Category: Local Organizer
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is a heavy-rail public transit system that connects the San Francisco Peninsula with communities in the East Bay and South Bay. BART service currently extends as far as Millbrae, Richmond, Antioch, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Berryessa/North San José. BART operates in five counties (San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara) with 131 miles of track and 50 stations.
BART is part of the MTC Bay Area Regional Consortium.
About Us
Robert (“Bob”) M. Powers
General Manager
The BART Board of Directors unanimously appointed Robert (“Bob”) M. Powers as BART’s tenth General Manager on July 25, 2019. As General Manager, Powers manages an operating budget of $1 billion, oversees $1.4 billion in capital projects, and leads an agency with 4,000 employees that keeps the San Francisco Bay Area moving.
Powers helps to carry out BART’s mission to provide safe, reliable, clean, quality transit service while putting the riders first and prioritizing the safety of all. He is leading the agency through historic infrastructure reinvestment while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on improving the customer experience and advancing equity throughout the organization.
Powers, a licensed Professional Engineer, has more than 20 years of experience in the public transportation industry overseeing major infrastructure projects and transportation programs. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
Michael Jones
Deputy General Manager
Michael Jones is the Deputy General Manager at the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). Jones has 22 years of experience in public transit, including several years in executive leadership roles in Dallas (DART), Chicago (Metra), and Oakland (BART).
Throughout his career, he has led organizational changes to improve the rider experience, streamline business practices, and support a diverse workforce. Prior to being promoted to Deputy General Manager, Jones was the Assistant General Manager of Administration, where he led one of the largest executive offices at BART. As the Deputy General Manager, Jones supports the General Manager in leading day-to-day operations and implementing strategic priorities of the District. He recently celebrated his 5th anniversary with BART.
Before joining BART, Jones served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Metra Commuter Rail in Chicago and the Chief Labor Relations Officer at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). He also worked in the private sector as the Chief Administrative Officer for SYSTRA Consulting, a New York City-based railroad engineering firm, where he was responsible for the oversight of the Philadelphia location and all aspects of administrative functions, including finance, technology, contracts, and human resources.
Jones holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration.
Linton Johnson
Manager of Strategic Programs
Linton Johnson is BART’s Manager of Strategic Programs since 2011. His job is to develop and implement mass communications strategies for BART and to ensure the agency speaks with “one voice.” He currently oversees communication strategy for large-scale programs, such as Measure RR, Clipper, new station openings, and schedule/fare changes.
Prior to his promotion to his current position in 2011, Johnson served as “the face of BART.” He was not only the agency’s chief spokesperson, but he was also the first African-American and first openly gay person to hold that role. Johnson joined BART in 2004 after 16 years working as an anchor and transportation reporter for NBC Bay Area and a reporter for major news stations across the country.
Johnson graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, where he founded the university’s Emmy-award-winning TV station. Linton is a pilot and has a life-long passion for flying. He lives in Hayward, CA with his husband, Jeff, of 22 years, and their two cats, Whitney and Royce. “We named them Whitney and Royce because they purr like Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney jet engines,” he says.
I am a current junior at UC Berkeley and a graduate of San Jose City College. As a passionate legal studies student, I am deeply interested in the intersection of technology and law. Drawn to the legal field from a young age, my interest in technology fuels my desire to address the need for legal expertise in navigating the complexities of the modern technological landscape.
When I am not armed with my laptop and a latte preparing for the LSAT, you can find me coaching my younger sister’s basketball team.
I am an undergraduate Civil Engineering student at UC Berkeley, with a focus on sustainable transportation, particularly rail and public transit. My interest developed through research and observing transit systems in Japan, Germany, Greece, and Panama. I participate in Cal ITE and have excelled in transportation planning and engineering competitions. I am eager to join the IYAI Innovation Challenge to enhance public transit in the Bay Area and beyond.
I am studying for an Associate’s Degree for Transfer in Chemical Engineering at Berkeley City College. I’ve interned at NASA, BART, and Smith College, focusing on transportation solutions for degraded communities. Additionally, I’ve held leadership roles in the East African Student Association and the Black Student Union. I speak Tigrinya, Amharic, and English and am skilled in Python, GIS technologies, and Microsoft’s Office Suite.
I am a Dartmouth ’25 student majoring in computer science, human-centered design, and Latino studies. With three years of experience in flight management systems at Collins Aerospace, I am dedicated to social impact through my volunteer work with Students Rising Above (SRA) and co-founding Neguse Negast, a non-profit for educational access. On campus, I’ve been a TA in Thayer’s Machine Shop and will collaborate with a design team for Bay Area Rapid Transit this summer. My work with the sustainable clothing start-up Juniper during TuckLab reflects my commitment to combining entrepreneurship with social change.