Transportation secretary launches blog

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters became the latest government head to join the blogosphere, posting her first journal entry on April 29 at Fast Lane, the official blog of the Transportation Department.In her post, Peters said she hoped the blog would become a true online community.  She urged blog readers to register and post comments on the blog to foster discussion on transportation-related issues.“If I’m going to insist on twenty-first century solutions for our transportation system, I better communicate in a twenty-first century way!” Peters wrote.Peters said she will make an announcement on the blog about plans to reduce traffic congestion in the Chicago area. She also promised to have a special guest blogger to post an entry.Peters is the fourth agency leader to maintain a regularly updated Web journal. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt was the first cabinet-level government leader to launch a blog in August 2007.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff also began blogging in September 2007, although he posts alongside many other DHS umbrella agency leaders. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach also launched a personal blog in March 2008.