FHWA Nominee Greg Nadeau Pledges to Improve Highway Safety

Greg Nadeau, the Obama administration’s pick to lead the Federal Highway Administration, told a Senate panel July 15 he would continue to improve safety on the country’s highways to reduce fatalities and injuries.

“FHWA will leverage partnerships with states to make advancements in highway safety, building on the data-driven, strategic approach of the Highway Safety Improvement Program that focuses on improving safety performance for all road users,” Nadeau said.

He made the comments in a statement to the Environment and Public Works Committee, a panel with jurisdiction over surface transportation programs.

Since July 2014, Nadeau has served as the agency’s acting administrator. He took over for Administrator Victor Mendez, who was tapped for the deputy secretary post at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Nadeau noted that while federal statistics show fatalities and serious injuries on roadways are declining, the numbers remain “unacceptably high.”

For 2014, preliminary data found that more than 32,000 people died on U.S. roadways.

Before his role on the federal level, Nadeau was a senior official with the Maine Department of Transportation.

The EPW committee is expected to vote on Nadeau’s nomination this year.

If confirmed by the full Senate, Nadeau would lead a critical agency within DOT’s structure. The department has five vacancies at its agencies, among them the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.