TTC’s chief executive leaving to head NYC Transit

TORONTO • The chief executive officer of Toronto’s transit agency is leaving his post to take a job as president and CEO of New York City Transit.

Andy Byford — who announced his resignation Tuesday, six years after joining the Toronto Transit Commission — will remain on the job until Dec. 22, when deputy CEO Rick Leary is expected to take over as acting CEO.

Byford told a news conference his time at the TTC has been the “absolute highlight” of his 28-year transit career.

He says running New York City Transit is arguably the toughest job in transit right now and he’s looking forward to taking up the challenge beginning in mid-January.

Byford says his last task in Toronto will be to open a long-awaited subway extension from north Toronto to Vaughan, Ont.

Byford said he is most proud of his work on changing the prevailing culture at the TTC to make the organization more diverse.

He described an order of new streetcars from Bombardier as an “immensely frustrating” part of his time as CEO.

“The fact that we only have 50 new streetcars now when we really should have about 150 of them is both a disappointment and a frustration,” he said. “Until the day I leave, every week now I’m having a weekly conference call with Bombardier to go through unit by unit where is it, when are we getting it.”

Byford came to the TTC from Australia, where he held the position of CEO for the Rail Corporation New South Wales. He had also previously held several positions with rail operators in the United Kingdom, including the London Underground.