Transportation
Car Review: 2015 Hyundai Genesis AWD 3.8
By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist
DETROIT (NNPA) – From the moment we got in the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, our thought was Hyundai has found how to bake in that intangible that says luxury. It wasn’t in the sedan’s equipment or the engine; it was the ambience or the air of luxury inside the car.
You can call something a luxury car, but if the interior doesn’t feel or look like a luxury car, then you have a tough sell ahead. The first thing we noticed about the Genesis interior was the wood. There was a broad swath of matte-finished wood across the face of the dash and it had a natural grain look and feel. It continued through the doors fore and aft.
There was a TFT screen between a three dimensional odometer and speedometer. The touch screen was pretty wide but not so big as to overpower the wood finish. Inside trim included aluminum, chrome and upscale polymers.
And the car was quiet, really quiet – with the engine on or engine off. We had the Genesis 3.8. AWD. That means our test car had a 3.8-liter direct injection V6 that made 311 horsepower and 293 pound-feet of torque. It was mated to an eight-speed transmission. This powertrain was smooth, quiet and assertive.
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis is available with either rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive HTRAC. Our test vehicle had all-wheel-drive. The system distributed torque to the wheels according to the drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow. Even on dry pavement it will send more torque to the rear wheels.
Hyundai said, “This system has a wider range of torque distribution variability than many competitive systems and has been tuned to variable conditions such as straight-line acceleration, medium- and high-speed cornering, and hill-starts.”
Putting power to all four wheels is great for slippery roads. But it also contributes to effective handling on dry pavement. And the 2015 Hyundai Genesis stuck to the pavement. Turns were sharp, cornering was crisp and the car accelerated with authority, once reaching 95 mph from 75 mph in roughly two seconds.
High strength steel was used extensively on the platform of the new Genesis. The result was 16 percent stiffer torsional rigidity and 40 percent stiffer bending rigidity compared to the first Genesis. That may sound too technical. but the bottom line is it was a smoother ride with hardly any noise, vibration or harshness.
We went over a stretch of road, Outer Drive between Wyoming and Livernois, which was ruddy surfaced and pock marked from one street to the other. There were no squeaks or rattles, the 2015 Genesis was quiet, even the thumps and bumps of the suspension were muffled.
Hyundai said the Genesis is the first model to use the company’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0, yes there was a 1.0. The swerves and curves of the first generation have been reduced. Thus, the design can be incorporated into more Hyundai models. The Korean automaker needs to find a familial exterior style for its vehicles.
The Genesis had a distinctive hexagonal grille and a crease accent line running along the flanks of the car. It had a long snout and short rump with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs than the car that it replaced. This car looked like it could run – fast.
Our test vehicle was loaded. It had a 12-way front power seat. The driver’s chair had power bolsters and a seat cushion extension. The front seats were heated and cooled while the rear seats were heated. Our beige perforated leather seats had black piping.
Those rear seats were spacious, there was plenty of legroom and headroom was great. The 2015 Genesis has more interior room than its competitors, so said Hyundai.
But from those back seats we got a good look at our only quibble with the Genesis. Buttons, lots of buttons. We counted some two dozen on the front control center. That’s a lot of buttons for a car with a mouse and a touch screen.
Don’t get it twisted; the controls were not confusing in the least. However, with proximity technology, infrared and other sensing mechanisms, luxury automakers are, read Hyundai competitors, moving to clean interior looks that involve hardly any buttons or switches.
The test car had a panoramic roof, manual shades on the rear side windows and of course a power shade on the rear window. There was a backup camera with cross traffic alert and parking guidelines. The system would even project a vertical look of the car’s rear.
It had a navigation system, satellite radio, voice controls, auxiliary and USB jacks, blind spot alert and land departure warning. The technology package included partial automatic emergency braking from 50 mph to 112 mph and full automatic braking from 5 mph to 50 mph.
A Hyundai Blue Link app for your smartphone will let you remotely start the car, lock or unlock the doors, do point of interest searches using the navigation system, search for gas stations, call roadside assistance talk to a Blue Link agent and locate nearby dealers.
And the 17 speaker, 900 watt infotainment system let you voice control the navigation system, the audio system, including Pandora and Sound Hound, search for fuel prices, get movie tickets and check the weather.
