MTC-ABAG Mourn, Remember Life and Legacy of Rod Diridon

Former longtime Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon, Sr., who served as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, died Friday, April 3. He was 87.

Mr. Diridon represented Santa Clara County on MTC from 1979 through 1994, serving as chairman from 1989 to 1991. Upon his retirement from public office, Santa Clara County renamed its main train station “San José Diridon Station.”

His story in public transit was long and storied.

Mr. Diridon was serving as MTC Chair in 1989 when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Bay Area and he quickly got involved in working to keep the region's traffic flowing, urging residents to do their part.

"Driving a single passenger vehicle nowadays, unless there is an emergency, is an antisocial action," he told the Boston Globe in the wake of the quake. "If you are driving a car alone, you are doing something wrong."

In 1976, while on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, he spearheaded a successful effort to pass a half-cent transportation sales tax. It was the first local-option "self help" transportation sales tax in California. Passage established the foundation for the Valley Transportation Authority light rail system, bus service and other South Bay transportation improvements.

Before the election, Diridon emphasized the importance of the ballot measure for transit saying the sales tax "is the key to the whole thing. If we don't pass that we can fold our transit tent and start walking," according to a Palo Alto Times article in September 1975.

"At VTA, we are saddened by the passing of Rod Diridon Sr., a visionary leader and champion of public transit," VTA wrote on social media. "For over 50 years, he advanced equitable transit and strengthened our region. We are grateful for his contributions and extend condolences to his family and loved ones."

Mr. Diridon was appointed to ABAG in 1975, first serving as Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee, then as ABAG Vice President in 1976-77 before ascending to President in 1978-79.

While on ABAG, among the issues Mr. Diridon addressed included acquiring federal grants for the Bay Area, senior housing, South Bay transit corridors, ABAG solvency, and an Environmental Management Task Force, which studied water quality, air pollution and waste disposal.

"Because of the ABAG Environmental Management Plan, you and your children may live a longer, more healthy life," Mr. Diridon told the Oakland Tribune in May 1978, noting the plan called for cutting air pollution via emission controls on small gas engines for lawn mowers and chainsaws, as well as ramp metering and carpool lanes, among other steps.

Mr. Diridon's leadership came at a challenging time for ABAG. After the passage of Prop 13 depleted property taxes in 1978, ABAG was forced to reduce employees from 125 to 55 and cut membership dues.

Mr. Diridon served as founding executive director of San José State University's Mineta Transportation Institute until 2014, when he moved to became Emeritus Director. Mr. Diridon chaired more than 100 international, national, state and local programs, most related to transit and the environment. He provided legislative testimony on sustainable transportation issues and is regarded by many as the “father” of modern transit service in Silicon Valley.

Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board, of which he was serving as chair emeritus. He helped found, and was chair emeritus of, the High-Speed and Intercity Rail Committee and the National High-Speed Rail Corridors Coalition of the American Public Transportation Association. He also was president of the national Council of University Transportation Centers.

In 1996, he founded and chaired the Transportation Research Board’s study panel, “Combating Global Warming through Sustainable Transportation Policy.” He advised the Federal Transit Administration and in 1995 chaired the Transit Oversight and Project Selection Committee for the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board. He has provided keynotes in more than 50 U.S. cities and for a dozen international conferences, and he has published numerous related articles.

Mr. Diridon received a BS in accounting and an MSBA in statistics from San José State University and served as a U.S. naval officer. In 1968, he founded the Decision Research Institute, which he sold in 1977.