With profound sadness, the Mineta Transportation Institute mourns the immeasurable loss of our Founding Executive Director and Silicon Valley’s “Father of Modern Transit,” the Honorable Rod Diridon, Sr. After a lifetime of public service and groundbreaking leadership, he passed away Friday April 3rd, 2026 at the age of 87.
From the very beginning, Rod advocated for a better Bay Area for all. For over two decades, he served the Bay Area in a variety of elected roles from City Council member to chair of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the Transit Board, advocating for transit and—most importantly—the people who use it. Rod later chaired the San Francisco Bay Area’s three regional governments: the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Association of Bay Area Governments, as well as nine successful rail system development project boards. Every step of the way, he embraced the spirit of community and fought for a fair, safe, and overall better future for mobility, not only for the Bay but for the world.
When Governors Davis and Schwarzenegger appointed him to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board, Rod’s influence continued to grow, but even as an icon of Bay Area mobility, he remained a humble public servant. He helped found the High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and the National High-Speed Rail Corridors Coalition of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). He was also president of the Council of University Transportation Centers, guiding the research and impact of outstanding institutions across the country and ultimately transforming the ways we move and live. Rod was inducted into the APTA Hall of Fame for his decades of exceptional work and remarkable contributions to the industry, and in 1994 Santa Clara County renamed its central rail station “San José Diridon Station” in his honor.
After his official retirement, Rod carried on with this commitment to service by championing up-and-coming and established transportation leaders with an inimitable zeal for the future of the industry and an unmatched generosity for his fellow human beings. In recent years, he took great pride in engaging with students and young professionals. His presence at MTI’s summer program inspired awe in what a single individual can achieve. At MiSTA, Rod encouraged each student to pursue what life has to offer, to step up and be unafraid to promote and defend what is right, even if—especially if—no one else is.
Through his vision, integrity, and unwavering belief in the power of public service, Rod inspired generations, and his legacy continues to serve as a model for making positive, lasting change. MTI is proud to carry forward Rod’s commitment to public service and equitable, innovative transportation for all. We will continue to honor what he taught us about advancing research, fostering opportunity, and championing those who will shape our mobility systems and our communities for a better tomorrow.
Rod’s mentee, friend, and professional successor, MTI Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick said, “Rod’s legacy lives on in the systems he helped build, the communities he strengthened, and the countless individuals he mentored along the way. At MTI, we carry that legacy forward by continuing to invest in people—because Rod never lost sight of the fact that transportation is, at its core, about improving lives.”
From all of us at MTI, we genuinely cannot imagine a world without Rod and the difference he has made in our organization, in our community, and in our lives. Our hearts go out to his wife, Dr. Gloria Duffy, his children and extended family, his friends, his colleagues, and to everyone who—like us—have been moved by his extraordinary life.
