July 6, 2019, will be the last day in the office for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Grace Crunican. She announced her plans to retire following nearly eight years at the helm of BART.
Crunican revealed her plans during a BART Board of Director's meeting April 11. As someone who once said she enjoyed a challenge and problem solving, she only said her retirement would bring the next chapter, but did not provide details of what those plans would be.
"Working closely with you, we have put in place essential elements which will help the agency to thrive in the next decade. The entire rail car fleet is being replaced and expanded. The train control system, nearly 30 percent of the power system and billions in other infrastructure components are either scheduled or are being replaced. Under the leadership of Bob Powers, plans are developing to regularly measure ourselves against the best systems in the world," Crunican stated.
She noted policies that had been put into place to strengthen BART's connection with the community it services, such as the small business program, which included a provision to incorporate members of the LGBTQ community, an affordable house commitment on BART property and a focus on workforce development.
"A capable, diverse and energetic team of new leaders is in place to take BART into the next decade. This team is joyful and bold and hard working. They are customer focused and have made operational changes that have translated into cleaner stations, almost universal Clipper Card usage, good relations with labor unions for several years and communication systems that stay ahead of our mobile customers, just to name a few.
"We have also established our performance management program and now have a new manager who will guide us to continued improvement through performance audits.
"All the above make me proud - and a bit sad - to announce that July 6 will be my last day here. Despite the challenges, and we all know that some days have been better than others, I am fortunate to have had this opportunity to serve you and the customers who rely on BART," concluded Crunican.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
