Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle at the MDOT Fellows Closing Program. (David Trozzo / MDOT)
There’s a new captain at the helm of the Maryland Department of Transportation. Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle stepped into her new role earlier this month after previously having served as Deputy Secretary, making her well known within the department. She first started her public service career in 2014 at the State Highway Administration as a regional planner.
To learn more about her journey, priorities, and what’s next for Maryland’s transportation system, we sat down with Acting Secretary Biddle for a brief conversation. Below is our Q&A, edited for length and clarity.
As a certified planner, how do you use planning in your work today?
Acting Secretary Biddle: I think one of the most important parts about the planning process is the work that you do with stakeholders. This part of the planning process is what pulled me from the private sector into the public sector; the ability to work with more stakeholders at all levels of government. I started out working primarily with county governments and municipalities, but I now have had the opportunity to work at the federal level and with other state agencies as well. Working with all stakeholders on whether it’s a project, a policy, or any sort of problem, it’s really that approach that I find to be the most fulfilling and impactful.
Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle speaks at an event in BWI Airport. (David Trozzo / MDOT)
What drives you in your work?
Acting Secretary Biddle: It is really impactful to lead the teams that are responsible for so much of the critical infrastructure across our state. Every trip that I make whether it’s near my home or the office, I am constantly thinking about the safety of all the individuals who are traveling along the state route, crossing through an intersection, using a transit connection or a transit stop. I am always trying to think through that user experience. And I think about it in terms of the volume of people who cross a facility like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the summer, all the way to kids who cross a state route on their walks to school.
Leading the Maryland Department of Transportation is a 24/7 job. What do you do for fun and to relax?
Acting Secretary Biddle: Things that you’ll find me doing outside of work include trail running around Liberty Reservoir and playing field hockey. I also like playing games and doing puzzles with my kids and husband.
What can Maryland expect to happen soon transportation wise?
Acting Secretary Biddle: This year’s Draft Consolidated Transportation Program for Fiscal Years 2026 – 2031 is going to be an exciting follow up to a really productive legislative session. Through Governor Moore’s leadership and the support of the General Assembly, we were able to secure roughly $400 million additionally towards transportation every year. And when we combine that and match it against our federal resources, we’re talking about an additional nearly $700 million. We’ve always had a great list of capital projects and priorities. The projects we are looking to advance through the Draft CTP are those that support the safety of our system, maintaining our system to keep it in working order and driving economic growth. I am really excited to see more of those projects move from the initial planning pieces through design and enter construction with this program. It’s going to be a great year.
Any message you’d like to share with Marylanders?
Acting Secretary Biddle: The safety of our systems, safety of our employees and safety of all users are really the things that keep me up at night. At MDOT, it is part of our core responsibility to be focused on safety at all times. Whenever I meet with citizen groups or elected officials, I tell them how MDOT is Serious About Safety and that the responsibility of safety also extends to everyone we encounter. As much as we can share our safety culture with others, it brings forward the chance to have more of an exponential impact in driving down the number of deaths and serious injuries on Maryland roads. Sometimes you have to make people a little bit uncomfortable and talk about some of the behavioral components to managing highway safety. We must also make sure people are taking seriously their personal responsibility behind the wheel; to not be distracted and not drive aggressively.
Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle at an MDOT event in the Historic Walkersville Southern Railroad Station. (David Trozzo / MDOT)
Meredith Devereux is a Senior Writer with the Maryland Department of Transportation.