SDOT Head Crunican Resigns

It will be extremely difficult for McGinn to find someone with Grace’s combination of progressive ideals, transportation knowledge, and management skills.

It will be extremely difficult for McGinn to find someone with Grace’s combination of progressive ideals, transportation knowledge, and management skills.

It will be difficult to find a replacement for Grace who is as progressive on bike and pedestrian programs. This is a huge loss for Seattle.

I wish Grace and her family well and hope she finds a new position where she is more fully appreciated.

It will be difficult to find a replacement for Grace who is as progressive on bike and pedestrian programs. This is a huge loss for Seattle.

I wish Grace and her family well and hope she finds a new position where she is more fully appreciated.

Absolutely no loss to the citizens of Seattle who deserve much better.

Absolutely no loss to the citizens of Seattle who deserve much better.

This is called jumping before you’re pushed.

This is called jumping before you’re pushed.

@ 3 – I heard all directors were asked in November if they will: apply for their positions, retire or resign. McGinn and Grace likely agreed to this awhile ago.

@ 3 – I heard all directors were asked in November if they will: apply for their positions, retire or resign. McGinn and Grace likely agreed to this awhile ago.

Grace was part of what’s right with SDOT, not part of what’s wrong with it. She was one of the most effective advocates of progressive ideals in Seattle city government. This is a loss for the City of Seattle.

Grace was part of what’s right with SDOT, not part of what’s wrong with it. She was one of the most effective advocates of progressive ideals in Seattle city government. This is a loss for the City of Seattle.

She’ll probably do very well as a consultant, as she will no longer have to actually run anything. Being pregressive and having a strong vision is great and all , but unfotunately the job she is in as it is currently structured requires a lot more than that. Maybe McGinn will take this opportunity to re-configure the responsibilites of the senior roles at SDOT after he has a few town halls on the subject.

She’ll probably do very well as a consultant, as she will no longer have to actually run anything. Being pregressive and having a strong vision is great and all , but unfotunately the job she is in as it is currently structured requires a lot more than that. Maybe McGinn will take this opportunity to re-configure the responsibilites of the senior roles at SDOT after he has a few town halls on the subject.

Oh, and that $290 million so-called “fix” will actually make Mercer traffic WORSE.

That’s some fine outgoing leadership there, Greg and Grace! Don’t let the door hit ya, etc…..

Oh, and that $290 million so-called “fix” will actually make Mercer traffic WORSE.

That’s some fine outgoing leadership there, Greg and Grace! Don’t let the door hit ya, etc…..

Perhaps Bellingham’s mayor Dan Pike will be a candidate. All of his past experience is transportation management and planning. http://www.cob.org/government/mayor/bio.aspx

Perhaps Bellingham’s mayor Dan Pike will be a candidate. All of his past experience is transportation management and planning. http://www.cob.org/government/mayor/bio.aspx

I bet McGinn is happy he doesnt have to worry about working with a high level woman. he can now hire one of his make buddies from ballard.

I bet McGinn is happy he doesnt have to worry about working with a high level woman. he can now hire one of his make buddies from ballard.

Grace Crunican is hardly unique in being progressive on bike and pedestrian programs. There are many people with as good or better vision and I would think with a mayor like McGinn they might make more progress. As a resident of north Seattle I don’t feel the the cause of bike riders or pedestrians has been advanced all that much during her tenure. Pedestrians still take their life into their own hands on Aurora or 145th — streets you have to travel if you want to catch a bus. The Interurban trail looks like it was never inspected after being proclaimed finished. I am not impressed.

Grace Crunican is hardly unique in being progressive on bike and pedestrian programs. There are many people with as good or better vision and I would think with a mayor like McGinn they might make more progress. As a resident of north Seattle I don’t feel the the cause of bike riders or pedestrians has been advanced all that much during her tenure. Pedestrians still take their life into their own hands on Aurora or 145th — streets you have to travel if you want to catch a bus. The Interurban trail looks like it was never inspected after being proclaimed finished. I am not impressed.

Anyone says she’s “no loss” just hasn’t been paying attention. This is a big loss to Seattle, if not to the selfish few who think we can or will ever handle snow just like Minneapolis or Chicago.

Anyone says she’s “no loss” just hasn’t been paying attention. This is a big loss to Seattle, if not to the selfish few who think we can or will ever handle snow just like Minneapolis or Chicago.

