NYC transit chief Richard Davey will leave in September with no permanent replacement lined up
He’s taking the express uptown – way uptown.
New York City Transit President Richard Davey will be leaving the Big Apple for Massachusetts in September – with no longterm replacement immediately announced.
The Massachusetts Port Authority, or MassPort, board of directors voted Wednesday to offer Davey the position of chief executive officer and executive director for a five-year term.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a news conference the board’s decision created “a momentary disruption for MTA.”
Lieber said the MTA’s interim transit president will be Demetrius Critchlow, who has worked at the agency for 27 years.
“He’s the guy who has put us on the map for having the highest ridership of any transit system, I believe, in the country relative to pre-COVID numbers, the strongest on time performance, and Demetrius is ready to step up and take the reins as the Interim President of New York City Transit in a couple of weeks when Rich cycles out to Boston,” Lieber said.
The shift is expected in the next two weeks. Davey has to start his new $420,000-a-year gig by Sept. 9.
“We’re grateful to Rich Davey for his leadership, which improved service and safety in the subways, and wish him all the best as he returns home to Massachusetts,” a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
“Governor Hochul will work with Janno Lieber and the MTA Board to identify a new leader to lead New York City Transit into the future and execute on the governor’s bold pro-transit agenda.”
Sources told The Post Davey has been “frustrated” in his role at MTA where he oversaw the city’s controversial congestion-pricing plan and tried to combat a spike in violent subway crime.
Davey, who started at MTA two years ago, marks the fourth leader to abandon the position in a little over four years.
Davey became the MTA’s new permanent head of subways and buses in May 2022 after predecessor Andy Byford — dubbed “Train Daddy” — left the role, saying it was made “intolerable” by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Davey previously worked as the Massachusetts secretary of transportation from 2011 to 2014.
MassPort is the agency tasked with running the Bay State’s airports and ports.
Davey beat out 99 other candidates for the position, according to a press release from the board.
