Jim Hartnett announced last week he will leave his position as CEO/GM of the San Mateo County Transit District in April after six years, according to Charles Stone, mayor of Belmont who serves as chair of the San Mateo County Transit District Board of Directors.
At that time, Deputy CEO/GM Carter Mau will become acting CEO/GM and Caltrain’s Chief Officer of Rail Michelle Bouchard will serve as Acting Caltrain Executive Director, Stone said in a statement.
During his tenure, Hartnett, a longtime civic and transit leader, attorney and Navy veteran, is credited for successfully obtaining a dedicated source of funds for Caltrain, which occurred following the passage of Measure RR, an 1/8-cent sales tax increase, in the November election, and addressing SamTrans’ structural deficit, Stone said. Hartnett’s leadership was also credited with the public engagement campaign that led to the passage of Measure W in 2018, a half-cent sales tax providing additional resources aimed at improving transit and relieving traffic congestion.
Pre-pandemic under Hartnett’s watch, SamTrans’ bus ridership was steadily increasing, while Caltrain became the seventh largest commuter rail service in the U.S.
“And when the future of Caltrain was on the line, Jim led a national advocacy effort that saved the Caltrain Electrification Project’s $647 million Federal Full Funding Grant Agreement at the 11th hour, after many assumed the funding would be eliminated,” Stone said.
Both agencies are “well-prepared to survive the pandemic,” according to Stone.
In 2019, Hartnett was named among the Most Admired CEOs by the San Francisco Business Times.
Photo that includes Jim Hartnett (on left) credited to the San Mateo County Transit District.
