Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has been named to serve on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new transforming transportation advisory committee, a small group of national leaders who will provide advice to Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the department about plans and approaches for transportation innovation.

Gallego is the only mayor who will serve on the committee, which is comprised of professionals, subject matter experts, academics, and leaders in the field of transportation technology, a press release notes. The first meeting take place on Thursday, Jan. 18.

“I am honored and excited to serve as Phoenix’s voice on the transforming transportation advisory committee,” Gallego stated. “Cities like Phoenix are ground zero for innovation in transit and transportation, and as we continue benefitting and learning from major federal infrastructure investments, I am looking forward to how this group will use its exchange of expertise and knowledge to improve folks’ lives across the country.”

Gallego has been an advocate for improved public transit and cleaner transportation options since she was elected to Phoenix City Council in 2013. After experiencing a seizure that same year and temporarily losing her ability to operate a vehicle, Gallego found herself relying on public transportation to get around, which was easy to do in downtown Phoenix, but difficult in many other parts of the city, according to a press release from her office.

That led Gallego to spearhead Phoenix's Transportation 2050 plan, a bipartisan, voter-approved project that is providing residents with expanded bus service, additional light rail corridors, a mobile fare-collection system, and roadway and mobility improvements, with an emphasis on bringing service to historically underserved areas.