On Monday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees the Municipal Railway (Muni), announced the appointment of John J. Haley as director of transit. Haley, who began last week, is responsible for the overall direction, management and operations of Muni service for San Francisco.

“John has worked in numerous cities and understands the unique challenges of keeping transit safe and on time in an urban setting,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., executive director/CEO. “I believe his extensive experience in both planning and operating complex transportation systems will serve Muni and San Francisco well.”

Haley has more than 30 years of public and private sector experience in the transportation industry. He joins Muni from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) in Houston. As the vice president of Infrastructure and Service Development at Metro, Haley implemented new bus rapid transit and commuter rail services, which significantly contributed to improved service reliability and ridership gains. He also directed internal accountability initiatives to improve operational efficiency and advanced authority-wide plans to improve system safety.

Prior to his work in Houston, Haley served as a deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), deputy general manager of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and as a strategic advisor to major transportation agencies nationwide.

Haley takes over from David Hill, interim director of transit, who has resumed his role as deputy director of bus operations. Hill oversaw the smooth implementation of Muni’s December 2009 service modifications, the largest service changes to the transit system in a generation.