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Byford had been widely praised by riders and transportation advocates for reversing the steep decline of the nation’s largest subway, and his departure raises significant questions about the future of an antiquated system struggling to become a 21st century transportation network.
Byford had considered quitting for months, but finally decided to resign after chafing over having his job duties scaled back as part of a reorganization plan, according to his resignation letter.
His new role would “focus solely on day-to-day-running of service,” instead of more ambitious projects, Byford wrote. There were other leaders, he said, who could “perform this important, but reduced, service delivery role.”
His departure could jeopardize the current campaign to fix the subway. He had ambitious plans to transform the system and his dogged work ethic made New Yorkers rally around him. His arrival in January 2018 was celebrated as a turning point for the subway, and profiles in The New Yorker and on 60 Minutes followed.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has also had a difficult relationship with Cuomo, lamented Byford’s departure.
“This is a real loss for New York City’s subway and bus riders,” he said on Twitter. “The MTA needs people like Andy Byford — now more than ever.”
Byford had considered quitting since last spring and struggled to get along with Cuomo, who controls the subway and the flow of money to the system.
Cuomo was angry after Byford tried to resign in October, according to officials familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The governor signaled to state officials that the tense relationship had reached its end point and that he expected Byford to be gone by the first quarter of 2020, the officials said.
By December, Byford made up his mind that he would leave after completing his second year, those officials said. Another likely departure, officials say, is Pete Tomlin, who was brought in by Byford to run a multibillion dollar overhaul of the signal system.
On Thursday, Cuomo dismissed claims that disagreements between the two men led to Byford’s resignation, suggesting that plans to reorganize the transit agency — and take some responsibilities away from Byford — might have contributed to his decision.
“He did the job for two years,” Cuomo told reporters. “Nobody does these jobs for a lifetime.”
In a phone interview, Byford said he was not pressured to resign.
“This was 100% my decision,” he said. “There was no external pressure for me to go. This is something I’ve given careful thought to.”
Byford’s departure was first reported by Politico.
When Byford took over running the subway, only 58% of trains were on time. There were near constant meltdowns and several train derailments raised safety concerns.
Byford helped push the on-time rate over 80% through a series of operational changes and a focus on the basics. He said he wanted to bring the on-time rate into the 90s and proposed an ambitious overhaul of the subway’s ancient signal equipment.
Colleagues say both Cuomo and Byford have supersize egos and wanted credit for the subway’s success. They quarreled over plans to fix the L train and new technology to upgrade signals.
Some believed Byford’s rock star status may have irked Cuomo. They compared the dynamic to Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his police commissioner, William J. Bratton, who resigned in 1996 shortly after being on the cover of Time magazine.
When Byford publicly questioned Cuomo’s decision to call off the shutdown of the L train tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Byford suddenly found himself sidelined. The two men did not speak for four months in 2019.
Their relationship appeared to improve in recent months. Then Byford tried to resign in October, citing concerns over budget cuts and interference by Cuomo’s office. His bosses at the transit agency convinced him to stay, but the détente did not last long.
“Andy Byford will be departing New York City Transit after a successful two years of service and we thank him for his work,” said Patrick J. Foye, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency that operates the subway.
Foye’s statement did not hint at the problems that had been unfolding behind the scenes in recent months. He thanked Byford for improving the subway and helping to secure new funding for the system, along with Cuomo and state lawmakers.
Officials at the authority will face a big decision in replacing Byford. Sally Librera, Byford’s top lieutenant and the first woman to lead the subways division, could be a top contender. She is a respected technocrat who joined the transit agency in 2004 and has taken a prominent role in touting the subway recovery.
Byford had developed a cult following among transit enthusiasts, who plastered stickers with his face on street posts with the slogan: “Train Daddy Loves You Very Much.” He could often be found greeting riders at stations with a huge smile and focused attention on the needs of disabled New Yorkers. He even once grabbed a broom to help clean a flooded station.
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When Byford’s future seemed uncertain in April, Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker posted on Twitter: “Losing Andy would be a tremendous loss. In Andy We Trust.”
On Thursday, Johnson posted a one-word reaction on Twitter: “DEVASTATED.”
Transit advocates immediately raised concerns about his departure, calling it “a terrible day for riders.”
“It’s an unfortunate and predictable outcome when you have MTA leadership that work in a highly politicized environment,” said Rachael Fauss, a senior research analyst at Reinvent Albany, a watchdog group. “It’s going to be extremely difficult for the MTA to bounce back from this, it’s going to be challenging to find someone capable who will work in this environment.”
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Byford came to New York after leading the subway in Toronto, where he won an award for transit system of the year from the American Public Transportation Association. He has also worked on both London and Sydney’s transit networks.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the subway and buses, is facing a major financial crisis that could deepen if there is a recession. Transit leaders are planning to cut hundreds of workers and they have considered service cuts.
At the same time, subway officials are planning an ambitious effort to modernize the system after Cuomo convinced state lawmakers to approve congestion pricing, a plan to toll drivers entering Manhattan to raise $15 billion for the transit system.
Byford was key to those plans and it remains to be seen whether his successor will be able to carry them out on the same aggressive timeline.
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Cuomo must deliver on his many promises to fix the subway, said John Raskin, the co-founder of the Riders Alliance, a public transit advocacy group.
“The future of the transit system hangs in the balance,” Raskin said.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times .