That was just some of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis’ equipment. The sticker on our test car was $52,450. Quite frankly, we thought it was underpriced.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.
###
Activism
New Bill, the RIDER Safety Act, Would Support Transit Ambassadors and Safety on Public Transit
The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.
By Post Staff
A new federal bill would support transit ambassador, or transit support specialist, programs at public transit agencies across the country.
The bill, (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act, was introduced Jan. 30 by Congresswoman Lateefah Simon. (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act.
This legislation is based on Congresswoman Simon’s work at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to create a first-in-the-nation Transit Ambassador Program, which previously earned a prestigious nationwide award for “Innovation in Public Safety.”
She announced the bill at a press conference at the 19th Street BART Station alongside BART leaders and other supporters.
The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.
This bill would also create jobs provide meaningful work, training opportunities, and a pathway for career growth in local communities. In the House of Representatives, the bill is also co-led by Representatives Shomari Figures (AL-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and John Garamendi (CA-08).
“I am incredibly proud to champion the RIDER Safety Act in Congress and continue my work to ensure transit is safe, accessible, and affordable to everyone. We have seen the success of the transit ambassador programs here in the East Bay, and I am dedicated to bringing this proven public safety model to the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman Simon.
“These are strong local jobs for people who want to support public safety on transit and serve as a resource to individuals who may be in crisis or in need of services,” she continued. “Strengthening safety on transit benefits us all and helps ensure our public transportation systems remain places of opportunity, dignity, and trust.”
“This bill is critical to ensure the safety of every passenger who relies on public transportation across the country,” said Congresswoman Nellie Pou. “The RIDER Safety Act builds on successful transit models already implemented in communities, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) through the leadership of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon during her time as BART President. By providing transit stations with medically trained, unarmed personnel, we can strengthen safety standards, reduce fare evasion, and give riders a greater peace of mind when getting from one place to the next.”
Antonio Ray Harvey
$96 Million Allocated So Far to Black-Owned Firms as High-Speed Rail Project Expands Jobs, Boost Local Economies
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
As of May 31, the most recent data from the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows that 47 African American-owned firms are participating in the project as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
A total of 936 Certified Small businesses are working on the high-speed rail program statewide, representatives of the high-speed rail project say.
The number of Black-owned DBE firms (5.2%) accounts for $96 million of the $1.136 billion allocated to minority firms thus far.
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
Smallwood-Cuevas, speaking in Aug. 25 at the State Capitol Swing Space Annex — along with a coalition of Democratic state legislators and union leaders — provided an update on the California High-Speed Rail project and its efforts to employ people from the Black community and businesses.
“It builds a cleaner, more connected California while creating thousands of union jobs,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “And we must ensure workforce equity, with pathways that open doors for workers who too often have been left out of good-paying careers.”
The remaining DBE minority-owned firms received the following amounts:
- Asian Subcontinent: 24 firms received approximately $65 million
- Asian-Pacific Islander: 52 firms received approximately $86 million
- Native American: 6 firms received approximately $39 million
- Hispanic/Latino: an unspecified number of DBE businesses received approximately $848 million
There are currently 328 certified DBEs participating in the project, according to the California High Speed Authority. The multi-billion-dollar project is billed to be committed to small, disabled, disadvantaged, and diverse businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project.
“As a Central Valley native, I know firsthand how transformative high-speed rail will be for our communities,” stated Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) a member of the CLBC and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
“Stable and sustained funding is essential to delivering this project and fulfilling the promise made to voters.”
The news conference was hosted by Senate Transportation Chair, Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who was promoting Senate Bill (SB) 545. He and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) urged the Legislature to commit to a steady, annual investment from a cap-and-trade program to fund the high-speed rail project.
Dr. Melanie Okoro, the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Eco-Alpha, attended the briefing. Eco-Alpha is a Sacramento-headquartered small, women-owned, minority-certified firm.
The company, not classified as a DBE, earned its status as a certified small business and a certified women-minority small business through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Department of General Services (DGS). The certification allowed Eco-Alpha to be featured by CHSRA as a small business working on the project.
The Black-owned firm provides engineering and environmental services to the California High-Speed Rail project, primarily focused on facilities operation and Maintenance.
Okoro said laborers are not the only workers benefiting from the project. Professionals of color in engineering, with specialized knowledge and problem-solving skills to design, build, and maintain a wide array of structures, systems, and products, are looking forward to these “great opportunities.”
