Contact: Supervisor John Avalos, SFCTA Board Chair
john.avalos@sfgov.org 415.554.6975
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San Francisco, CA — On Tuesday, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (“SFCTA”) Board confirmed its appointment of Deputy Director Tilly Chang as executive director of the Transportation Authority. This announcement comes after a nationwide search following the retirement of longtime Executive Director José Luis Moscovich last November. The SFCTA administers Prop K, the city’s local ½ cent sales tax for transportation, and functions as the Congestion Management Agency for the county, which allocates federal, state and regional transportation funding for various modes of transportation including Muni, BART, Caltrain, highways and the local street network. The agency also administers the $10 Prop AA vehicle registration fee which supports pedestrian safety, transit reliability and street resurfacing projects.
After ten years leading the SFCTA’s Planning division, Chang assumes responsibility for an agency in the midst of planning and delivering some of the most anticipated transportation infrastructure improvements in a generation. From the Presidio Parkway to the recently approved plan for bus rapid transit (BRT) on Van Ness Avenue, to dozens of neighborhood scale improvements around town, Chang has played an instrumental role in shaping projects in conjunction with partner agencies such as Caltrans and the Municipal Transportation Agency. She is currently spearheading an update to the city’s countywide transportation plan and long-range planning vision via the development of the San Francisco Transportation Plan.
“We are delighted to welcome Tilly Chang as our new Executive Director,” said John Avalos, Chair of the SFCTA Board. “Not only is she a highly-qualified transportation professional with a proven ability to lead, Tilly is also deeply committed to public service and engaging with our diverse community of residents, businesses and community groups to create transportation improvements in every district.” Prior to her tenure at the Authority, Chang held brief posts in the private sector and at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. She later worked at the World Bank where she designed urban transportation projects in East Asia and developed her interest in innovative approaches to project finance and delivery. She holds degrees from U.C. Berkeley and M.I.T.
“Ms. Chang possesses the knowledge and experience to bring creative solutions to our transportation challenges,” said Scott Wiener, Vice Chair of the SFCTA Board. “We look forward to her collaborations locally and at the state and regional level to help us realize our ambitious goals.”
As Chang steps into the role of executive director, her priorities for the agency are certain to reflect her strong connection to the many San Francisco neighborhoods and community organizations with whom she has worked closely during the past decade. She is also expected to promote project delivery partnerships which will be needed to advance major infrastructure initiatives such as building a network of safe and efficient streets, developing the downtown extension of Caltrain and rehabilitation of the Muni transit system to improve service levels and reliability.
Noted Chang, “With the support of the Board and our hard-working staff, I look forward to exploring new ways of doing business, strengthening our state and local partnerships, and funding the next generation of transportation improvements to benefit all San Franciscans.”
About the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (www.sfcta.org)
Created in 1989, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority is responsible for long-range transportation planning for the city, and it analyzes, designs and funds improvements for San Francisco’s roadway and public transportation networks. The Transportation Authority administers and oversees the delivery of the Prop K half-cent local transportation sales tax program, serves as the designated Congestion Management Agency (CMA) for San Francisco, under state law, and acts as the San Francisco Program Manager for grants from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA). The Transportation Authority Board consists of the eleven members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who act as its Commissioners. For more information about the Transportation Authority, visit www.sfcta.org.