Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has appointed Solomon Caviness IV, to lead the city’s Department of Transportation as its second permanent commissioner.
Caviness will begin his new job on Jan. 3, according to a city press release. The city role is currently filled by Interim ATLDOT Commissioner Marsha Anderson-Bomar, who took over for Josh Rowan after his resignation in July.
The new commissioner is coming to the department as the city government implements a historic $750 million infrastructure package voters approved earlier this year. Of that amount, $460 million is for transportation investments, including street repairs, sidewalks and trails, among other projects.
Dickens said in a statement that he’s excited to welcome home Caviness, a fellow Southwest Atlanta native.
“Solomon shares our Administration’s vision for smarter, more efficient government that delivers transportation projects— large, small and in between — in a manner that ensures Atlanta is a more livable and more accessible city,” the mayor’s statement said.
Credit: Headshot via LinkedIn
Credit: Headshot via LinkedIn
Caviness is returning home after serving as the transportation department head of Middlesex County in New Brunswick, N.J. Prior to that role, he served as Special Projects Manager for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
“Atlanta holds a special place in my heart as it shaped my personal story, and this appointment is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Caviness said in a statement.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, MARTA congratulated Caviness and the Dickens administration for filling the ATLDOT’s top job.
“MARTA values its partnership with the City of Atlanta and looks forward to working with Caviness and the ATLDOT on delivering equitable transit projects that connect and enhance our City,” the statement said.
Dickens thanked Interim Commissioner Anderson-Bomar for her service to the city. She took over for Rowan years after former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed him to lead the department in 2019. It was created a few months earlier after Dickens proposed the idea as a councilman.
“When we needed a leader to oversee a smooth transition, Marsha stepped up to the plate,” Dickens said. “From readying our city for inclement weather to seeing through several capital projects, she is a vigorous leader and we are appreciative of all her contributions to Atlanta.”
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