Grace Crunican, director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), announced today that she will step down as the head of the department. After eight years of service with the city of Seattle, she will depart to start her own consulting company. In order to assist the incoming McGinn Administration with critical transportation issues, such as the Mercer Corridor project, Ms. Crunican will continuing serving until a new director has been identified and the transition is complete.

“After eight years as the director of transportation, it is time for me to pass the reins to a new leader,” said SDOT Director Crunican. “It’s been a great run for me and the entire SDOT team. I move on with a real sense of pride about our accomplishments on so many important transportation issues.”

Under Ms. Crunican SDOT implemented the nine-year Bridging the Gap program, delivering in its first three years 97 lane-miles of repaved roads, 54 blocks of new sidewalk, easier-to-read street name signs at 3,835 intersections, 2,422 more street trees, and improved school zone signage for 154 schools. SDOT also built the South Lake Union streetcar line in 17 months and purchased the historic King Street Station to serve as an intermodal transportation hub, which it is currently rehabilitating. The department additionally funded and started construction on the critical Spokane Street Viaduct project and is preparing to finally construct a new tree-lined Mercer Corridor. In doing this work, SDOT increased its use of women and minority business enterprises by nearly 14 percent over six years for construction activities and 236 percent over seven years for goods and services.

SDOT also created a Bicycle Master Plan that has already installed more than 90 miles of bike lanes and sharrows, drafted a Pedestrian Master Plan, funded more Seattle bus service, and instituted a bus-only downtown Third Avenue. The department additionally built segments of the Burke-Gilman, Interurban, Duwamish and Chief Sealth trails, rehabilitated important roadway structures such as the Ballard and Fremont bridges, and deployed an Intelligent Transportation System featuring real-time traffic cameras, dynamic roadside signs and an interactive Web page. Though the department did not meet the public’s expectations during the two weeks of snow and ice in December 2008, a new winter weather response plan and Street Maintenance division director are ready for the cold weather season, and have already been tested by icy streets this month.

Mayor statement on Director Grace Crunican

Mayor Greg Nickels today released this statement following Seattle Department of Transportation Director Grace Crunican’s resignation today.

“I appointed Grace to head SDOT almost eight years ago, and I consider her the finest local transportation director in the nation. Her accomplishments are many: overseeing Seattle’s investment in roads, sidewalks, bridges and street trees; delivering on the promises of the Bridging the Gap levy; leading major projects such as replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct and fixing the Mercer Mess; building the city’s first modern streetcar; and partnering with Sound Transit to deliver Link light rail. She made sure pedestrians and bicyclists had an equal voice in all our transportation decisions and filled almost half a million potholes! Grace embraced my Race and Social Justice Initiative, working hard to change the culture of the department. I accept her decision to move on knowing that Seattle will benefit from her vision, tenacity and leadership for many years to come. She takes with her my admiration and appreciation for a job well done. ”