Andy Byford, the former president and chief executive officer of the New York City Transit Authority, has been appointed the new Commissioner of Transport for London (TfL).
Mr Byford has spent 30 years in the transport industry, including as Director of Operations at Southern Railway, joins TfL after a international recruitment process.
At the New York City Transit Authority, he was responsible for 50,000 staff and devised a $40bn five-year investment plan to renew the city’s transport system.
He will join TfL on 29th June, with the current Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO, staying on until 10th July to hand over to Mr Byford and aid his start in the role before he takes up a position overseeing the renovation of the Houses of Parliament.
Mr Byford takes up the post at a pivotal moment for the organisation and for London as TfL works to help the capital recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and support a safe and sustainable re-start.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “‘I’m delighted to confirm Andy Byford as London’s new Transport Commissioner. Covid-19 has had a profound impact on public transport in London but Andy brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise to lead TfL as it faces this unprecedented challenge. I look forward to working with Andy as we build a greener city with clean and environmentally-friendly travel, including walking and cycling, at the heart of its recovery. I would like to place on record my gratitude to Mike Brown for everything he has done for the capital since starting at TfL in 1989. I wish him the best of luck in his new role.”
Mr Byford said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role of Commissioner and to have been chosen to lead the organisation where I started my transport career over 30 years ago. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, all transport authorities around the world will need to reimagine how their services and projects contribute to the safe and sustainable re-start of the social and economic lives of the cities they serve. It is a huge challenge, but I know that Transport for London has some of the best people anywhere in the world and we will meet these challenges and will together help build an even better city for everyone.”
