OP-ED: USDOT functioned while Secretary Buttigieg was on family leave

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg became a father this past August with his husband Chasten. They have two new twin babies, Penelope and Joseph. His taking of paternity leave to join his husband in taking care of their two infants is nothing new. Couples or single parents, regardless of sexual orientation, take pride in bringing new born children into the world. The same is true for those who adopt and become foster parents to children looking for a loving home. Many of my former colleagues working at the Federal Transit Administration, along with others at various other USDOT administrations and millions of Americans, be they civil servants or private sector workers do the same every year.

Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg was more than capable of running the agency and making day-to-day decisions in his absence. I'm sure she was in daily touch with Sec. Buttigieg during the past two months. In fact, she is better qualified and has more experience than her boss. The Department of Transportation has 55,000 employees and a budget of $71.4 billion. It is composed of the Federal Highway, Transit, Motor Carriers, Maritime and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations, along with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and its own Office of Inspector General. Each office is managed by its own respective Administrator, Deputy Administrator and other senior staff. They all continued to function without Sec. Buttigieg's day-to-day presence in Washington.

Deputy Secretary Trottenberg has more than 25 years of public sector experience across all levels of government to the role. She served for seven years under New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio as the NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner. She ran an agency of nearly 6,000 employees with an annual budget of over $900 million. This included the Staten Island Ferry system. It is the largest in the nation with seven passenger vessels, two major terminals moving 66,000 pre-COVID-19 ridership daily. Trottenberg also served as one of Mayor DeBlasio's four representatives on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board. This included oversight over the nations largest bus and subway systems along with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $29 Billion 2010 - 2014 and $32 Billion 2015 - 2019 Five Year Capital Plans..  

Before that, Trottenberg served former President Barack Obama as the Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary for Policy at USDOT. During her five years there, she developed and implemented transportation policies to address the needs of state and local transportation agencies on every type of project from roads and bridges, to transit and rail, to airports, ports and pipelines.

Trottenberg also brings even more policy and managerial experience, including time in the United States Senate, where she served the late New York Senior Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Majority Leader Charles Schumer and California Senator Barbara Boxer.

Life continues to go on day after day with or without USDOT Secretary Buttigieg serving full time in person.

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Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road MTA Bus, New Jersey Transit along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ.