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Joe Lhota is back leading the beleaguered MTA.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced the appointment of Joe Lhota to serve as the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In this role, Lhota will direct the executive management team to address the current crisis facing the transit system. As chairman, Lhota will receive a salary of $1 per year, and delegate CEO duties to a permanent executive officer, a position for which the search is ongoing, Cuomo said.
“Joe Lhota is a tested and experienced leader with the proven track record needed to address the enormous challenges facing the nation’s largest mass transportation system,” Cuomo said last week. “In the wake of the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, Joe stepped up and delivered for New Yorkers – ensuring our region’s subways, buses and commuter rails were up and running as quickly as possible. There is much hard work to be done to address the MTA’s current failures, and the level of service and daily frustrations commuters are experiencing are completely unacceptable. I know Joe will move to address these issues immediately and ensure a reliable and effective transportation system worthy of the city it serves.”
Lhota previously served as the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the MTA. Prior to that, Lhota served as the NYC deputy mayor for Operations under then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, where he oversaw day-to-day management of the City and supervised City agencies.
In 2013, riding high off his MTA post-Sandy performance, Lhota decided to toss his hat into the ring and run for mayor on the GOP ticket. He was trounced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in the general election.
“There are few public servants more capable of helping navigate this critical evolution than Joe Lhota,” de Blasio said. “I commend the governor for his choice and I pledge my administration’s cooperation in helping the governor, Chairman Lhota and the MTA meet the needs of New York City subway and bus riders.”
According to Cuomo, Lhota will continue to serve as senior vice president, vice dean and chief of staff at NYU Langone Medical Center.
“This is an incredibly challenging time for the MTA and we will immediately and aggressively tackle the problems the system is facing after decades of disinvestment,” Lhota said. “The hardworking women and men of the MTA are dedicated, driven and talented – they are the engine that makes our city and state run – and working together we will rebuild the system and improve service for all New Yorkers. It is an honor to once again serve the people of New York, and I am grateful to Governor Cuomo for his support and this nomination.”
