October 28, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 170 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING GRACE CRUNICAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ERIC SWALWELL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2019

  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Madam Speaker, along with Representatives 
Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Ro Khanna, Mark DeSaulnier, and Anna Eshoo, I 
rise to recognize Grace Crunican, who earlier this year retired as the 
general manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) 
system.
  Grace began her long career in transportation management in 1979 when 
she was appointed to the Presidential Management Intern Program at the 
U.S. Department of Transportation. She continued to work in a variety 
of roles in transportation management before going to Seattle to direct 
its Department of Transportation.
  In Seattle she implemented its Transit Master Plan, which included 
Seattle Connections, the Bike Master Plan, the Freight Mobility 
Strategic Plan and the Pedestrian Master Plan. These initiatives helped 
to reduce congestion and commute times, helping Seattle achieve the 
U.S. Kyoto Protocol goals.
  In 2011 she joined BART as general manager. In that role Grace 
oversaw a staff of more than 3,000 full time employees operating a $15 
billion transit network. With over three decades in the public 
transportation industry, she displayed the necessary leadership and 
focus to provide safe and reliable transportation services for all Bay 
Area communities.
  Grace's hard work and dedication will result in the replacement and 
expansion of more than 1,000 new rail cars for BART. Her leadership 
also encouraged collaboration with BART's labor force to ensure both 
riders and workers benefit from policy changes.
  She developed and implemented policies that deepen BART's ties to the 
communities it serves by prioritizing inclusive planning that benefits 
small business owners, low-income and homeless riders, and the LGBTQ 
community. Her affordable housing initiative enhanced accessibility by 
requiring the inclusion of no less than thirty-five percent affordable 
housing on all BART transit-oriented development projects. 
Additionally, she coordinated local and federal resources and fostered 
regional partnerships to reduce congestion for eastern Contra Costa 
County communities during peak commute times and led the opening of 
BART's Oakland International Airport and Warm Springs/South Fremont 
stations.
  Grace has been a tireless advocate for improved public transit 
throughout her career. We want to thank her for her years of service to 
the Bay Area and to wish her well in all her future endeavors.

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