Bianco to retire as NYCT president

MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco has announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1, 2015. In his time as president, Bianco “transformed the agency’s organizational culture to align management strategies, enhance safety and improve customer service,” the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority noted.

Bianco, 63, is the seventh person to serve as NYCT president since the position was created in 1980. He became acting president of NYCT in April 2013 and was permanently appointed to the position in September 2013 following a nationwide search. He had previously served since March 2010 as senior vice president of the Department of Subways. Bianco previously served as head of NYCT’s Department of System Safety from 1991 to 1995. He has also held senior safety positions at Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. His retirement comes at a time when New York City’s subways are regularly experiencing days with ridership of more than eight million.

Bianco is credited with leading NYCT through large snowstorms, Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, which took a massive toll on significant areas of the subway’s 110-year-old infrastructure. “Despite more than $4 billion in Sandy-related damage, 80% of subway service was restored within five days,” MTA said. “As NYCT works to deliver consistent service to daily ridership that has steadily expanded to more than 8.2 million people, Carmen Bianco’s leadership team is planning service for the future by evaluating ways to deliver higher-capacity, more environmentally friendly and technologically advanced trains and buses and improved levels of customer service.”

“Carmen Bianco is a one-of-a-kind leader, as well as a trusted friend, and while I understand why he is ready to retire now, we will all miss his detailed experience, his thoughtful perspective and his constant drive to make transit better for our customers and our employees,” said MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tom Prendergast. “Through initiatives like establishing the FASTRACK program for subway maintenance and aggressively bringing new technology into the system, Carmen made the organizational culture of NYCT reflect the priorities that our customers expect. He will be missed.”

“There is no more challenging job in the American transportation industry than keeping New York City moving every day and positioning it well to serve our customers for decades to come,” Bianco said. “It has been a privilege to lead our 48,000 employees who work so hard around the clock. I owe each of them a debt of gratitude and it has been an honor to have served NYCT.”

MTA said it will commence a nationwide search for Bianco’s replacement “to ensure a seamless transition.”