98 percent of the marked crosswalks in Seattle need re-painting, washed up by last year’s snow storm and heavy rainfall. hardly nothing has been done to improve pedestrian safety in this city. Who rides the SLUT train, Crunican’s legacy?? McGinn can do better with a new appointment.

98 percent of the marked crosswalks in Seattle need re-painting, washed up by last year’s snow storm and heavy rainfall. hardly nothing has been done to improve pedestrian safety in this city. Who rides the SLUT train, Crunican’s legacy?? McGinn can do better with a new appointment.

Grace Crunican demonstrated her slavish devotion to inconsiderate motorists in 2000 as chief of ODOT overseeing the rebuild of Portland’s Ross Island Bridge. She turned a malevolently vindictive deaf ear to pedestrian organizations’ pleas for a rail barrier between the bridge sidewalk inches from 45mph heavy traffic. In Seattle, she left a worse record pretending concern for pedestrian amenities and bicycle infrastructure. Many were fooled into believing she has the least regard for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Grace Crunican cannot be trusted as a transportation consultant.

Grace Crunican demonstrated her slavish devotion to inconsiderate motorists in 2000 as chief of ODOT overseeing the rebuild of Portland’s Ross Island Bridge. She turned a malevolently vindictive deaf ear to pedestrian organizations’ pleas for a rail barrier between the bridge sidewalk inches from 45mph heavy traffic. In Seattle, she left a worse record pretending concern for pedestrian amenities and bicycle infrastructure. Many were fooled into believing she has the least regard for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Grace Crunican cannot be trusted as a transportation consultant.

This is the part where McGinn’s hopefully learns the difference between raising and meeting expectations.

I expect he’ll start backing off his West Seattle to Ballard light rail rhetoric as soon as he gets someone to crunch the numbers for him.

This is the part where McGinn’s hopefully learns the difference between raising and meeting expectations.

I expect he’ll start backing off his West Seattle to Ballard light rail rhetoric as soon as he gets someone to crunch the numbers for him.

Anyone who has had the displeasure of actually working with SDOT knows that the organization is nearly dysfunctional. Way too many layers of management, and both managers and workers who lack even the most basic skills necessary to perform their jobs. Ms. Crunican may be good at telling people what they want to hear, but you don’t have to be an expert to know Seattle streets are in terrible condition. 90 miles of bike lanes my a**. Painting sharrows on the street does not constitute a bike lane anywhere but Seattle. SDOT needs a director who will shake up the organization and actually lead instead of talk.

Anyone who has had the displeasure of actually working with SDOT knows that the organization is nearly dysfunctional. Way too many layers of management, and both managers and workers who lack even the most basic skills necessary to perform their jobs. Ms. Crunican may be good at telling people what they want to hear, but you don’t have to be an expert to know Seattle streets are in terrible condition. 90 miles of bike lanes my a**. Painting sharrows on the street does not constitute a bike lane anywhere but Seattle. SDOT needs a director who will shake up the organization and actually lead instead of talk.

As the head of a new woman-owned business, perhaps Grace will win contracts from the City of Seattle (which mandates a certain percentage of contracts be let to minority- and women-owned businesses) to implement some of the projects she presided over. So we’ll still benefit from her expertise — at a much higher price.

I wonder how Mike will go about finding her replacement. To be legitimate (although I see RyanP’s tongue-in-cheek prediction @10 all too plausible), it will require a nation-wide search — costly, time-consuming, and likely not to yield anyone significantly better.

As the head of a new woman-owned business, perhaps Grace will win contracts from the City of Seattle (which mandates a certain percentage of contracts be let to minority- and women-owned businesses) to implement some of the projects she presided over. So we’ll still benefit from her expertise — at a much higher price.

I wonder how Mike will go about finding her replacement. To be legitimate (although I see RyanP’s tongue-in-cheek prediction @10 all too plausible), it will require a nation-wide search — costly, time-consuming, and likely not to yield anyone significantly better.

Not telling@17, Seattle has principle failure in its transit system design. Seattle’s hills are so steep, transit must be arranged to encourage more walking and this requires frequent transit service between the Waterfront, Broadway, Lake Union and Lower Queen Anne. Once reaching these main districts, walking distances are manageable, though main intersections crosswalks must be made safer with curb extensions to subconsciously signal motorists to slow down.

Seattle’s current downtown transit system actually uses more buses than necessary – too many buses and not enough at the same time. McGinn is well aquainted with progressive city planning afficionados through Great City. He’ll need an SDOT chief with real vision to handle major infrastructure projects, as well as someone to handle specifically road-related matters.

