Grace Crunican
Grace Crunican | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 Beaverton, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Transportation executive |
| Years active | 1979–2019 |
| Known for | General manager of Bay Area Rapid Transit (2011–2019) |
Grace Crunican (born 1955) is an expert in public transportation who led the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District as general manager from 2011 until 2019. Prior to this, she held executive positions at the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration during the Clinton era, and the Seattle Department of Transportation. Crunican also contributed to the Surface Transportation Policy Project, an advocacy group dedicated to mass transit.
Early life and education
Born in Beaverton, Oregon in 1955 to Marcus Saunders Crunican and Cora Lee Cunningham, Crunican earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gonzaga University along with an MBA from Willamette University.
Early career
Crunican launched her career in policy during the 1970s in Washington, D.C., beginning her transportation work in 1979 through the Presidential Management Intern Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She subsequently worked as a Professional Staffer for the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. While serving as Deputy Director and Capitol Project Manager at the Portland Bureau of Transportation, she succeeded in raising dedicated transportation funding from 23% up to 55%. Additionally, she oversaw TriMet’s application for a historic trolley and facilitated expansions of downtown streets within the Portland metropolitan area, Oregon.
Surface Transportation Policy Project
Following this, Crunican led the Surface Transportation Policy Project, a nonprofit alliance committed to advancing the goals of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
Federal Transit Administration (under President Bill Clinton) (1993–1996)
Between 1993 and 1996, Crunican held the position of Deputy Administrator at the Federal Transit Administration, part of the United States Department of Transportation, during President Bill Clinton’s administration. In this capacity, she secured agreements for 13 New Start Rail initiatives worth $3 billion and provided testimony twice before the Railroad Safety Committee.
Oregon Department of Transportation (May 1996 – February 2001)
Appointed director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in May 1996 under Governor John Kitzhaber, Crunican became the first woman to occupy this leadership role.
In 1999, she launched "Project Time Team," aiming to shorten highway construction project cycles to 18 months from project approval through contractor bid advertisement.
Crunican unexpectedly resigned in January 2001 with an annual salary of $118,000. Her exit came shortly after two other state agency departures, although officials from the governor’s office denied any coordinated removals. Her leadership received commendations from Republican state representative Bruce Starr and Senate Transportation Committee chair Gary George (Oregon politician). Her resignation took effect on February 28, 2001.
Seattle Department of Transportation (2002–2009)
Crunican was appointed director of the Seattle Department of Transportation in 2002, taking over from Daryl Grigsby. Throughout her leadership, she introduced the Bridging the Gap transportation maintenance levy and spearheaded several Transit Master Plan projects—including Seattle Connections, the Bike Master Plan, the Freight Mobility Strategic Plan, and the Pedestrian Master Plan—designed to align with U.S. Kyoto Protocol environmental objectives.
In 2008, intense snowstorms brought Seattle’s transportation network to a standstill. Crunican faced scrutiny for her management of the situation, particularly due to her decision to use sand instead of salt to minimize environmental impact, which contributed to slower snow removal. Additionally, she was criticized for going on vacation during the emergency and for not demonstrating a strong customer service focus.
Despite these challenges, Mayor Greg Nickels chose to keep her in the role, recognizing her overall beneficial contributions, especially regarding Bridging the Gap—a sentiment echoed by her advocates. Nevertheless, after Mayor Nickels was succeeded by Mike McGinn, Crunican declared her resignation on December 28, 2009, intending to launch a consulting business.
Hiatus (2010 and first half of 2011)
After leaving SDOT, Crunican was considered a finalist for the county administrator position in Clackamas County, Oregon, but ultimately did not obtain the appointment.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (August 31, 2011 – July 6, 2019)
Crunican took on the role of general manager at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), overseeing the rail transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. She succeeded Dorothy Dugger, who had resigned in April 2011 with a $958,000 severance package. Crunican officially assumed the position on August 31, 2011, starting with a $300,000 salary that increased by $20,000 after six months.
Her period in charge included labor strikes and safety issues related to substitute operators. She managed to balance union negotiations with fiscal accountability to both riders and taxpayers but encountered criticism concerning executive pay levels. Among her initiatives were replacing train seats with easy-to-clean vinyl versions and awarding a contract in 2012 to Bombardier Transportation for new train cars. Under her direction, BART inaugurated stations at Oakland International Airport and Warm Springs/South Fremont.
Crunican’s skill in obtaining external funding played a significant role in her selection; she successfully secured Metropolitan Transportation Commission funds for train car refurbishments and backed Measure RR, which allocated $3.5 billion for BART infrastructure enhancements.
On April 11, 2019, Crunican announced she would retire from BART effective July 6, 2019.
Personal life
Crunican is unmarried and has two children adopted from Russia. She lives in Alameda, California.