NYC Transit Scraps General Line Manager Program
One thing was for sure, during the previous regime at the MTA, many different ideas were tossed around or implemented to achieve the same end goal, operating at top efficiency. One of those ideas was implemented in 2007 as NYC Transit underwent a massive reorganization of management for its subway operations via individual line general managers.
Fast forward to 2010 & that idea is coming to an end by new NYC Transit President Thomas Prendergast due to concerns of safety. Pete Donohue of the New York Daily News had more in this extremely brief report:
It’s the end of the line for an NYC Transit program that ran each subway line like a small railroad.
Concerned about subway safety, NYC Transit’s new top executive scrapped the much-ballyhooed Line General Manager program and returned to a centralized maintenance department.
The number of line general managers is being slashed from 17 to 12, and those remaining will focus on station cleanliness, minor station repairs, train schedules and rider information, said Thomas Prendergast, named NYC Transit president in November.
The prior administration began decentralized subway management in July 2008, installing general managers to run each line.
Prendergast said officials were concerned the inspection, maintenance and repairs of switches, signals, tracks and other equipment might not get the necessary attention under the old program.
I personally don’t think this is that big of a change. When the idea was first proposed & subsequently implemented on some lines in 2007, I had some concerns about its effectiveness & the clear potential of adding yet another layer of bureaucracy to the management ranks. I admit I did see some positives that could come from it & subsequently some riders chimed in on noticing an improvement. In the end though, I can’t say I or many will be heartbroken about this change. I doubt many riders would be able to even notice the difference.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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