Julie Kirschbaum, a seasoned expert with 20 years of experience in the transit industry, has recently been appointed the permanent Director of Transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Kirschbaum, who has held the role in an acting capacity since January 1, is the first woman to take the helm of SFMTA permanently. Her term as the transit director from 2018 to 2024 saw the agency navigating the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, during which she led various system rebuilds and managed to enhance customer satisfaction to the agency's historic best, as reported by the City and County of San Francisco.
Mayor Daniel Lurie expressed his confidence, stating, as per the City and County of San Francisco, “Julie Kirschbaum has delivered transformative change and real results for hundreds of thousands of Muni riders, and that’s exactly the kind of leader the SFMTA needs right now.” Under her leadership, the Mayor continued, Muni has achieved new standards for “speed, reliability, cleanliness, and safety.” This statement, addressing the hurdles the Muni system faces, particularly its significant fiscal challenges, was underscored by Kirschbaum's track record of accountability and result-oriented performance, per the details shared through the SFMTA X post.
Mayor Lurie & our Board of Directors have named Julie Kirschbaum as the new Director of Transportation. With 20 years of experience including 6 years as SFMTA’s Transit Director, Kirschbaum led reforms to make Muni fast, frequent, reliable, clean & safe. https://t.co/aJf5qvqC63 pic.twitter.com/v1IdTeIcpg
— SFMTA (@SFMTA_Muni) February 19, 2025
As per the City and County of San Francisco, Kirschbaum articulated her dedication to the city she cherishes, pledging to preserve the enhancements made to the Muni system despite SFMTA's daunting financial troubles. “I’m committed to listening, collaborating, and bringing people together to come up with solutions that will benefit all of us,” Kirschbaum said, emphasizing her dedication to surmounting transportation funding battles and reconstructing trust with the communities and businesses serviced by the agency.
Senator Scott Wiener lauded Kirschbaum's appointment, proclaiming in an interview, per the City and County of San Francisco, “Julie Kirschbaum is the proven leader we need to steer SFMTA through a historic fiscal crisis and strengthen the public transportation San Franciscans can rely on.”
