Acting New York City Transit Senior Vice President, Department of Subways Wynton Habersham has been appointed to the position permanently, marking the first African-American to lead the division. He is responsible for planning, directing and controlling the subway and its safe operation.

Habersham ,a 33-year NYCT veteran, filled the vacancy after Joseph Leader retired in December 2015. Previously, he was vice president and chief service delivery officer. His diverse background in NYCT includes a stint as the vice president of the maintenance-of way-division, which experienced a significant decrease in track fires and employee accidents and performed an impressive amount of work in subway operations and capital programs during his tenure, NYCT noted.

Habersham’s appointment comes as NYCT prepares for the opening of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway in December 2016 and undergoes “sweeping changes to upgrade a century-old subway system that is experiencing record ridership,” NYTC said. “These improvements include hundreds of new subway cars, the replacement of antiquated signal equipment with Communication-Based Train Control and new technology such as underground cell phone service and Wi-Fi connectivity. All of these improvements are being implemented against a backlog of repairs and fortification projects necessitated by Superstorm Sandy-related damage.”

“The challenge before me is looking at ways we can do better,” Habersham said. “Our record ridership shows we are doing things right, but it is also putting a strain on our resources. We must find ways to make improvements, whether it’s getting information on service changes out faster and in more ways that are accessible to our increasingly tech-savvy customers, or accelerating our fleet maintenance schedule to ensure the equipment is keeping up with an increase in wear-and-tear. I am excited to take on this challenge.”

“Wynton knows this system inside and out and his expertise and guidance helped get us through a major snowstorm in January 2016, when we shut down outdoor portions of the system for a snowstorm for the first time,” said NYCT President Veronique Hakim. “He effectively managed the partial shutdown and the quick resumption of service, which helped protect our fleet and equipment, but most important, our employees and customers. He knows the system, and as a native son of the Bronx, Wynton understands the needs of our customers.”