The governor’s comments came days after the derailment, an accident in Harlem that subway officials blamed on the failure to secure equipment during track repairs. Riders on a southbound A train had feared they would die after the train struck a tunnel wall and began to fill with smoke.

The number of subway delays has skyrocketed, and several recent disruptions snarled service across the city, exacting an economic and mental toll on many residents. Transit activists have urged riders to send their complaints to Mr. Cuomo, since he controls the authority.

It turns out that the governor has been listening. The riders, Mr. Cuomo said on Thursday, “they tweet nasty things about me all day.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio has quarreled with Mr. Cuomo over who should be held responsible for the subway’s dismal condition. But he praised the decision to hire Mr. Lhota, who helped bring the subway back after Hurricane Sandy during his previous tenure as chairman — and whom Mr. de Blasio defeated in the 2013 election. A spokesman for the mayor, Ben Sarle, said on Thursday that New Yorkers deserved a transit system that worked.

“We are heartened to see these new resources and focus to reverse the deteriorating state of our subways,” Mr. Sarle said in a statement.

After facing criticism over choosing chauffeured rides over the subway, Mr. de Blasio has recently tried to display empathy for suffering riders. On Thursday, Mr. de Blasio took the subway from Madison Square Garden to City Hall, and his spokesman posted a photo of the mayor’s trip on Twitter to make sure it did not go unnoticed.

Mr. Cuomo’s executive order would allow the authority to accelerate efforts to improve service by temporarily suspending certain laws that might “hinder or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster.” Mr. Cuomo said the authority would need more resources to improve the system and called on state lawmakers to identify new funding sources.