Alicia Trost Email Address

Chief Spokesperson, Communications Dept Manager

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) provides train service throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

As Chief Communications Officer at the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), the nation's fifth busiest transit system, I report directly to the General Manager and work to bring the voice of BART riders into the board room and all executive decisions. My approach at BART is to not simply manage the message, but to work the problem by breaking down silos within the agency to implement transformational improvements and create a culture prioritizing the rider experience. Overseeing all public relations, media relations, social media, customer communication, I am working to reframe the transit industry’s approach to communication to better showcase its value to riders, taxpayers, and policy makers. I have led BART’s effective use of infrastructure storytelling to garner support for rebuilding investments and to position the agency for new funding. From real-time communication with the public in our stations, on our app, and on social media, to advocating for infrastructure and policy changes that enhance safety for our riders and employees, I am focused on the needs of our riders. I led the agency's groundbreaking "Not One More Girl" community driven initiative to address and prevent sexual harassment and gender-based violence on transit. Since the program's launch, customer surveys indicate a nearly 50% drop in harassment on BART. I was coined one of the “realest social media managers in public transportation,” by The Verge for breaking the government communications mold and Muck Rack named me one of the "Top 15 CCOs” to follow on Twitter in 2021. I built a user generated engagement platform using Salesforce to foster a customer-centric communications strategy that humanizes the BART brand and showcases responsive government. I also serve on the core team implementing mobility as a service for BART, developing applications to help make taking transit easy and enjoyable. I was selected for the prestigious Leadership APTA Program, class of 2022. Prior to joining BART, I worked in the state capitol serving as Communications Director for California Senate Presidents Darrell Steinberg and Don Perata where I managed media relations and communications for high profile legislative actions and was an early adopter of the strategic use of social media in politics and public outreach to shape a narrative and drive advocacy. Before that I was a news program producer for KTVU's "Mornings on Two." I use my television news experience to help create awesome videos that get picked up by the media and shared on social. I commute by train.