Bay Area
Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Endorses Dana Lang for BART Board District 7
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island. Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
By Oakland Post Staff
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island.
Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
“When I met with Dana Lang I asked many questions, then I asked others about her contributions. Getting to know her I realized that she truly understood transportation. At a time when BART is facing a “fiscal cliff” and an upcoming deficit of nearly $360 million per year, Dana is more than ready for this job, she is ready to meet the moment!”
Over the past 24 years Lang has been a funding and grants specialist with several municipal transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Muni, San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Lang says, “I’ve faced a number of fiscal crises in my career — such as securing $52 million in new transit security funding for SFMTA (Muni) during the 2008 Great Recession, when others thought it was not possible. I have always managed to identify new funding and ways to make transit more secure. Facing a crisis is the best time to act, through advocacy and policy setting. We’ve got to keep BART running and make it safer and more vibrant in order to meet the needs of our riders, our work force, and our community.”
Lang grew up in the low-income minority community of East Palo Alto, CA, and knew that locating grants and resources could positively impact an entire city and its surrounding region — helping to create and retain agency jobs, getting transit riders to their workplaces, and encouraging small business development near transit hubs.
With that in mind, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College, then an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She started her municipal career as a policy advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and helped secure grants for the City of Oakland before moving to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to serve as a transportation grants specialist.
During her 24-year career she has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for Bay Area transit agencies and municipalities. In addition to BART’s financial health, Lang’s priorities for BART also include safety, cleanliness, station vitality — and bringing riders back to BART. She has served on the BART Police Civilian Review Board since 2022.
Lang is also endorsed by BART Board Director Robert Raburn, former BART Board Director Carole Ward Allen, the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, Alameda County supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan, and many others.
Lang is seeking the BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes San Francisco’s Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island, a large portion of Oakland, the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, and a small portion of Berkeley.
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Transportation
Car Review: 2015 Hyundai Genesis AWD 3.8
By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist
DETROIT (NNPA) – From the moment we got in the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, our thought was Hyundai has found how to bake in that intangible that says luxury. It wasn’t in the sedan’s equipment or the engine; it was the ambience or the air of luxury inside the car.
You can call something a luxury car, but if the interior doesn’t feel or look like a luxury car, then you have a tough sell ahead. The first thing we noticed about the Genesis interior was the wood. There was a broad swath of matte-finished wood across the face of the dash and it had a natural grain look and feel. It continued through the doors fore and aft.
There was a TFT screen between a three dimensional odometer and speedometer. The touch screen was pretty wide but not so big as to overpower the wood finish. Inside trim included aluminum, chrome and upscale polymers.
And the car was quiet, really quiet – with the engine on or engine off. We had the Genesis 3.8. AWD. That means our test car had a 3.8-liter direct injection V6 that made 311 horsepower and 293 pound-feet of torque. It was mated to an eight-speed transmission. This powertrain was smooth, quiet and assertive.
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis is available with either rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive HTRAC. Our test vehicle had all-wheel-drive. The system distributed torque to the wheels according to the drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow. Even on dry pavement it will send more torque to the rear wheels.
Hyundai said, “This system has a wider range of torque distribution variability than many competitive systems and has been tuned to variable conditions such as straight-line acceleration, medium- and high-speed cornering, and hill-starts.”
Putting power to all four wheels is great for slippery roads. But it also contributes to effective handling on dry pavement. And the 2015 Hyundai Genesis stuck to the pavement. Turns were sharp, cornering was crisp and the car accelerated with authority, once reaching 95 mph from 75 mph in roughly two seconds.
High strength steel was used extensively on the platform of the new Genesis. The result was 16 percent stiffer torsional rigidity and 40 percent stiffer bending rigidity compared to the first Genesis. That may sound too technical. but the bottom line is it was a smoother ride with hardly any noise, vibration or harshness.
We went over a stretch of road, Outer Drive between Wyoming and Livernois, which was ruddy surfaced and pock marked from one street to the other. There were no squeaks or rattles, the 2015 Genesis was quiet, even the thumps and bumps of the suspension were muffled.
