Transportation planner Jeff Brubaker leaves Carrboro for California

The town of Carrboro will soon need a new person to help plan bike paths and roadways.

Jeff Brubaker, Carrboro’s transportation planner, is moving to California to be closer to his girlfriend. Brubaker accepted an offer to work as a transportation planner with the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments in California.

“I will miss Carrboro a lot,” he said. “There are wonderful people, and I have some wonderful friends here.”

Brubaker said the main reason he is moving is because of his long-distance relationship with his girlfriend.

“Things were great — that’s what made it a tough decision,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the adventure this allows me to embark on with my girlfriend.”

Damon Seils, a member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, said Brubaker has been working with the town for most of the time he has been involved as well.

“I think maybe the best thing about Jeff is that he really gets the town of Carrboro,” Seils said.

Seils also said the board had a surprise for Brubaker at Tuesday’s aldermen meeting because it was the last one he would attend. Seils said everyone on the board responded to the news with surprise, but the town manager and planning director are starting their search for a replacement.

“Jeff will be leaving sometime in July, and I know that the planning director has asked to move ahead,” he said.

Brubaker said there are many projects Carrboro should continue, which include getting car sharing, expanding local transit service, establishing a town transit system in Carrboro and building a sidewalk on South Greensboro Street.

“I think there are many projects that are important, but that is just a sampling of the ones important to me,” he said.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle said Brubaker has been a fabulous employee since he started in September 2009.

“He has worked on so many initiatives,” she said. “He also had to be liaison to several groups like the transportation advisory board and our local (metropolitan planning organization).”

Lavelle said Brubaker has had a hand in just about every transportation project in Carrboro, like working on construction plans for greenways and bicycle implementations. She said the search for a new transportation planner will be up to the town manager and the planning director, but she will miss Brubaker’s sociability the most.

“As mayor, I really like the fact that Jeff was so knowledgeable about our plans, and he could explain them in a way that made them understandable to the average person, which I think is a great skill to have,” she said.

Brubaker said anytime someone makes a big transition, there will be tons of emotions to follow.

“Carrboro gave me an abundance of opportunities to work in various transportation projects, and I’m very grateful to have had the position over the last five years,” he said.

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