Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens appoints permanent ATLDOT Commissioner

ATLANTA—Mayor Andre Dickens announced the appointment of Southwest Atlanta native Solomon Caviness, IV, to serve as the second permanent Commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT).

Caviness will lead the department effective Jan. 3, 2023, assuming the role currently held by Interim ATLDOT Commissioner Marsha Anderson-Bomar.

“What I envisioned for ATLDOT back in 2017 was a centralized, cohesive hub for Atlanta’s transportation initiatives that a growing city needs, and that residents and businesses deserve,” said Mayor Dickens. “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. As a native of our great city, we are excited to welcome him back home to serve this community we all love.”

Caviness will lead ATLDOT as the City implements the historic $750 million Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure package voters approved earlier this year. Of that amount, $460 million is for transportation investments, including street repairs, sidewalks and trails, safe street projects, protected bike lanes and more. 

“It is with great humility that I get to serve the people from my native hometown and join the team at the City of Atlanta,” said Caviness. This is an opportunity to advance world-class transportation programs that improve the quality of life for so many. Atlanta holds a special place in my heart as it shaped my personal story, and this appointment is an opportunity of a lifetime. I look forward to advancing the innovative vision and legacy set forth by Mayor Dickens and his team.”

Dickens also thanked Interim ATLDOT Commissioner Anderson-Bomar for her service to the City.

“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.”

Caviness joins the City most recently serving as the head of Middlesex County Department of Transportation in New Brunswick, New Jersey. There, he oversaw the County’s Office of Engineering, Office of Planning, Public Works and the Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) service, managing projects to ensure departments met priority goals, objectives and timelines.

Prior to that role, Caviness served as Special Projects Manager for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

Caviness grew up in Southwest Atlanta. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, an M.S. in Civil Engineering-Transportation from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. 

In 2017, then-Councilmember Dickens, as Chair of the Transportation Committee, commissioned a feasibility study to review the City’s transportation infrastructure. That study led to the creation of ATLDOT in 2019.