The Ventra County Transportation Commission (VCTC) has selected Claire Grasty as the agency’s new public transit director. Grasty will oversee all VCTC programs related to public transit operations and planning, including Intercity bus service, Regional Transit Technology and Rideshare, as well as VCTC’s partnerships with regional bus and passenger rail operators and the Regional Transit Information Center.
Grasty succeeds Martin Erickson, who was named executive director of VCTC earlier this year. She was selected after a comprehensive recruitment and interview process. Grasty began her new position June 1.
Grasty joined VCTC in November 2017 as program manager of regional transit planning. In that role, she helped develop the county’s first Transportation Emergency Preparedness Plan (TEPP) after witnessing the significant impacts to transportation brought by the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow in Montecito.
More recently, Grasty helped implement Metrolink Saturday service from Ventura County to downtown Los Angeles and the popular College Ride program, which allows students at any Ventura County college to ride public transit for free. She is responsible for managing multiple VCTC budgets and provides technical support to transit operators throughout Ventura County.
“I am very humbled by this opportunity,” Grasty said. “I’m excited for the future of public transit in Ventura County and to help improve mobility for our community, especially for those who need it most.”
Grasty has more than 12 years of public transit experience. Before joining VCTC, she spent eight years as a planning manager, transit planner and intern at Gold Coast Transit District in Oxnard. She received a bachelor’s degree in community studies from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in public policy from CSU Northridge.
“Claire has been an integral part of VCTC’s transit team since joining the organization. She has led multiple key initiatives to provide greater access to public transportation and to encourage the use of carpooling, biking and other rideshare options,” Erickson said. “Claire cares deeply about the transit-riding public, and she is dedicated to improving public transportation in Ventura County and across southern California.”
