Ben Franklin Transit GM Rachelle Glazier resigns after 2 years. She's come under fire in recent months

By Cory McCoy | Tri-City Herald (TNS)

RICHLAND, WASH. — The head of the public transit system in the Tri-Cities is leaving after two years on the job.

Rachelle Glazier

Ben Franklin Transit announced Monday that General Manager Rachelle Glazier will step down on April 1. She plans to stay on in a limited consulting capacity as needed until a successor can be found.

"I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity by our Board of Directors, and it has been my honor to serve our community alongside the dedicated BFT staff. Working for this board has been the best experience of my career," Glazier wrote. "However, a family issue must take priority at this time in my life. It was not an easy decision, but it is the right one."

She joined BFT in July 2022, after a year with the Tri-Met transit system in Portland, Ore. Prior to that she spent about two decades in various leadership positions with national railroads.

She was general manager of U.S. network operations for the Canadian National Railway and chief officer of stations and operations at New York City Transit. Before that she worked for Union Pacific Railroad in Hermiston from 2005 to spring 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.

"I am sad to see Rachelle leave, but family comes first," Board Chair Will McKay said in the news release. "She was great to work with and improved so many aspects of Ben Franklin Transit to make it more efficient and better serve the community."

BFT Chief Financial Officer Sarah Funk has been tapped to serve as interim general manager as the board searches for Glazier's replacement.

They expect the process to take several months.

Glazier's time at BFT has been marked by extensive cost savings measures and controversial cuts.

Most recently she found herself in a heated debate with the transit system's drivers over whether changes to Dial-A-Ride are an attempt to push out drivers. The $3 million agreement with Via will allow the on-demand van service to take overflow calls for the service.

Glazier and BFT leaders said it was a necessary move to ensure service standards are being met amid high callouts and increased overtime demand. Drivers told the Herald that those conditions are due to open positions not being filled by the transit agency.

BFT eliminated at least 14 open Dial-A-Ride driver positions, and Glazier told the board at its February meeting she expected to come back with more proposed general service cuts this summer.

Glazier also was recently accused of discrimination in a lawsuit against the transit company after a longtime executive was fired. Although she was mentioned in the lawsuit, Glazier is not a defendant.

When she joined the transit agency, its board was moving on from a failed attempt to cut the agency's sales tax collection.

At a recent presentation, Glazier said she was able to find millions in cost savings, helping the transit system amass a substantial reserve.

She's also been overseeing the construction of a $10 million transit headquarters at the Richland Wye off Highway 240 to replace the current operations building.

This story was originally published March 25, 2024, 5:41 PM.

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