New Transit president Richard Davey giving marching orders on first day in NYC

MTA president Richard Davey met with staff and commuters on his first day as head of buses and subways on Could 2, 2022.
Kevin C. Downs

Richard Davey took over because the MTA’s head of subways and buses on Monday — and spent his first morning on the job assembly transit staff, greeting commuters, posing for cameras and ordering fixes for issues he noticed on his personal commute.

“The subsequent-stop signal on my prepare this morning wasn’t working. They’re already engaged on that, as I perceive,” Richard Davey advised reporters early Monday whereas greeting commuters on the Roosevelt Avenue-74th Avenue station.

Davey known as himself “a prolific texter and emailer.”

“If I see one thing isn’t working, it’ll get fastened,” he mentioned.

The previous prime transportation official in Massachusetts additionally visited MTA worker break rooms, which he mentioned “want to enhance,” and flagged a number of damaged Metrocard machines.

“How we deal with our staff is vital and I noticed some locations I wouldn’t wish to use the toilet, so we’re going to repair a few of that,” he mentioned.

Davey mentioned security was “primary, two and three” on the checklist of considerations raised by straphangers he spoke to on Monday. Many riders are on excessive alert after the April 12 mass capturing in Brooklyn and a system-wide spike in felony assaults, he mentioned.

MTA president Richard Davey spent his first morning on the job assembly transit staff and greeting commuters on his first day as trains and buses head.

Kevin C. Downs

President Richard Davey held a press convention on the 74th Avenue-Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights subway station.

Kevin C. Downs

Davey mentioned his major job apart from security is to enhance reliability and customer support to encourage extra riders to return to transit.

Kevin C. Downs

“Now we have a number of work to do, clearly, with town round security,” Davey advised reporters.

Davey mentioned his major job apart from security is to enhance reliability and customer support to encourage extra riders to return to mass transit. Ridership figures stay properly under pre-pandemic figures, and have barely recovered from the Omicron surge.

“We’ve talked about security, however I’m additionally very a lot targeted on what we inside MTA can management ourselves,” he mentioned.

“My message to New Yorkers is: You’ve acquired somebody, and a group, at MTA Transit who're going to be targeted on the system.”

MTA president Richard Davey speaking with Tomoko, a passenger on the E prepare.

Kevin C. Downs

Davey is the MTA’s first everlasting NYC transit president since beloved “Practice Daddy” Andy Byford give up.

Kevin C. Downs

Davey mentioned security was “primary, two and three” on the checklist of considerations raised by straphangers he spoke to on Monday.

Kevin C. Downs

Davey is the MTA’s first everlasting NYC transit president since beloved “Practice Daddy” Andy Byford give up greater than two years in the past.