Julie Kirschbaum has served as the SFMTA’s Director of Transportation since February 2025. She oversees the Municipal Railway (Muni), parking, traffic engineering, bicycle and pedestrian safety, transportation accessibility and taxi regulation for the City & County of San Francisco.
As the Director of Transportation, Kirschbaum has focused on achieving financial stability for the agency, building trust with local communities and supporting the agency’s dedicated staff. During her tenure, Muni achieved its highest customer satisfaction rating in 25 years. Kirschbaum is also a regional and national transportation leader. She serves on the CEO Coordinating Council of the American Public Transportation Association, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board and chairs the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Clipper Executive Board.
Before becoming the Director of Transportation, Kirschbaum served as the agency’s Director of Transit and was the first woman to hold the role. She led the division through the COVID-19 pandemic and during that time began instituting the changes that have been instrumental in making Muni service better today than it has been in decades.
Kirschbaum joined the SFMTA in 2007 to lead the agency’s Transit Effectiveness Study, which delivered a major Muni service redesign, created the Muni Rapid Network and launched the Muni Forward Program. During its first ten years, Muni Forward built more than 100 miles of transit-priority infrastructure that has reduced travel times and improved transit reliability.
Kirschbaum was drawn to work in transportation for its critical role in advancing equity, supporting communities and addressing the climate crisis. Among her achievements as Director of Transit, she co-developed the Muni Service Equity Strategy with transit, housing and social justice advocates. Kirschbaum is passionate about street designs and transportation systems that are safe and accessible to all users. She is committed to making all forms of transportation in San Francisco safe, convenient and reliable.
Prior to joining the SFMTA, Kirschbaum was a senior transportation planner with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and previously worked as a consultant in the private sector. She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and a master’s degree in Transportation and Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.