SF mayor appoints new transit agency director to tackle Muni challenges

Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday morning that Jeffrey Tumlin has been selected to lead the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency after a months-long search for a new director of transportation.

Tumlin brings 25 years of expertise in the transportation industry and currently serves as the director of strategy at Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, a transportation and engineering firm in San Francisco.

Breed said in a statement: 

“I believe Jeffrey is the right person to improve our public transportation, continue making our streets safer, and ensure that our approach is equitable and serves all of our residents across San Francisco. The SFMTA is an agency that requires a balance between managing an enormous day-to-day operation and developing the vision to help our City continue to grow without increasing gridlock. I know Jeffrey is ready to lead this agency.”

The search for a new director began when Ed Reiskin resigned from the position last April amid from the mayor that he was failing to make significant improvements to Muni’s service and reliability.

Just days before Reiskin announced his resignation, nearly 1,000 feet of overhead wire collapsed in the subway, causing transit officials to close the system for most of the day.

The transit agency still faces an ongoing operator shortage and rampant subway delays.

Tumlin said in a statement:

“San Francisco is unlike any place in the world and I’m incredibly excited to help build a transportation system that serves all of our residents. I’m focused on putting people first and implementing solutions that work best for a diverse and ever-growing world class city.”

The SFMTA Board of Directors will officially hire and appoint Tumlin at its Nov. 19 regular board meeting.

Malcolm Heinicke, who chairs the SFMTA board, said in a statement:

“With over twenty years’ experience, Jeffrey has earned a reputation as a renowned asset to the global transportation space. We were lucky to have found him right here in our own backyard, and are thrilled for Jeffrey to lead our City’s goals and values in the realm of mobility and street space.”

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.