Passenger Trains > SMART General Manager to retire in August

April 21, 2021
ANDREW GRAHAM, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

SMART General Manager Farhad Mansourian will retire from his post in August after 10 years running the passenger rail agency and decades of government service in Sonoma and Marin counties.

Mansourian announced his retirement to the SMART Board of Directors at its Wednesday afternoon meeting, saying he will step way (SIC) when his current contract ends in August for family reasons. Mansourian said he wanted to focus on being a grandfather and husband, he told directors.

“He knew when his contract was up and he was trying to decide what he wanted to do,” SMART Chair and Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt said in an interview. Rabbitt had a heads up on the announcement, while the rest of the board learned during the meeting, he said.

With Mansourian at the helm, SMART went from a voter-approved concept along a little used rail corridor to a modern passenger train system operating on 45 miles of rebuilt track between Larkspur and Santa Rosa. Mansourian, a former head of public works in Marin County, was brought on to build the system, roping in federal and state money to supplement a tax-supported project that has cost about $653 million to date.

Full story:


https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/smart-general-manager-farhad-mansourian-announces-he-will-retire-in-august/

His contract expires at the same time when SMART is running out of money and a year after a tax extension failed at the polls.

Ridership has been weakened during the pandemic, which didn't help but some at SMART have intimated that by cutting service they more than offset farebox losses with labor cuts.

I have no idea if this is good or bad,  IDK if smart is running because of him, or despite him. 
I do know that "im leaving to spend more time with my family" is generally politial BS speak for "im getting out to avoid a scandal"