NYC Transit President Howard Roberts Jr. Resigns

Howard Roberts Jr., president of NYC Transit for the past 2 1/2 years, resigned today, leading many to suspect more resignations will come, as new MTA head Jay Walder wants to leave his own stamp on the agency.

According to the Daily News, "Transit advocates credit Roberts for a series of reforms, like asking bus and subway riders to rate service on their lines and rank their priorities," but a "few board members have expressed exasperation with delays that continue to plague the subway system. And some in the authority felt Roberts was too deferential to labor - a contention he strongly disputed."

One transit advocacy group, the Straphangers Campaign, issued a statement: "Howard Roberts Jr. has been a good head of New York City's transit system. Although saddled with budget cuts and disruptions caused by needed repair work, he put managers in charge of each line and pushed to provide faster bus service. The subways and buses can drive New Yorkers nuts, but Howard Roberts worked hard for a saner system." The Straphangers also cite other accomplishments like providing faster bus service (the first-ever "Select Bus Service" routes in the Bronx and Manhattan), the subway rider report cards, and adopting a new flood strategy.