US President Joe Biden has officially signalled his intention to nominate Shailen Bhatt (pictured) for administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation.
Bhatt is currently senior vice president of Global Transportation Innovation and Alternative Delivery at AECOM, a multinational infrastructure consulting firm. He previously served as President and CEO of ITS America, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation and cabinet secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation, among other important positions in the transportation industry.
Bhatt chairs an external advisory board for the United States Department of Energy, is a member of the Aurora Safety Advisory Board for autonomous driving, and is the chair of the ITS World Congress board of directors.
According to Reuters, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says Bhatt’s “deep experience delivering innovative transportation across the country will serve the department and the American people well.”
Responding to President Biden’s plans to nominate Bhatt as Federal Highway administrator, Patrick Jones, executive director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), says: “It’s vital we have an FHWA administrator, such as Bhatt, who understands the important role that tolling plays in advancing modern and safe transportation infrastructure and building and maintaining roads, bridges, and tunnels.”
In 2020, as president and CEO of ITS America, Bhatt spoke to TTi editor Tom Stone about the challenges surrounding connected vehicles and spectrum sharing in the USA, in Episode 6 of the Transportation Podcast from TTi
