Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday appointed Paul Wiedefeld, former Metro general manager and chief executive officer, as state transportation secretary.
The appointment is important to the new governor, who has made transportation one of the top priorities of his administration to connect people to jobs, drive social equity and protect the environment.
“I look forward to working with the team to achieve their vision for Maryland, and I understand the critical role the Department of Transportation plays in supporting that vision,” Wiedefeld said. She added that he understands the importance of the department working in partnership and transparency with communities.
Wiedefeld also previously served as head of the Maryland Aviation Administration and the Maryland Transit Administration.
Moore cited Wiedefeld’s extensive experience in making the appointment.
“In other words, Paul is a professional,” Moore said, noting that under Wiedefeld’s leadership at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, “he’s improved reliability, addressed massive safety challenges and overcome the global COVID pandemic. -19”.
Moore also noted that, as administrator of the state aviation administration, Wiedefeld oversaw a $1.8 billion expansion of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
“He also understands the importance of public transportation and the role it plays in the lives of all of our citizens,” Moore said.
Wiedefeld ran Metro, which serves the District of Columbia as well as the suburbs of the nation’s capital in Maryland and Virginia. He was general manager for about six years before resigning in May. He retired about two months ahead of schedule after it was discovered that about half of Metro train operators had not required training or testing.
When asked about concerns that could be raised about Wiedefeld’s appointment, Moore said his administration has gone through “a complete vetting process” and that they “are comfortable with the current state of affairs.”
“The secretary will go in front of the Senate for a full hearing, but we know that when we think about the future of the things that we’re looking to do, … we strongly and deeply believe that Paul is a person who will help us get there,” Moore said.
Moore has expressed interest in reviving a 14-mile (22.5-kilometer) east-west transit line in Baltimore, which former Gov. Larry Hogan did not support. He spoke of a “new form of Red Line, a true east-west transit that can help address the transportation desert that we continue to see in many areas of Baltimore.”
“This is not going to be a start-up operation,” Moore said. “There is some good work that has already been done.”