Polly Trottenberg

Polly Trottenberg
Name	Polly Trottenberg
Birth date	1964
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Barnard College, University of Cambridge
Occupation	Public servant, transportation official
Office	United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Term start	2021
Party	Democratic Party

Polly Trottenberg is an American public official and transportation policy expert who has held senior roles in municipal, state, and federal agencies, including leadership positions in New York City and the United States Department of Transportation. She is known for work on transportation infrastructure projects, urban planning, safety campaigns, and federal grant programs. Her career spans service under municipal administrations and a presidential administration.

Early life and education

Trottenberg was born in New York City and raised in an environment shaped by the civic institutions of Manhattan, exposure to regional transit systems including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and nearby academic centers such as Columbia University and New York University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College and studied at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, engaging with scholarship influenced by scholars connected to Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University. Her education overlapped with debates influenced by leaders from institutions like the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and American Enterprise Institute, and informed later collaborations with agencies such as the Federal Transit Administration and the Department of Transportation (United States).

Career

Trottenberg's early career involved roles at policy organizations and government bodies including positions that interfaced with officials from the New York State Senate, New York City Council, and municipal agencies aligned with mayors from the Democratic Party and figures like Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio. She worked on urban issues alongside actors from organizations such as the Regional Plan Association, Transportation Research Board, American Public Transportation Association, and advocacy groups like Transportation Alternatives. Her career includes appointments that required coordination with the Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and major infrastructure stakeholders including Amtrak, Conrail, and private contractors tied to firms like AECOM and Arup Group.

Commissioner of New York City Department of Transportation

Appointed as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Trottenberg managed programs affecting the city's interactions with entities such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York City Housing Authority, and borough presidents from Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan. Her tenure included oversight of major initiatives related to bus network redesign connected to operators like MTA New York City Transit and coordination with federal funding sources including the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration, and disaster recovery grants tied to Federal Emergency Management Agency programs. She led public works that interacted with landmark projects and institutions such as Hudson Yards, LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and redevelopment efforts influenced by planning bodies like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Program and the Port Authority Capital Projects.

United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation

Nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate, Trottenberg served as United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation, working alongside Secretary Pete Buttigieg and coordinating with offices across the Department of Transportation (United States), the Office of Management and Budget, and committees within the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Her federal role involved administering programs financed by legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and collaborating with agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. She engaged with state departments of transportation including California Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation, and Texas Department of Transportation, and with international partners represented by delegations from the European Commission, the United Kingdom Department for Transport, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Political positions and policy initiatives

Trottenberg has advocated for multimodal investments that connect local projects to federal priorities, coordinating with advocates and institutions such as Smart Growth America, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Her policy emphasis included safety programs aligned with Vision Zero initiatives with municipal partners like New York City Mayor's Office and community groups including Safe Streets NYC, as well as climate resilience measures that intersected with initiatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She promoted grant programs that funneled federal funding to transit providers such as MBTA, WMATA, and SEPTA, and supported freight and supply chain policies involving ports like Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach and rail operators including CSX and Union Pacific Railroad.

Personal life and affiliations

Trottenberg's affiliations include membership and collaboration with professional organizations like the Transportation Research Board, the National Academy of Engineering, and advocacy coalitions that feature partners such as Local Initiatives Support Corporation and United Way. Her work placed her in forums alongside public figures including former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, governors such as Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, and federal leaders from administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump through interagency processes. She maintains connections with academic centers like Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs, and think tanks including the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute.

Category:Living people Category:1964 births Category:United States Deputy Secretaries of Transportation