A coalition of environmental groups Friday gathered outside the headquarters of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to call on the transportation agency to hire a new chief executive officer, who shares their vision for a less car-centric region.
Current SANDAG CEO Hasan Ikhrata announced in July he would step down from the post by the end of the year. He cited growing tensions with some of the agency's Republican board members who have blasted his efforts to halt freeway widening projects and expand public transit, paid for in part with an alternative to the gas tax based on how many miles a driver travels in their car.
But for all the conservative opposition to his proposals, Ikhrata became the darling of progressives and environmentalists who had long fought against SANDAG's prior focus on freeways.
Alejandro Amador, environmental justice manager at the San Ysidro-based nonprofit Casa Familiar, said the next leader of SANDAG should be "someone who will champion community-led priorities and a long-term sustainability vision."
"This vision is one that embraces multimodal transportation with options for drivers, public transit riders, cyclists and walkers alike," Amador said.
At the SANDAG board meeting that followed the morning press conference, Ikhrata made his first remarks to board members since his resignation announcement. He said the agency would continue to push the envelope with new ideas on how to grow the San Diego region while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"While sad, I'm hopeful for the future," Ikhrata said. "I have faith in the executive team that we built here. I have faith in you as leaders. And I wish you well in recruiting the new CEO."
County Supervisor Nora Vargas, who chairs the SANDAG board, said she heard the message from Ikhrata's supporters.
"As we're moving forward with this process, my commitment to them is that I will be in constant communication with all of them to share what that process is, and then to also reassure them that we have a strong leadership team that is able to execute the work as we're moving forward," Vargas said.
While the next leader of SANDAG may not be as brash as Ikhrata, they will still have to navigate the challenge of meeting ambitious climate goals set by the state government. Those include a 19% reduction in per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, which can only be achieved by deep reductions in driving.
