The MTA Transit Committee Chair and former Federal Railroad Administrator will begin March 9, while the agency conducts a search for a permanent chief.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) named MTA Transit Committee Chair and former Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg as interim president of New York City Transit. As interim president, Feinberg will oversee the 48,000 person workforce of the NYCT, as well as operations for New York City subways, buses, paratransit services, and the Staten Island Railway.
Feinberg brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served in several high-ranking leadership posts under President Obama. Feinberg was the second woman in history to lead the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). She also previously served as chief of staff at U.S. DOT and special assistant to the President and sr. advisor to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Feinberg has also spent time in the private sector, at Facebook and Bloomberg LP.
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As FRA Administrator, Feinberg developed and enforced rail safety regulations for both freight and passenger rail and managed a multi-billion dollar rail investment portfolio. During her time at FRA Feinberg also completed and signed two of the largest loans in U.S. DOT history, focused the rail industry’s attention on emerging safety threats such as the opioid crisis, and after many years of delay helped force the U.S. rail system to begin full implementation of Positive Train Control.
Prior to joining FRA, Feinberg served as U.S. DOT Chief of Staff, where she provided strategic advice and counsel to the Secretary of Transportation regarding operational and legislative initiatives across all modes of transportation and helped lead and direct the agency and its more than 57,000 employees.
From 2009-2010, Feinberg served in the Obama Administration as special assistant to the President and sr. advisor to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. As the Chief of Staff’s liaison to the Obama economic team, the national security team, and the press and communications departments, she most notably worked on the White House’s strategic response to the country's fiscal and economic crisis, the H1N1 flu pandemic, and other significant crises that arose during the first two years of the Obama Administration.
Feinberg previously served on the Amtrak board of directors, and currently serves on the StoryCorps board of directors and the NHP Foundation board of directors. Her first day as NYCT president will be March 9. The MTA will conduct a search for a permanent replacement.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
