Transportation professional Grace Crunican is taking over as the new Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) GM. Crunican was appointed at a special board meeting, ending a nationwide search for the next GM of the San Francisco Bay Area public transportation system.

"I believe any endeavor is stronger through partnerships," Crunican said.  "I will work to build those partnerships from the first day of my job. This includes reaching out to BART’s customers, the communities BART serves, employees and other stakeholders. As BART’s general manager, I will coordinate with other regional transit agencies, planning and funding organizations, our partners at the local, regional, state and federal level to enhance the services we provide daily."

Crunican is BART’s ninth GM. She holds a solid background in transportation, which includes a history of successful strategies to secure and increase capital and transit funding.

In her new position, Crunican will oversee operating and capital budgets totaling $1.4 billion and lead the approximately 3,100 BART employees who serve about 350,000 riders each weekday with service at 44 stations in four counties.