Richard Davey Tapped to Lead NYCT

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced the appointment of former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey as the next president of New York City Transit (NYCT).

As president, Davey will oversee the 54,000-person workforce, as well as operations for New York City subways, buses, paratransit services, and the Staten Island Railway.

Davey served in several high-ranking transit leadership posts in Massachusetts and has a background in every mode of public transportation. He was secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation from 2011 to 2014, but Davey’s transit career began at Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) in 2003. He was promoted to GM in 2008, and customer complaints dropped 40% during his first year leading the agency. In 2010, Davey accepted the GM position for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). While he was there, MBTA had its highest annual ridership since 1946.

“Living in New York during 9/11 was a seminal moment in my life,” said Davey. “My experience being a New Yorker that day at that time is why I am coming back because public service and more importantly public transportation is so important to me. I share the same principles as Chair Lieber — delivering on-time and efficient service, welcoming customers to a safe environment, and constantly looking at ways to improve the system. I hope that whenever my tenure ends, New Yorkers can look back and say that guy from Boston made a difference.”

As the Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Davey was responsible for the operation of the state’s highways, bridges and tunnels, freight, and passenger rail programs, 15 regional transit agencies, and 36 airports. Beyond his operational duties, Davey led a campaign to raise revenue, including helping to raise the gas tax in Massachusetts for the first time in 23 years, which provided stable operating budgets and the largest statewide investment in transit in the state’s history.

His reputation as a management efficiency expert led local leaders to choose Davey to be the CEO of Boston 2024, the organization that led the campaign for Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. Following his work as CEO of Boston 2024, Davey joined Transdev as a VP and sr. advisor before becoming a partner and director at Boston Consulting Group, where he served as one of the company’s top global experts on transit and the future of mobility.

His first day as NYCT President will be May 2. Craig Cipriano, who has served as Interim President since August 2021, will assume the role of NYCT COO effective the same date.