Grace Crunican botched the SLU Streetcar, the Waterfront Streetcar and 1st Ave Streetcar Lines. She botched the Alaskan Way surface street and plaza; designs which must go back to the drawing board. She botched ‘Tunnelite’ in 2007 and more currently the Deep-bore tunnel, both its portals, and the related Mercer West project. Her most visable transportation projects are the elevated freeway ramps towering over Sodo. Whoopdeedoo.

Not telling@17, Seattle has principle failure in its transit system design. Seattle’s hills are so steep, transit must be arranged to encourage more walking and this requires frequent transit service between the Waterfront, Broadway, Lake Union and Lower Queen Anne. Once reaching these main districts, walking distances are manageable, though main intersections crosswalks must be made safer with curb extensions to subconsciously signal motorists to slow down.

Seattle’s current downtown transit system actually uses more buses than necessary – too many buses and not enough at the same time. McGinn is well aquainted with progressive city planning afficionados through Great City. He’ll need an SDOT chief with real vision to handle major infrastructure projects, as well as someone to handle specifically road-related matters.

Grace Crunican botched the SLU Streetcar, the Waterfront Streetcar and 1st Ave Streetcar Lines. She botched the Alaskan Way surface street and plaza; designs which must go back to the drawing board. She botched ‘Tunnelite’ in 2007 and more currently the Deep-bore tunnel, both its portals, and the related Mercer West project. Her most visable transportation projects are the elevated freeway ramps towering over Sodo. Whoopdeedoo.

The most obvious accomplishment are all the signs. Seattle now has so many signs that they actually cause more confusion than Josh explaining anything to do with numbers.

Hopefully McGinn will hire someone that knows about engineering and the city. Upper management at SDOT is a disaster. Deputy directors need to go.

The most obvious accomplishment are all the signs. Seattle now has so many signs that they actually cause more confusion than Josh explaining anything to do with numbers.

Hopefully McGinn will hire someone that knows about engineering and the city. Upper management at SDOT is a disaster. Deputy directors need to go.

Grace will be a tough act to follow.

McGinn would be wise to hire someone who will focus on delivering the basics, as opposed to focusing on policies some people view as “progressive.”

One big culture change would be to get SDOT staff to own up to last year’s snow failure and quit telling people it was no big deal and that people should just stay home and have fun in the snow. That grates at people to run businesses in this city. And it shows no compassion for the elderly who are transportation challenged, or single Moms who don’t get paid when they don’t work.

I’m tired of city staff botching good policy via over-reach and failure to tune into basics in their zeal to avenge the planet.

For example.

The bag fee was a great idea, but completely botched by the City, who now blames its defeat on millions spent by the plastic lobby. Did they think there was no plastic lobby? Now we have not only no policy, but the bumbling set back effective reform by a decade. And how many Mayors in other cities are likely to jump on board plastic bag fees after the issue helped to defeat a sitting Mayor?

It is not good enough to be FOR something. People need to expect leadership in government to actually DO something. The often witless planet avengers at City Hall are pretty good at being FOR things, but terrible in doing much. Their zealotry has set back meaningful reforms, especially in transportation, a topic that cries out for a City willing to work with others beyond the City limits.

Grace will be a tough act to follow.

McGinn would be wise to hire someone who will focus on delivering the basics, as opposed to focusing on policies some people view as “progressive.”

One big culture change would be to get SDOT staff to own up to last year’s snow failure and quit telling people it was no big deal and that people should just stay home and have fun in the snow. That grates at people to run businesses in this city. And it shows no compassion for the elderly who are transportation challenged, or single Moms who don’t get paid when they don’t work.

I’m tired of city staff botching good policy via over-reach and failure to tune into basics in their zeal to avenge the planet.

For example.

The bag fee was a great idea, but completely botched by the City, who now blames its defeat on millions spent by the plastic lobby. Did they think there was no plastic lobby? Now we have not only no policy, but the bumbling set back effective reform by a decade. And how many Mayors in other cities are likely to jump on board plastic bag fees after the issue helped to defeat a sitting Mayor?

It is not good enough to be FOR something. People need to expect leadership in government to actually DO something. The often witless planet avengers at City Hall are pretty good at being FOR things, but terrible in doing much. Their zealotry has set back meaningful reforms, especially in transportation, a topic that cries out for a City willing to work with others beyond the City limits.