The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced that longtime MTC Commissioner “and full-time bon vivant” Jon Rubin died Sunday at his San Francisco home. He was 75.
Mr. Rubin served for 16 years as the San Francisco Mayor’s appointee to the MTC board. “Originally named to the position in 1995 by then-Mayor Frank Jordan, Mr. Rubin’s keen intelligence, deep understanding of transportation issues and mastery of diplomatic arts led to successive reappointment by mayors Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee.” He served as MTC chair from 2005 to 2007. “A resolution of appreciation adopted by the Commission upon his 2011 retirement described him as a ‘consummate regionalist who put the Bay Area’s needs above parochial interests’ and noted that Mr. Rubin may be best remembered for his campaign to drop the word ‘transponder’ from the FasTrak™ program lexicon in favor of the more customer-friendly term ‘toll tag’” — a move born of his crusade for plain speaking and transparency in government.”
Mr. Rubin was also a documentary filmmaker. Works he produced and directed included a feature on the design and construction of the Bay Bridge’s new east span.