Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond is leaving for a job as the chief executive officer for Vancouver, British Columbia’s regional transit system.
King County Executive Dow Constantine on Wednesday thanked Desmond for his contributions to King County’s transit success.
“When you’re one of the best transit agencies in the nation, other metropolitan regions recruit your talented staff,” said Constantine in a media release. “I want to thank Kevin Desmond for exhibiting leadership that, even through difficult times, has helped make Metro one of the most innovative and successful transit agencies in the United States.”
Desmond has served as general manager since 2004.
Desmond has delivered on Constantine’s initiative to integrate services with Sound Transit, led the launch of the highly successful RapidRide lines and led the implementation of ORCA Lift, the nation’s largest reduced-fare program for lower-income passengers.
Metro has also made its operations more efficient and created one of the greenest bus fleets in the nation during Desmond’s tenure.
Deputy General Manager Rob Gannon will serve as the interim general manager while the Department of Transportation conducts a nationwide search. Gannon, who has experience in both the public and private sectors, has served as the deputy general manager since May 2011.
Gannon oversees day-to-day operations of Metro, works with the agency’s labor unions, and focuses on developing and implementing operating efficiencies within the transit division. He previously served as a senior member of the administration at the University of Montana.
Metro is among the 10 largest transit agencies in the country, with annual ridership of nearly 122 million, 2,500 transit operators and contracts to operate Sound Transit’s ST Express Service and Link light rail in King County, and the City of Seattle’s Streetcars.
Across transportation modes operated by Metro – bus, van pool, water taxi, and more – ridership has increased 44 percent in the past dozen years, up from 102 million in 2003. Metro Transit bus ridership alone has increased 29 percent since 2003.
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