Carmen E. Turner

Carmen E. Turner (c. 1930-31 - April 11, 1992) was an American administrator who served as the Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro).

Turner was the first African-American woman to lead a major public transit agency.[1]

Biography

Turner was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, grew up in Washington D.C. and in 1968 graduated from Howard University. She started government service as a typist and rose to acting director of civil rights at the United States Transportation Department. In 1977, Turner became chief of administration at Metro. She was promoted to general manager in 1983.[2]

As general manager at Metro, Turner won wide praise for running what was then the nation's second-largest rail and fourth-largest bus transit system. In 1988, Metro was named the nation's best public transportation system by the American Public Transit Association.

During Turner's tenure at Metro, Metrorail expanded 40 percent, growing from 68 km (42 miles) of track with 47 stations to 117 km (73 miles) of track with 63 stations, while annual ridership grew to 70 million passengers. The highlight of her Metro career came in 1990 when Congress authorized $1.3 billion for completing the 166 km (103 miles) Metrorail system.[3]

Turner left Metro in 1990.

References
  1. "Women in Transportation - Administration". Fhwa.dot.gov. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  2. "Carmen E. Turner, 61, Official at Smithsonian". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  3. "Women in Transportation - Administration". Fhwa.dot.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-11.


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