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Yesterday, Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) board named Grace Crunican the agency’s ninth general manager.

As former deputy director and capital project manager for Portland, Ore., Crunican increased the city’s dedicated transportation funding from 23 percent to 55 percent. And while serving the Federal Transit Administration as deputy administrator, she negotiated 13 major New Start Rail Projects worth more than $3 billion.

In 2002, Seattle’s mayor appointed Crunican to direct the city’s transportation department, where she later managed a process that led voters to approve $590 million for road, bridge, sidewalk and transit facilities. Also in Seattle, she played a role in the citizen and business planning process to design, finance and construct a streetcar line, which opened in 2007.

The board chose Crunican because of her 32 years of experience in the public transportation industry, said BART President Bob Franklin in a prepared statement. Her strong transportation background includes “successful strategies to secure and increase capital and transit funding,” BART officials said.

“[Crunican] brings a transparent and inclusive approach, ideal qualities to lead the BART organization in providing safe and reliable transportation service for its passengers and the communities of the Bay Area,” said Franklin.

Crunican succeeds Dorothy Dugger, who resigned as BART’s GM in April.

“I look forward to securing the financial support needed for the BART’s many capital projects,” Crunican said. “This includes BART’s rail vehicle replacement program, ongoing track and station maintenance and upgrades, and the expansions proposed and under way.”