Kirsten Dorman/KJZZ

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego presented a replica of the plaque that will be displayed at the Thelda Williams Transit Center to Williams' family, who were present at the event where the center was unveiled.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego will serve on a new advisory committee to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. They’ll advise the Department of Transportation and Buttigieg on approaches to challenges in public transit and transportation.

Professors, industry professionals and advocates in the transportation field will make up the Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee.

Gallego called cities like Phoenix “ground zero” for transit innovation, and said she looks forward to working with the committee, which meets for the first time later this month.

The announcement of Gallego’s spot on that panel comes as Arizona voters are set to decide whether to extend a half-cent sales tax later this year. Known as Proposition 400, it’s funded major road and public transportation projects in the Valley for decades.

More stories from KJZZ

• Loop 101 projects in Scottsdale, northwest Valley start in 2024
• Phoenix light rail extension near former Metrocenter Mall to open in January