ATSSA congratulates Bhatt on FHWA confirmation

Transportation veteran confirmed as FHWA leader

Shailen Bhatt, who led state transportation departments in Colorado and Delaware, was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Bhatt’s confirmation by the full Senate on Thursday follows bipartisan support on Nov. 29 by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

As head of the FHWA, Bhatt will oversee implementation of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) passed into law in November 2021.

“We congratulate Administrator Bhatt on his confirmation and look forward to working with him as he carries out the critical work of implementing the IIJA,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “This legislation is critical to advancing roadway safety and efforts to move Toward Zero Deaths. We are pleased to have a leader in place who has led two state departments of transportation and intimately understands the challenges and importance of transportation infrastructure.”

Bhatt most recently served as senior vice president of Global Transportation Innovation and Alternative Delivery at AECOM, an international infrastructure consulting firm, according to the White House announcement of his nomination. Prior to that, he led the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and was appointed by former President Barack Obama to serve in the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). He has also served as CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), chaired both the board of the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and the Executive Committee of the I-95 Corridor Coalition, and was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Automotive and Personal Transport. He also served as a member of the Aurora Safety Advisory Board for autonomous driving.