As of Sept. 9, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has a new executive director, Sarah Christensen, succeeding Guy Preston and Mitchell Weiss.
Sarah Christensen
Christensen, the RTC’s senior transportation engineer since 2017, was chosen from more than 100 candidates. She has a three-year contract; her salary will be $255,200 per year.
She lives in Scotts Valley.
Her accomplishments with the RTC include:
Managing the $350 million Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes & Bus-on-Shoulder Program;
Leading the implementation of the first permanent bus-on-shoulder facility in the state of California;
Developing and delivering the equity-focused Watsonville to Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program of innovative and sustainable transportation projects along major transportation routes through Santa Cruz County;
Developing the funding strategy along with leading the grant application process to successfully secure $107.2 million of Senate Bill 1 funds and $30 million of Federal Mega funds for the WSCMC program; and
Managing the RTC’s Rail Program including development of Zero Emission Passenger Rail, storm damage repairs, and infrastructure preservation of the RTC-owned 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.
It has not been all smooth sailing, however, with Caltrans, which heads the Highway 1 expansion project, reporting cost overruns and the RTC approving up to $3 million more for the Highway 1 auxiliary lane and bus-on-shoulder project segment between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue.
Christensen has 19 years of experience in organizational leadership, planning, and implementation of major capital projects along the Central Coast and in the Bay Area.
“I am excited to announce that Sarah Christensen will be the next executive director of the RTC,” said RTC Chair Kristen Brown. “Sarah is a proven leader who will bring her nearly two decades of experience managing and delivering transformative transportation projects across the region to her new role. I look forward to working with her in this new capacity as she continues the great work she has already begun to develop and deliver equitable and sustainable transportation solutions for our county.”
Before joining the RTC, Christensen was a transportation project manager in private consulting where her work included delivery of multimodal projects across the state including highway, interchange, bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing, complete streets, trail, Bus Rapid Transit, tolling, and express lanes projects. She specialized in delivering and developing funding strategies for multijurisdictional and complex projects, including the $500 million Silicon Valley Express Lanes Program for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority along State Route 237, 85, and US 101.
Christensen has a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from San Jose State University, a master’s degree in transportation management from the Mineta Transportation Institute, and is a licensed civil engineer.
“During my time with the RTC, I have enjoyed engaging with the community, fostering partnerships, and delivering results that will create a lasting positive impact on the quality of life for Santa Cruz County,” Christensen said. “In my new position as executive director, I look forward to continuing to provide high-quality transportation solutions for the community and leading the Commission into its next successful chapter.”
Christensen will report directly to the Board of Directors.
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