Long-time Mass Transit contributor Larry Penner passed away Jan. 16. He was 71.
Penner was known as a transportation advocate, historian and writer. He had served as a director for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management. He honed his skills in managing the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for New Jersey Transit, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City (NYC) Transit bus, subway and Staten Island Railway, Long Island and Metro North railroads, MTA Bus and NYC Department of Transportation Staten Island Ferry, along with 30 other transit agencies in New York and New Jersey.
Needless to say, he had a plethora of experience when it came to managing mega infrastructure projects and balancing capital and operating budgets for some of the highest ridership systems in the country.
Penner began submitting writings to Mass Transit in 2019, contributing nearly 200 Letters to the Editor throughout the following five years. In his letters, he had a keen ability to breakdown complex projects without sacrificing detail. After retiring from the FTA, he didn’t shy away from calling out discrepancies in capital project budgets and strongly advocating for being good stewards of public dollars.
His historical knowledge was unmatched and his ability to understand transit’s impact in a variety of communities made his arguments that much more compelling. As Gersh Kuntzman from Streetsblog NYC put it, “Many people who received letters from Penner served him up for gentle mockery, but Penner made a strong argument for his place in championing public transit, the greatest force for equality of movement.”
We will greatly miss receiving Penner’s weekly letters to the editor. His writing impacted everyone on Mass Transit’s editorial team.
Brandon Lewis, associate editor: One of my first assignments for Mass Transit was editing a Larry Penner Op-Ed. Larry’s signature in his email was, ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Retired Federal Transit Man’, and that indeed he was. I always enjoyed editing his columns and reading his thoughts on the various things we covered in the industry where he lived in New York City. What I admired most about Larry is his true passion for the industry. He truly cared about public transit.
Mischa Wanek-Libman, former editorial director and editor in chief: Larry Penner first queried Mass Transit about publishing an Op-Ed piece in 2019. I didn’t realize it would be the start of a long partnership between the magazine and Larry that, thankfully, extended past my tenure. He embraced the moniker “Federal Transit Man” and was generous with his time and knowledge, never afraid to question why an investment was being made or how a decision impacting a transit project was handed down in a certain way. He recognized quality, mutually beneficial partnerships between the federal government and transit agencies, including a few pieces on Nassau Inter County Express (NICE) Bus and Capital District Transit Authority. As a transit historian, he celebrated milestones, including transit agency anniversaries, signing of valuable laws and helped to share stories of important transit-related events such as the demise of private subway companies in New York City. More than anything, Larry believed transit was not only a public good, but a good investment. I’m grateful he willingly shared so much. Coincidentally, Larry included very similar language about transit being dollar for dollar the best investment in an early piece: OP-ED: Why not show your support by participating in National Car Free Day September 22?
Larry, from everyone on the editorial team, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, knowledge and candor on all things public transit. To read more about Penner’s background and legacy in transit and his contributions to journalism, read this obituary from our friends at Streetsblog NYC.
Megan Perrero | Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