Hyundai said the Genesis is the first model to use the company’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0, yes there was a 1.0. The swerves and curves of the first generation have been reduced. Thus, the design can be incorporated into more Hyundai models. The Korean automaker needs to find a familial exterior style for its vehicles.
The Genesis had a distinctive hexagonal grille and a crease accent line running along the flanks of the car. It had a long snout and short rump with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs than the car that it replaced. This car looked like it could run – fast.
Our test vehicle was loaded. It had a 12-way front power seat. The driver’s chair had power bolsters and a seat cushion extension. The front seats were heated and cooled while the rear seats were heated. Our beige perforated leather seats had black piping.
Those rear seats were spacious, there was plenty of legroom and headroom was great. The 2015 Genesis has more interior room than its competitors, so said Hyundai.
But from those back seats we got a good look at our only quibble with the Genesis. Buttons, lots of buttons. We counted some two dozen on the front control center. That’s a lot of buttons for a car with a mouse and a touch screen.
Don’t get it twisted; the controls were not confusing in the least. However, with proximity technology, infrared and other sensing mechanisms, luxury automakers are, read Hyundai competitors, moving to clean interior looks that involve hardly any buttons or switches.
The test car had a panoramic roof, manual shades on the rear side windows and of course a power shade on the rear window. There was a backup camera with cross traffic alert and parking guidelines. The system would even project a vertical look of the car’s rear.
It had a navigation system, satellite radio, voice controls, auxiliary and USB jacks, blind spot alert and land departure warning. The technology package included partial automatic emergency braking from 50 mph to 112 mph and full automatic braking from 5 mph to 50 mph.
A Hyundai Blue Link app for your smartphone will let you remotely start the car, lock or unlock the doors, do point of interest searches using the navigation system, search for gas stations, call roadside assistance talk to a Blue Link agent and locate nearby dealers.
And the 17 speaker, 900 watt infotainment system let you voice control the navigation system, the audio system, including Pandora and Sound Hound, search for fuel prices, get movie tickets and check the weather.
That was just some of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis’ equipment. The sticker on our test car was $52,450. Quite frankly, we thought it was underpriced.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.
###
Activism
New Bill, the RIDER Safety Act, Would Support Transit Ambassadors and Safety on Public Transit
The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.
By Post Staff
A new federal bill would support transit ambassador, or transit support specialist, programs at public transit agencies across the country.
The bill, (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act, was introduced Jan. 30 by Congresswoman Lateefah Simon. (D-CA-12), H.R. 6069, the Rapid Intervention and Deterrence for Enhanced Rider Safety Act, or the RIDER Safety Act.
This legislation is based on Congresswoman Simon’s work at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to create a first-in-the-nation Transit Ambassador Program, which previously earned a prestigious nationwide award for “Innovation in Public Safety.”
She announced the bill at a press conference at the 19th Street BART Station alongside BART leaders and other supporters.
The RIDER Safety Act would allow public transit agencies to hire transit ambassadors trained in de-escalation, crisis response, and rider education and engagement. Acting as a visible, non-enforcement presence to deter low-level incidents and reduce conflict, transit ambassadors would ease the burden from law enforcement and enhance public safety.
This bill would also create jobs provide meaningful work, training opportunities, and a pathway for career growth in local communities. In the House of Representatives, the bill is also co-led by Representatives Shomari Figures (AL-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and John Garamendi (CA-08).
“I am incredibly proud to champion the RIDER Safety Act in Congress and continue my work to ensure transit is safe, accessible, and affordable to everyone. We have seen the success of the transit ambassador programs here in the East Bay, and I am dedicated to bringing this proven public safety model to the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman Simon.
“These are strong local jobs for people who want to support public safety on transit and serve as a resource to individuals who may be in crisis or in need of services,” she continued. “Strengthening safety on transit benefits us all and helps ensure our public transportation systems remain places of opportunity, dignity, and trust.”
“This bill is critical to ensure the safety of every passenger who relies on public transportation across the country,” said Congresswoman Nellie Pou. “The RIDER Safety Act builds on successful transit models already implemented in communities, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) through the leadership of Congresswoman Lateefah Simon during her time as BART President. By providing transit stations with medically trained, unarmed personnel, we can strengthen safety standards, reduce fare evasion, and give riders a greater peace of mind when getting from one place to the next.”
