Rahn wins Md. Senate committee vote to lead transportation department
A Maryland Senate committee unanimously agreed Monday to approve Gov. Larry Hogan’s nominee for transportation secretary, a week afterdelaying the vote over questions surrounding the future of the state’s light-rail projects.
Pete K. Rahn, the former head of transportation in Missouri and New Mexico, was grilled before the vote on Monday, and at his last appearance before the panel, about his commitment to the Purple Line and the Red Line and his overall philosophy on transportation.
“We’ve got to do whatever it takes to address the needs of our citizens and businesses,” Rahn said. He added that the Purple Line, a 16-mile, light rail project that would connect Montgomery and Prince George’s counties from Bethesda to New Carrollton, is under review.
Rahn was one of more than a dozen nominees approved by the Senate committee on Monday, including members of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and the Economic Development Commission. The entire Senate has yet to vote on the nominations of Rahn and others.
The committee put off a vote for R. Michael Gill, Hogan’s nominee as secretary of the state Department of Business and Economic Development, in order to allow a senator to question him further about diversity at the agency.
Senators had previously raised concerns about Rahn’s experience, which was focused largely on highways. The whole Senate has yet to vote on the nominations of Rahn and others.
Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery), chairman of the executive nominations committee, said Rahn proved to members of the committee that he understands the complexity of Maryland’s transportation system, which includes highways, public transit, airports and ports.
“I think he understands the importance of a balanced transportation opportunity in a state like ours,” Raskin said.
Several Baltimore lawmakers, who ultimately voted in favor of Rahn, raised concerns about the future of the Red Line, a planned 14-mile, east-west connection in Baltimore. They objected to the project appearing to take a back seat to the Purple Line.
Rahn said teams at the Department of Transportation will consider cost reductions for the Red Line after their review of the Purple Line.
He told the panel a personal story about how his family growing up was affected at times by the lack of transportation.
Rahn said his father worked as a laborer, and when his car broke down he was unable to go to work because there was no rail system available. His mother had trouble getting bus service to go to the hospital to visit his father when he was in the hospital, he said.
“It’s a real important issue for me, getting people where they need to go,” Rahn said. “I have a very personal experience with the lack of transportation and what it means to people in the real world. I understand the impact on people’s ability to get to jobs.”
Sen. Joan Carter Conway (D-Baltimore City) asked that the vote for Gill be pushed until next week. She had additional questions for the nominee regarding diversity at the Department of Business and Economic Development.
Conway and Pugh also offered their concerns about the diversity of candidates for the university system’s Board of Regents.
The S whole Senate will vote on Rahn’s nomination
