The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors has selected Jeffrey Tumlin as the new director of transportation after conducting an international search.
“Jeff is a true talent with a clear vision on how cities should serve its residents,” said Malcolm Heinicke, chair of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “He is a well-respected industry leader known for implementing value-based solutions that move cities forward.”
Tumlin will come into the agency at a time when the SFMTA is in the midst of implementing many capital infrastructure projects, including the overhaul of its light-rail vehicles, transitioning to all electric buses, completing major street redesigns like Market and Van Ness Streets, as well as finishing the Central Subway.
Tumlin has spent his entire career helping organizations around the world clarify their values and align their operations with those values. For more than 20 years, he has led award-winning plans in cities such as San Francisco, Vancouver and Abu Dhabi. Globally, he is a renowned leader known for best utilizing limited resources to maximize community success. Two years ago, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf asked him to help create a new department of transportation and he led it for the first nine months. During that time, he focused on building an inclusive, respectful, welcoming work environment for all staff, rebuilding morale and making streets safer and more accessible to often marginalized neighborhoods.
“Jeff deeply understands the interconnectivity linking transportation to social justice, economic development, public health and sustainability,” said Gwyneth Borden, vice chair of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “We are excited to leverage his experience tackling complex issues in a modern and technologically advanced era.”
Most recently, he worked as a principal at Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associated, leading dozens of detailed neighborhood plans such as the Ocean Beach Master Plan and Glen Park and Visitacion Valley Community Plans. These efforts helped accommodate thousands of new residents, while mitigating traffic by making walking and bicycling safer and more enjoyable and transit service more efficient and reliable. He is currently leading the San Francisco Transportation Authority’s downtown congestion pricing study, focusing on enhancing mobility to advance equity and promote small business.
“San Francisco is the city I love most in the world,” Tumlin said. “I am looking forward to listening to and meeting with staff, the community and the city family to best deliver what this city needs and deserves.”
He will officially start with SFMTA Dec. 16, 2019.
