SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to elect county Supervisor Nathan Fletcher as the board’s new chair.
Fletcher will replace San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez, who has served in the role since January 2018 and is expected to remain on the board. In a statement issued shortly after the vote, Fletcher called it a “tremendous honor” to be selected to lead the agency’s board.
“I believe in the mission of this organization,” Fletcher said. “I take my responsibility seriously and promise to work tirelessly with our excellent and professional staff, the community and board to ensure we move aggressively forward towards a better-connected, less-congested, greener future.”
The MTS Board of Directors elected Supervisor Fletcher as its new Chair through December 2021. Here is a brief statement…more to come during afternoon media availability. pic.twitter.com/OBgl0x1TgP
— Supervisor Nathan Fletcher (@SupFletcher) October 10, 2019
Fletcher will take his position as board chair immediately and continue in the position through Dec. 31, 2021. His election to the position comes at a time when MTS is seeking to expand ridership and its service throughout the county.
During his term, the agency’s 11-mile extension of trolley service from Old Town to University Town Centre is expected to be completed and the agency intends to put a measure on the 2020 ballot for a half-cent sales tax on trolley and bus fares to fund road and transit infrastructure improvements.
According to the agency, Gomez received a transit pass for life as a parting gift.
“Her leadership has elevated transit as a central piece of regional conversations,” the agency wrote in a Twitter post.
Today we say goodbye & THANK YOU to @GGomezD9 as Board Chair. Her leadership has elevated transit as a central piece of regional conversations. She’ll stay on the Board as we work toward our electric bus pilot, #ElevateSD2020 & more. And now she has a transit pass for life 😎 pic.twitter.com/RxtjEyxvd3
— San Diego MTS (@sdmts) October 10, 2019
