turn the first dirt on the Salem Parkway path, a 1.3-mile bike-and-pedestrian urban trail linking Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist to Truist Field and surrounding neighborhoods.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper was among the dignitaries on hand. He says the Triad is in the middle of an economic boom and investments in transit projects are critical to sustain the growth.

“We know that in order to make sure we handle all the businesses that want to come here, all the people that want to come here, that we make sure that we make it easier, safer and cleaner to get from one place to the next.”

The trail is partially funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Earlier in the day, Buttigieg visited construction sites on Winston-Salem’s Northern Beltway Project. 

Buttigieg says the construction — which received about $350 million in federal funding — is part of the administration’s broad approach to transportation, including railways and airports. But it’s been a long process to get here.

“Year one was the bill passing, and year two was the programs launching. In year three the money was moving. This year, 2024, is about the dirt flying.”

The Triad stop was part of Buttigieg’s tour of the state’s infrastructure projects which included a stop in Raleigh Monday.