Indian-American Sanjay Ramabhadran to be next Houston METRO chairman

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States

Noted Indian-American engineer Sanjay Ramabhadran (51), has been named as the next chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. He becomes the first from the community to lead the major public transportation agency in the US state of Texas, a report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.

Rambhadran, a registered engineer and a graduate of BITS-Pilani and later Texas A&M University, has served on the METRO Board since 2015. He currently serves as the Chair of the Capital & Strategic Planning Committee, a member of the Finance & Audit Committee.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, High Occupancy Vehicle lane and High Occupancy Toll lanes, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County.

Rambhadran, is also a longtime community leader, past president of Indo-American Chamber of Greater Houston (IACCGH). 

If he gets the post he would be the first Indian-American chairman of METRO, and replace Patman, the board’s first female head, who is stepping down following her nomination by the Biden Administration to serve as ambassador to Iceland.

The transit agency, METRO, with an annual budget of USD 1.3 Billion, 4,100 employees, and a 1,300-square-mile service area containing 3.9 million people, has had Black and Latino chairs, along with numerous white men.

To take effect, METRO board members will vote to make Ramabhadran chairman, where the city holds the majority of seats. Mayor Turner would then appoint a new member of the board.

Turner said “Ramabhadran, knows how to get people together and knows how to get things done. There is incredible talent in our city. That gives me hope that no matter what challenges we face, we will overcome those challenges if we work together,” Mayor Turner said.

Ramabhadran’s elevation was also hailed by the Indian-American community.

Jagdip Ahluwalia, founding secretary/executive director, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH), said: “We are proud of Ramabhadran who was our first volunteer when the IACCGH was created in 1999”. 

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