Buttigieg touts "once in a century opportunity" to improve infrastructure

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that the U.S. has a "once in a century opportunity" to push forward infrastructure reforms and added that the country is on the verge of an "infrastructure season" that could potentially turn into an "infrastructure decade." Buttigieg spoke Thursday at the virtual South by Southwest festival.

"In the last administration, infrastructure week became a punchline," Buttigieg said during a keynote session. "We kept getting our hopes up for something big to happen on infrastructure and it never did." The new transportation secretary said his vision of 21st century infrastructure includes the "unglamorous" task of repairing the roads and bridges across the country, while making sure transportation plays a critical role in helping battle climate change.