A laudatory confirmation hearing for PennDOT’s acting leader

By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square

HARRISBURG, PA – A convivial Senate confirmation hearing for PennDOT Acting Secretary Mike Carroll lauded his experience and hope for a productive working relationship in the future.

“I can assure you that there is no one more equipped to be in the role of the secretary of transportation than Mike is,” said Minority Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton.

After much praise of Carroll, the committee on Tuesday unanimously supported his confirmation with a favorable recommendation. The next step is a full Senate confirmation vote.

“The most important piece of this is when you have people going into these types of positions that they understand the significance and the difficulty of this type of position … and that is absolutely one of your strengths and I think that you have had so much experience that we are very blessed to have you in this role,” said Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-Scotrun.

Carroll completed eight terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, dating back to 2006, and served as Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee from 2018 until 2022. Previously, he was also a legislative liaison for PennDOT.

“It is a high honor to be selected by Governor Shapiro to serve in this role,” Carroll said. “The responsibility that I have is significant. The good news for me is that the folks I work with at PennDOT are skillful and professional … they’re very capable and I’m very proud of the folks that we have.”

Carroll’s previous time as the Democrats’ transportation leader was much-complimented.

“We face many challenges going forward, but we have tremendous opportunities,” said Majority Chairman Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Clearfield. “Your nomination is a breath of fresh air.”

The acting secretary emphasized collaboration between Shapiro’s administration and the legislature to get things done.

“As I envision my role as the secretary of transportation … (it’s) to be a partner with all of you to make sure that we can have a transportation network that addresses the vast needs of this commonwealth,” Carroll said.

PennDOT has been criticized by other lawmakers for a lack of accountability and little response to local concerns, as The Center Square previously reported. It has also warned of future funding shortfalls as gas tax revenue declines, proposing ideas such as road user fees and package taxes to replace the funding. Speed cameras to make roads safer and boosting transit-oriented development, too, have been priorities.

Despite past disagreements between the executive and legislative branches on transportation issues – such as a bridge tolling plan that died in court last June – lawmakers struck an optimistic tone for the future.

“It’s been reassuring to me and very gratifying that I feel that we have a wonderful, open line of communication with you and your staff … you get it,” Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R- Washington, said to Carroll. “I think that we have an excellent candidate at the helm.”