Prendergast Nominated as New York MTA Chairman and CEO

Today New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo nominated Thomas F. Prendergast as chairman and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation.

Prendergast, president of MTA New York City Transit, has served as MTA interim executive director since Jan. 1, succeeding Joseph Lhota. He is a member of the APTA Executive Committee.

House Appropriations Committee Holds Budget Hearing on DHS

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testified on the DHS budget at an April 11 hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. She noted the role of DHS in helping to secure surface transportation infrastructure through risk-based security assessments, increased protection for critical infrastructure, and close partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Lew Testifies Before Senate Finance Committee

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew spoke about the president's FY 2014 budget at an April 11 hearing before the full Senate Finance Committee. The secretary referenced the proposed infrastructure investment program that would put people to work making necessary upgrades to public transit, highways, roads, bridges, and airports.

Authorization Task Force Meets

APTA's Authorization Task Force convened April 11 in Washington, DC. Five co-chairs lead this effort: Nuria Fernandez, chief operating officer, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Carolyn Flowers, chief executive officer, Charlotte Area Transit System; Carl Sedoryk, general manager/CEO, Monterey-Salinas Transit; Sharon Greene, principal, Sharon Greene and Associates; and Randall Chrisman, board member, Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

SAVE THE DATE

APTA is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to present the 2013 Hiring Our Heroes Veterans Event, "Tracks to Success: Careers in Public Transportation," 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown. The event is being held during the APTA Rail Conference. This hiring fair will feature opportunities across all sectors of public transportation, including operations, engineering, manufacturing, management, maintenance, and technology. Other sponsors of the event include local chambers of commerce; the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment & Training Service; PA Committee, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the American Legion; and NBC News.

IN THE MEDIA

As part of DOT Secretary Ray LaHood's initiative to increase opportunities for women in transportation, the department is posting videos on its YouTube channel that offer first-person testimony from women already working in the industry. For example, one video features Beverly Swaim-Staley, president and CEO of the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation in Washington, DC.

A bus in Chapel Hill, NC, is displaying a decorative image on its exterior as part of a city-wide art exhibition. The Mobile Mural design may seem random, but it isn't.

Was the Toronto Transit Commission actually inviting passengers to ride solo on "personal" subway cars the morning of April 1? Better check that date again.