Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, a transportation engineer by training, is betting on both Waymo and the Purple Line as key initiatives in her fight against the state's challenges. She was elected in 2022 alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who was born in India and served in the Maryland House of Delegates with a special interest in STEM education and entrepreneurship. Despite Maryland's high costs, high taxes, and high migration, the state lost nearly 25,000 federal jobs in 2025, more than any other state. The state's unemployment rate has risen from 3.0% to 4.2%, one of the sharpest increases in the nation. Miller believes that autonomous vehicles are safer per-mile than human drivers and could play a significant role in improving transit infrastructure. The Maryland Transit Opportunity Act of 2026 has been introduced by the Moore-Miller administration, which also includes the Maryland Transit Housing Opportunity Act.