During Women’s History Month in March, we continue to highlight exceptional women and their contributions to the transportation industry.
Carmen Turner is the third of our four features.
Carmen made history in 1983 as the first Black woman to lead a major transit agency when she became General Manager of WMATA.
She grew up in Washington D.C. and in 1968 graduated from Howard University, later earning a master’s degree in public administration and political science from American University in 1972.
She started her career in 1974 at USDOT, ultimately being named the acting Director of the USDOT’s Office of Civil Rights in 1976. She left USDOT in 1977 to become WMATA’s Chief of Administration and was then promoted to GM in 1983.
Carmen earned widespread praise for her management of WMATA during a crucial time for the relatively young agency. Her accomplishments included overseeing a 40 percent expansion of the agency’s Metrorail service from 42 miles and 47 stations to 73 miles and 63 stations. In 1988, APTA named WMATA the nation’s best bus and rail system, and Carmen was named Transit Manager of the Year in 1989.
Carmen left WMATA at the end of 1990 to become Undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
Carmen died of cancer at the age of 61 in 1992. As part of her legacy, WMATA’s maintenance and training facility in Hyattsville, Maryland was named after her in 2003, in recognition of her contributions while leading the agency.
Check back throughout the month as we feature more impressive women who have influenced the transportation industry.
