New York MTA Chair/CEO Janno Lieber appointed Demetrius Crichlow as interim president of MTA New York City Transit, effective June 14.

Crichlow has led New York City Transit’s Department of Subways as its sr. VP since July 2021, a period where service has increased and ridership has soared 67%.

He has led the subway as it has maintained the best on-time performance in at least a decade and recorded improving customer satisfaction.

“I am thrilled to continue improving the experience of 1.3 billion annual subway, bus and paratransit customers,” Crichlow said. “As a third-generation MTA career professional, I am passionate about how public transportation can improve the lives of millions of people in New York City. We at New York City Transit will keep furthering our efforts to enhance service, safety, and accessibility.”

A Lifelong New Yorker

Crichlow is a lifelong New Yorker who started his career with the MTA in 1997 as an assistant signal maintainer at the Long Island Rail Road, rising through the ranks at the LIRR to become train movement supervisor overseeing operations at Penn Station Central Control.

In 2007 he transferred to MTA Headquarters to become special assistant, operations, for then-Executive Director Elliot G. “Lee” Sander.

While Crichlow started his career at the LIRR, his father — who retired as a car inspector for Subways — had always hoped he would continue the family tradition of working at NYCT.

When Crichlow became deputy GM for the ​ line, it solidified three generations of service that began with his grandfather. Since then, he took on increased responsibility within NYCT, including chief officer, field operations; chief officer, operations control center; and VP/chief officer, Staten Island Railway.

Crichlow Bringing Success to Job

As the sr. VP, Department of Subways, Crichlow leads efforts for across-the-board service improvements and a better customer experience for the average 3.5 million daily customers who ride the subway. This includes working intimately on the implementation of communications-based train control on the ​ line and ​ line and its current expansion in the system, making vast upgrades to the customer environment, and rebuilding its 29,000-person workforce post pandemic.

He will succeed Richard Davey, who served as president of New York City Transit from May 2022 until announcing his departure this week.