Barbara Gray, MUP

Senior Advisor

Barbara is an urban planner and transportation professional with over 35 years of expertise in policy, planning, governance, permitting and operations. Known for her practical and collaborative approach, Barbara creates an environment where leaders and staff across teams and agencies can work effectively with elected officials to drive culture change aligned with city goals.

Prior to joining Access, Barbara spent a decade at the City of Toronto as the General Manager, Transportation Services Division. Before that, she held numerous roles at the Seattle Department of Transportation, including Deputy Director. She began her professional career in the private sector as a light rail and urban planning consultant helping governments and community groups across the United States drive change through street design and safety programs.

Her recent projects have included the King Street Transitway, an innovative pilot project that led to the redesign and service enhancement of a major downtown corridor in Toronto. She also led the development of Toronto’s first Vision Zero strategy resulting in year over year improvements in road safety outcomes, and developed a construction coordination program to ensure transparency and accountability with elected leaders and the public. 

Barbara is a dedicated mentor and advocate. She served as an executive sponsor for the Toronto Network of Women (TOnow) and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), Toronto Chapter. In 2024, she was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), Toronto Chapter.

Barbara holds a Bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in English and Government and a Masters in Urban Design and Planning from the University of Washington.