What’s old is new at MTA
Lhota brought back to get trains on track
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo is bringing back the MTA chairman who helped get the transit system back up and running after Hurricane Sandy to handle the current subway and train crisis.
Cuomo on Wednesday night nominated Joe Lhota to again serve as the agency’s chairman.
“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,” Cuomo said. “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 was quickly confirmed by the Senate after he appeared at a committee hearing via Skype.
Lhota, a Republican who was a top aide in Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s administration, served as MTA chairman and CEO under Cuomo from November 2011 to December 2012, when he left to mount an unsuccessful run for mayor. He lost to Mayor de Blasio, who has feuded with Cuomo.
During his confirmation hearing, Lhota acknowledged the mess he was taking over. “I am as frustrated as everyone else is, and more frustrated because I know the MTA can do so much better,” Lhota said during his confirmation hearing.
He said job one is to assess the problems, evaluate the current capital plan, reprioritize and then set out to fight for the proper amount of funding from the state, the feds and localities. Lhota warned that to speed up the needed modernization of the subway system, a broad range of tracks may have to be closed overnight or on weekends so the work can get done.
“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,” he said.
Rather than serve in the traditional role as chairman and chief executive officer, Lhota will instead hire an executive director to handle the day-to-day work. Lhota, who said he will accept $1 a year to serve as board chairman, will keep his job as senior vice president at NYU Langone Medical Center.
During his confirmation hearing, several senators from both parties praised his work in the aftermath of Sandy, which devastated the system in 2012. He also made headlines when he said he would not have stopped subway trains — and delayed riders — to save kittens on the tracks.
Lhota will replace former MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast, who retired in January, shortly after the opening of the Second Ave. subway.
Since Prendergast’s departure, Cuomo named former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer as the acting board chairman and Ronnie Hakim as the acting executive director.
It’s unclear what will happen with Hakim as Lhota said a search is on for an executive director.