|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
BART General Manager Grace Crunican announced last week that she will be leaving her job this summer after eight years leading the transit agency.
At the end of the BART Board of Directors meeting on April 11, Crunican read an announcement saying she’ll retire on July 6, but didn’t explain why she’s leaving or what her future plans might be.
“This announcement has inspired many conflicted emotions, as you can imagine,” Crunican said. “Working closely with you, we have put in place essential elements which will help the agency to thrive in the next decade.”
She mentioned many projects, including the replacement of the entire rail car fleet and the train control system, as well as “billions in other infrastructure components” and the agency’s focus on building affordable housing on BART property.
Crunican was previously the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the deputy administrator for the Federal Transit Administration.
The announcement caught BART board members off guard but they praised her for being a strong leader and a “straight talker.”
“This is a big surprise to us but at the same time you’ve served this district with tremendous distinction and worked incurably hard,” said BART Board President Bevan Dufty.
“Leading a transit agency is one of the most difficult jobs anywhere because our federal policies don’t really provide the resources to run the type of system that our customers deserve. You’re always trying to make it work somehow,” Dufty said.
Board members did not discuss when they might start looking for Crunican’s replacement.
The news of Crunican’s pending departure comes less than two weeks after BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas announced he would be retiring in May after just under two years in the position.
Editor’s note: Story by Bay City News Service, with Weekly editor Jeremy Walsh contributing.
By
Editor’s note: Story by Bay City News Service, with Weekly editor Jeremy Walsh contributing.
By
BART has been a mess since its commencement of operations in the 70’s. It has been run to benefit downtown SF and the labor unions, Everyone else be damned. Why did they operate for 50 years without a Capital Equipment Reserve Fund?
BART Police service would be a joke if not so embarrassing.
Bart Board Members have proven incompetent for many years.
Ridership is down because BART is dirty. and dangerous’
EE need to clean house starting at the TOP-the Board of Directors. Thank Goodness Debra Allen is trying.
We need to solid Director to represent the TRi- Valley- Castro Valley District.