Federal Highway Administrator Bhatt Resigns
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Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt on Sept. 6 announced via social media that he was departing his post after less than two years on the job, making an abrupt departure after a tenure that saw the agency administer more than $350 billion in bipartisan infrastructure funds and other grants.
While Bhatt in a post on LinkedIn did not list a departure date, an FHWA spokesperson on Sept. 9 confirmed to Transport Topics that Bhatt’s last day as FHWA administrator would be Sept. 10. “Following his departure, FHWA Deputy Administrator Kristin White will step in to lead the agency in an acting capacity,” the spokesperson said. White was appointed in May.
In a post on LinkedIn, Bhatt said, “I have always said that a transportation agency exists to save lives and to make people[‘s] lives better. The work of our team has been to advance projects and policies that achieve these goals. The men and women of FHWA have worked tirelessly and our nation is better for their efforts. Whether it is building new projects, protecting vulnerable road users and our environment, or deploying #technology to create the #transportation system of the 21st century, the legacy of the Bipartisan #Infrastructure Law will be a better America.”
Bhatt thanked the agency’s U.S. Department of Transportation partners and reaffirmed his commitment to work hard with others in transportation to achieve zero roadway deaths.
“To serve during this time, with a President and [DOT] Secretary who have been such impactful leaders, is an immense privilege. I look forward to seeing the multitude of projects that will transform our country for decades to come. We always say that #safety is our number one priority,” he added.
Bhatt was sworn in on Jan. 13, 2023, by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as the 21st FHWA administrator. He was the first person of Indian descent to lead the agency.
Bhatt has spent his career in transportation leadership roles. He previously was executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation and secretary for the Delaware Department of Transportation. During the Obama administration, Bhatt held the role of FHWA associate administrator for policy and government affairs.
He called his time leading the agency and its 2,700 employees the “honor of a lifetime.”
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