After less than a year at the helm of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Meera Joshi is returning to New York City for a new role.
Joshi, who has been acting administrator of FMCSA since January 2021, will become New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Operations this month serving under newly elected Mayor Eric Adams.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed Joshi’s departure.
“We are very grateful for Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi’s leadership this past year at FMCSA and know that she will bring the same commitment, expertise and vision to her new role,” a DOT spokesperson told Land Line. “She has engaged with truck drivers and the motorcoach industry to chart a clear path for FMCSA to address our supply chain challenges, improve driver safety and job quality, and has built a strong team at FMCSA that will help build on this foundation.”
Prior to her federal post, Joshi served as a Principal and New York General Manager with the transportation firm Sam Schwartz for a year. She assumed that post after serving for more than five years as Chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), which licenses and regulates taxi cabs and app-based ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft.
Before that role, she served as TLC’s Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. She previously served as First Deputy Executive Director of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the agency tasked with investigating complaints of police misconduct. She also served as an Inspector General within the New York City Department of Investigation and was responsible for overseeing New York City’s Department of Correction, Probation and Juvenile Justice, and the TLC.
Joshi was named deputy administrator of FMCSA, which made her the de facto leader of the agency on Jan. 21, 2021. In April, President Joe Biden nominated Joshi to take the permanent role as administrator of the FMCSA.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced Joshi’s nomination in October, but her confirmation hadn’t been approved by the full Senate.
FMCSA has not had a permanent administrator since Ray Martinez stepped down in November 2019 after less than 2 years in the post.