Antonio Ray Harvey
$96 Million Allocated So Far to Black-Owned Firms as High-Speed Rail Project Expands Jobs, Boost Local Economies
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
As of May 31, the most recent data from the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows that 47 African American-owned firms are participating in the project as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
A total of 936 Certified Small businesses are working on the high-speed rail program statewide, representatives of the high-speed rail project say.
The number of Black-owned DBE firms (5.2%) accounts for $96 million of the $1.136 billion allocated to minority firms thus far.
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
Smallwood-Cuevas, speaking in Aug. 25 at the State Capitol Swing Space Annex — along with a coalition of Democratic state legislators and union leaders — provided an update on the California High-Speed Rail project and its efforts to employ people from the Black community and businesses.
“It builds a cleaner, more connected California while creating thousands of union jobs,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “And we must ensure workforce equity, with pathways that open doors for workers who too often have been left out of good-paying careers.”
The remaining DBE minority-owned firms received the following amounts:
- Asian Subcontinent: 24 firms received approximately $65 million
- Asian-Pacific Islander: 52 firms received approximately $86 million
- Native American: 6 firms received approximately $39 million
- Hispanic/Latino: an unspecified number of DBE businesses received approximately $848 million
There are currently 328 certified DBEs participating in the project, according to the California High Speed Authority. The multi-billion-dollar project is billed to be committed to small, disabled, disadvantaged, and diverse businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project.
“As a Central Valley native, I know firsthand how transformative high-speed rail will be for our communities,” stated Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) a member of the CLBC and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
“Stable and sustained funding is essential to delivering this project and fulfilling the promise made to voters.”
The news conference was hosted by Senate Transportation Chair, Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who was promoting Senate Bill (SB) 545. He and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) urged the Legislature to commit to a steady, annual investment from a cap-and-trade program to fund the high-speed rail project.
Dr. Melanie Okoro, the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Eco-Alpha, attended the briefing. Eco-Alpha is a Sacramento-headquartered small, women-owned, minority-certified firm.
The company, not classified as a DBE, earned its status as a certified small business and a certified women-minority small business through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Department of General Services (DGS). The certification allowed Eco-Alpha to be featured by CHSRA as a small business working on the project.
The Black-owned firm provides engineering and environmental services to the California High-Speed Rail project, primarily focused on facilities operation and Maintenance.
Okoro said laborers are not the only workers benefiting from the project. Professionals of color in engineering, with specialized knowledge and problem-solving skills to design, build, and maintain a wide array of structures, systems, and products, are looking forward to these “great opportunities.”
Bay Area
Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Endorses Dana Lang for BART Board District 7
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island. Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
By Oakland Post Staff
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island.
Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
“When I met with Dana Lang I asked many questions, then I asked others about her contributions. Getting to know her I realized that she truly understood transportation. At a time when BART is facing a “fiscal cliff” and an upcoming deficit of nearly $360 million per year, Dana is more than ready for this job, she is ready to meet the moment!”
Over the past 24 years Lang has been a funding and grants specialist with several municipal transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Muni, San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Lang says, “I’ve faced a number of fiscal crises in my career — such as securing $52 million in new transit security funding for SFMTA (Muni) during the 2008 Great Recession, when others thought it was not possible. I have always managed to identify new funding and ways to make transit more secure. Facing a crisis is the best time to act, through advocacy and policy setting. We’ve got to keep BART running and make it safer and more vibrant in order to meet the needs of our riders, our work force, and our community.”
Lang grew up in the low-income minority community of East Palo Alto, CA, and knew that locating grants and resources could positively impact an entire city and its surrounding region — helping to create and retain agency jobs, getting transit riders to their workplaces, and encouraging small business development near transit hubs.
With that in mind, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College, then an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She started her municipal career as a policy advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and helped secure grants for the City of Oakland before moving to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to serve as a transportation grants specialist.
During her 24-year career she has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for Bay Area transit agencies and municipalities. In addition to BART’s financial health, Lang’s priorities for BART also include safety, cleanliness, station vitality — and bringing riders back to BART. She has served on the BART Police Civilian Review Board since 2022.
Lang is also endorsed by BART Board Director Robert Raburn, former BART Board Director Carole Ward Allen, the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, Alameda County supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan, and many others.
Lang is seeking the BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes San Francisco’s Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island, a large portion of Oakland, the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, and a small portion of Berkeley.
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