April 29, 2019

Media Contact:
Scott L. Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412

ELLICOTT CITY – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today welcomed Bruce Gartner, a 20-year veteran of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), as the county Office of Transportation’s new Administrator. Gartner most recently worked as a Transit and Rail Group Leader and Client Account Manager with the consultant firm, Jacobs Engineering Group. 

“We are fortunate to have a candidate with the state and regional transportation experience that Bruce offers,” said Ball. “Making the county accessible using multiple modes of transportation, including buses and bike paths, is a priority for our residents and for economic development. With decades of leadership in government relations, policy and budget oversight, Bruce will be a strong addition to our team. I also want to thank Chris Eatough for his great work leading the Office of Transportation in the interim.”

In his role with Howard County, Gartner will oversee transportation priorities, including coordination with the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), associated funding for transit improvements, and bicycling and pedestrian initiatives.

“I look forward to adding my voice and ideas to expand upon Howard County’s current transportation efforts and further support all resident and commuter needs,” said Gartner. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the Baltimore region to create a more comprehensive regional approach to our transit services, while expanding and improving our system of bicycle, pedestrian and local and state roadways to create safer and more sustainable options for Howard County.”

Before joining Jacobs, Gartner served as Executive Director of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). As head of the agency, he set strategic priorities, led the agency through the adoption and implementation of new tolling programs and coordinated the completion and start-up operations of several, major facilities. 

Since the beginning of his State career as a budget analyst for the Maryland General Assembly in 1989, Gartner has worked diligently to improve Maryland’s multimodal transportation system. Before becoming MDTA Executive Director, Gartner served in several positions at MDOT. As Director of Policy and Government Affairs and as an Assistant Secretary at MDOT between 2008 and 2013, he focused on multimodal programs and policies, federal aid and transportation funding, including the 2013 transportation funding package enacted by the Maryland General Assembly. In those leadership roles, he also worked closely with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority and Maryland Transit Administration to implement Maryland’s transit priorities and represented. 

Gartner is a father of three adult sons. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and a Master of Sciences in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Rochester in Western New York before moving to Maryland in 1989.

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