Former Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari has stepped down as deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration after five months on the job.
Bokhari announced his departure Thursday in a social media post, saying "the timing is right to hand the baton to the next wave of leaders." He said he plans to return to Charlotte to be with his family and to help his wife, Krista Bokhari, campaign for his old District 6 council seat. The Republican primary is Tuesday.
During his short tenure at the agency, Bokhari said he helped clear a backlog of transit grants, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, launch an artificial intelligence framework and set in motion a long-term vision for autonomous transit.
Bokhari, a Republican, served four terms on the City Council before resigning earlier this year to join the FTA. His departure from the federal post was first reported by WSOC-TV.
