There are now 5 transportation agencies within the Federal government that are being run by acting administrators:
- The FTA: Therese McMillan’s is acting administrator while her nomination is pending in the Senate.
- NHTSA, where David Friedman has been acting administrator since the resignation of David Strickland (over the GM ignition switch scandal).
- The FRA, which is losing Joe Szabo (thank God!).
- NTSB: Deborah Hersman resigned as Chair earlier this year. Christopher Hart has been Acting Chair.
- FHWA: Gregory Nadeau is acting Administrator.
Other than McMillan, the Obama Administration has yet to make a nomination for these agencies. It is one of those rare opportunities where the Obama Administration could dramatically support transit, bikes, and livability goals. Well, that is if the Administration were really interested in doing that.
Just imagine: an NTSB that focuses on road safety, instead of hot-air balloons and rocketships. An NHTSA that implements regulations for truck sideguards. An FRA that doesn’t regulate passenger trains out of existence. An FHWA that isn’t blindly promoting highway expansion.
[…] reform has never been a top priority for the president. Here’s an example from Network blog Systemic Failure: The Obama administration is leaving top federal transportation positions […]
From the hot-air balloon NTSB document:
“These recommendations address operational deficiencies in commercial sightseeing (air tour) balloon operations that have resulted in occupant injuries and a fatality.”
As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but re-write it for cars in my head:
“These recommendations address SYSTEMIC deficiencies in THE US TRANSPORTATION NETWORK that have resulted in TENS OF MILLIONS OF occupant injuries and 340,000 fatalities IN THE LAST DECADE ALONE.”