Biden expected to choose Buttigieg as transportation secretary

President-elect Joe Biden will be nominating former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), according to multiple reports.

Buttigieg, who is also the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., rose to national prominence after a surging presidential run in his bid for the Democratic nomination earlier this year. Buttigieg appears to have emerged from among contenders for the position such as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

During his presidential campaign, Buttigieg introduced an infrastructure plan that garnered support across the transportation industry.

ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith congratulated the former mayor on his nomination.

“Once he is officially nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate next year, ATSSA looks forward to working with Mayor Buttigieg on enacting a long-term, roadway safety-focused transportation bill, Smith said. “During the 2020 presidential campaign, Mayor Buttigieg routinely referenced the need to invest in America’s infrastructure, and his own campaign had a vibrant focus on roadway safety.

“His campaign called for a solvent Highway Trust Fund, national Vision Zero strategy (similar to ATSSA’s Toward Zero Deaths initiative), bicycle and pedestrian safety priorities, rural road safety investments, and increasing funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program. These strategies all stem from the ATSSA policy playbook, which our members have been advocating on for decades. We congratulate Mayor Buttigieg on his likely nomination and look forward to working with him to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries toward zero.”

ATSSA’s Government Relations team will track this nomination, along with others within USDOT, as Biden continues the transition process.