Transit agency picks interim director

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced Thursday that Tom Maguire will serve as interim director of transportation beginning Aug. 15.

Malcolm Heinicke and Gwyneth Borden — SFMTA Board of Directors chair and vice chair — sent an email to staff about upcoming change as current Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin prepares to leave on Aug. 14.

Reiskin is stepping down amid scrutiny from Mayor London Breed of how the agency has handled its many problems over the last year, including poor Muni service and transit service disruptions.

Breed wrote a letter to the SFMTA board pushing them to begin a national search for a new director of transportation.

The search process has already begun with a subcommittee of three board directors, which include Amanda Eaken, Art Torres and Steve Heminger.

The committee met on Wednesday to discuss what heard from SFMTA employees during recent outreach meetings on qualities they would like to see in the next director of transportation.

They also discussed scheduling and deadlines, including scheduling Sept. 3 as date to interview potential candidates.

The public will have a chance to give public comment next Tuesday at the SFMTA Board of Directors meeting on what qualities and attributes they would like to see in the next person that will lead the transit agency.

In the meantime, Maguire will take over the interim role once Reiskin leaves. Maguire joined the SFMTA in 2014 after serving as an assistant commissioner to the New York City Department of Transportation.

As the director of the sustainable street’s division, Maguire oversees the SFMTA’s field operations on the streets, parking and traffic enforcement and planning and designing for street infrastructure improvements.

The division also oversees security, investigations and enforcement, such as the proof-of-payment unit, Muni Transit Assistance Unit, Emergency Preparedness Unit and Video Surveillance Unit.

The email said:

“His broad view of the agency, breadth of experience and wise judgement were paramount in the Board’s selection of Tom to serve as Interim Director of Transportation during this critical transition. The agency must continue to move forward during this time and we hope that you will extend Tom your support and welcome him to his new role.”

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.