President Joe Biden has nominated a former Delaware secretary of transportation to lead the Federal Highway Administration.
Shailen Bhatt led the Delaware Department of Transportation for nearly four years under Gov. Jack Markell. He will join a handful of Delawareans, including Markell, who now work for the Biden administration.
During his time leading DelDOT, Bhatt stressed data-based decision-making. He imposed a no-borrowing policy during his time as Cabinet secretary in order to reduce debt payments, which significantly reduced the agency’s debt level.
Some of his decisions were not popular, specifically his plans to double bus fares and implement a new model of paratransit, which upset some disability advocates and older adults.
One of his most significant moments as transportation secretary was in 2014 when there was a shutdown of the I-495 bridge over the Christina River in Wilmington. At the time, engineers found key support piers to be in dangerous condition. He also led the agency’s responses to hurricanes Irene and Sandy.
After working in Delaware, he led the Colorado Department of Transportation. He currently works as a senior vice president of Global Transportation Innovation and Alternative Delivery at AECOM, a multinational infrastructure consulting firm, according to the White House’s announcement.
