Anthony Foxx sworn in as new transportation secretary

Washington – Anthony Foxx was sworn in as the 17th Secretary of Transportation on July 2, five days after being confirmed by the Senate in a unanimous vote. Foxx, the former mayor of Charlotte, NC, replaces Ray LaHood, who announced on Jan. 29 he would not stay on for a second term.

In a message to Department of Transportation employees, Foxx said that safety would remain the top priority at the agency, according to a DOT press release.

“I believe in safe, effective transportation, and whether it is a bus, road, train, plane, or ship, our transportation system – at its best – connects people to a better quality of life,” Foxx wrote in his first official blog post after being confirmed. “As it has been for Secretary LaHood, the dedicated DOT workforce, and DOT’s many partners and stakeholders, ensuring that America’s transportation system is the safest in the world will be my top priority.”