President Barack Obama planned to nominate Peter M. Rogoff today as administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. Rogoff has served for 22 years on the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee, including 14 years as the Democratic staff director of its Transportation Subcommittee. He is an acknowledged expert in the area of federal infrastructure budgeting and finance, having had an active role in the financing of each of the last three comprehensive surface transportation reauthorization bills dating back to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
He was instrumental in the establishment of new user-fee regimes to finance expanded security measures following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.
Rogoff has had an instrumental role in advising policy makers on the operating and capital needs of Amtrak, including the initiation and financing of high-speed Acela service, as well as the financing of dozens of new light-rail and bus rapid transit systems across the U.S.
Rogoff has been active in overseeing and reforming troubled procurements in the FAA, Coast Guard, FTA and FHWA. He was the principal staff strategist for both the .08 blood alcohol content law and the youth drunken driving "zero tolerance" law. Together, these laws are credited with saving tens of thousands of lives.
Rogoff has also been centrally involved in efforts to strengthen safety inspections of substandard trucks, cargo vessels and pipelines. Rogoff is a recipient of the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award and the Lester P. Lamm Memorial Award for outstanding leadership and dedication to U.S. highway transportation programs. He earned his master of business administration degree, with honors, at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and his bachelor’s degree in American Studies at Amherst College.
