Prendergast Stepping Down

It was announced Friday that Thomas Prendergast, Chairman of the MTA will soon be stepping down from that position. His past positions included appointment as General Manager of the NYC Transit Authority and President of the LIRR, where he was affectionately known as "Baby Hughey". He was so endeared by LIRR employees that one defecated on his desk, prompting the installation of a million-dollar surveillance system in the LIRR's general offices.

Always the presenter of a healthy ego, Prendergast outfitted his office with a NYCTA signal, to display "his instant mood" to visitors. A green signal indicated he was happy and accepting visitors, a yellow indicated that visitors may be abused while a red signal meant Prendergast was busy -- probably sanitizing his desktop. Despite the security system, the signal was stolen and found smashed in his parking space.

The demise of this blowhard will hopefully usher in a new age of management-labor cooperation and fiscal responsibility, both of which have been sorely lacking since this political hack's arrival on the scene.

LOL!

Gentlemen, is this really necessary?

Mr. Prendergast was in my opinion the finest President of the LIRR I ever worked under. His ability to solve problems, manipulate complex decisions and force the unions to tow the line, was refreshing. I believe the MTA flourished under his tenure and he will be missed. Best of luck in retirement, Tom.

I'm leaving the dispo of this to Liquid Camphor; for now I'm leaving it open if you want to debate his "legacy". Let me add that railroad.net and "staff" do not hold, express, or endorse any such opinion PRO OR CON. But maybe, just maybe, tone it down just a bit?

Not another word from me. The rank and file loved this guy and he did great things for the Long Island commuter and taxpayer, like bucking the manufacturer and insisting that the diesel fleet look like "bullet trains" and embrace untried technology. What a hit! What a guy!

Kelly, to add he also helped spin off the freight side of the LIRR what is now New York & Atlantic Railway. Touché about the diesel fleet.

I added PRO OR CON. Since the news broke, I've heard variations on the same theme, and also the opposite. I hold no opinion either way. And when you get to that level, I'm sure you get used to the slings and arrows.

One good thing Mr. P did was show Mrs. Williams the door, only after she left Rome burning..

I can't speak to the LIRR side of things, but as head of MTA, I think he was great. He was of the rare breed of manger who has both a deep knowledge of his domain, and who knew how to get the political powers that be to do what he wanted. He sheparded the SAS to completion, got Cuomo on board for 3rd track, and got a lot done on Farm to KO 2nd track.

Liquidcamphor wrote:Gentlemen, is this really necessary?

Given what an asshole he is/was? Yes. I knew a few folks who worked under him during his stint at PBQ&D. Nobody had anything good to say about him.

Lest we forget the DE/DM-30 fiasco, or the MU fleet falling apart that summer, too? I only had to ride the damn things, working day in / day out with with hot trains and hearing about it from us cheerful riders, must have sucked royally.

Trust me, those of us who take the MTA's services and pay its bills, aren't crying about him leaving at all..

Tom was a fantastic person with a keen sense of politics and the future of our transportation system. He will be missed by all. Especially the SMART- UTU. Will A.S. retire now that Tom is retiring?

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He was the rare MTA leader who spent most of his career at the agency.

Among his jobs: heading both New York City Transit and the Long Island Rail Road.

"Prendergast could run the railroad, he could run the bus system and he could run the subway system," said TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen. "And nobody else before him has had those qualities."

Prendergast's legacy includes overseeing repairs to the subways after the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

It was announced today that Veronique Hakim, head of the NYCTA will be appointed interim chairwoman of the MTA, succeeding Prenderghast.

"Ronnie," as she is known to us, has led a number of capital projects and her appointment shows the MTA's commitment in this area. We like her. As a career MTA employee, with a short stint at Jersey Transit, it's doubtful she will be the permanent chairman. More likely, she'll serve until she can be blamed for a capital fiasco or simply be replaced by yet another Democrat party hack.