Acting Deputy Administrator and Chief Counsel

Matthew Cahill serves as the Acting Deputy Administrator and Chief Counsel of the Federal Transit Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. He is the acting senior executive responsible for day-to-day operations of a federal agency that invests more than $21 billion annually to support and expand public transportation across the country. These resources reach more than 3,000 locally operated bus and rail systems to help Americans get around on safer, cleaner, more accessible transit systems in urban and rural communities.

Mr. Cahill leads more than 500 employees at the agency in administering federal grants and technical assistance, enforcing transit safety measures, ensuring compliance with federal law, and liaising with other Executive Branch officials and Members of Congress. Also serving as the agency’s chief legal officer, Mr. Cahill manages legal strategy and compliance for all agency activities, including financial assistance, oversight, enforcement, legislation, regulation, and litigation.

Mr. Cahill brings to FTA more than a decade and a half of industry experience touching all major modes of transportation. Prior to entering government service, Mr. Cahill was in private practice at Sidley Austin LLP, where he represented clients in the transportation and energy sectors in regulatory and litigation matters and in transactions with values exceeding $5.4 billion. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cahill served in consulting, government affairs, and program management roles that advanced notable transportation projects, including oversight of more than $2 billion in intercity passenger rail construction grants. Mr. Cahill began his career with a summer internship at the Federal Transit Administration while he was a college student.

Mr. Cahill is a past recipient of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Foundation scholarship and is an active member of transportation and legal industry professional groups. Mr. Cahill has received pro bono legal service awards for his work on behalf of a rail-highway grade crossing safety nonprofit and on behalf of unrepresented tenants and landlords in Washington, DC, housing court.

A native of Pekin, Illinois, Mr. Cahill earned a J.D. and M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Eureka College. He resides with his family in the Washington, DC, area.