USDOT Transition Team Unveiled By Incoming Biden-Harris Administration

The incoming Biden-Harris administration has released the names of the 18-member transition team for the U.S. Department of Transportation, which will also review the National Transportation Safety Board, Amtrak, and the Federal Maritime Commission.

The transition team has significant representation from urban transportation, public transportation, and labor. Jeff Marootian – director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Board of Directors – is among the announced advisors.

Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director, congratulated the president-elect and praised the broad perspectives assembled for the USDOT review team.

“Transportation infrastructure has traditionally been a cause that unites, and state DOTs look forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration and Congress on addressing a number of pressing issues, including passage of a robust, multi-year surface transportation bill next year and a sustainable solution to solvency of the Highway Trust Fund,” Tymon said.

Phillip Washington, CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will lead the Biden-Harris administration’s USDOT review team. The other members include:

• Dave Barnett, director of pipeline and gas distribution for the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the U.S. and Canada
• Austin Brown, executive director of the Policy Institute at the University of California-Davis
• David Cameron, assistant director of the rail conference for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• Florence Chen, a strategy consultant with Generate
• Brendan Danaher, government affairs director for the Transport Workers Union of America/AFL-CIO
• Paul Kincaid, director of the Association of Former Members of Congress
• Gabe Klein, a co-founder and partner of mobility firm Cityfi
• Jeff Marootian, director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation
• Therese McMillan, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Bradley Mims , president and CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
• Robert Molofsky, a labor/employment law attorney and transit policy expert
• Patty Monahan, a commissioner with the California Energy Commission
• Mario Rodriguez, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority
• Rear Admiral Mike Rodriguez (Ret.), superintendent of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy
• Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian, vice president-communications with branding firm Figma
• Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation
• Vinn White, senior transportation advisor to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy