Bye Bye, Larry: NYC Transit Authority Resigns

On Wednesday, NYC Transit Authority President Lawrence Reuter announced he would be leaving his post in February. Reuter will be headed to Florida engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff - and to be closer to his grandchildren.

Reuter has been president for 11 years, and we've had some good times with him. Remember when he told subway riders it would take 3-5 years to fix a broken signal room from the Chambers Street fire, but then it actually only took a few weeks. Or what about the time that he told public that the subways were doing great, only for there to be a crazy shutdown and evacuation of the A, B, C, and D lines between the Bronx and Brooklyn - and then Kalikow and Pataki to said actually the subways did need a lot of improvement? Well, at least Reuter apologized.

We didn't like him very much then, but being president of the NYCTA doesn't seem like an easy job. amNew York listed some notable things from Reuter's record:

- Introduced MetroCards with discounts and unlimited rides
-Eliminated "two-fare zones"
-Oversaw 31% increase in subway ridership
-2,502 new subway cars and 3,239 buses purchases
-116 subway station rehabbed
-NYC Transit received international recognition for sound environmental practices

The Straphangers' Gene Russianoff says, "We congratulate Mr. Reuter on his decade-long service to transit riders during a period of challenging change and rebuilding for New York's subway and bus system," and mentions that challenges for the next president will include "improving labor-management relationships, implementing Bus Rapid Transit, providing continuing service while making major system repairs, and bettering communications with both the riding public and groups representing riders."

Filling Reuter's position will be new MTA executive director Elliott "Lee" Sander's job in the coming months. The search for a new NYCTA president will be nationwide, timing unclear.