Sally Librera Appointed Chief Officer, MTA Staten Island Railway

Librera’s appointment is effective immediately. She was most recently a Vice President for Subway Operations Support at NYC Transit, where her responsibilities included key operational support functions such as financial management, employee safety, administrative operations, workforce development and planning. She joined the MTA in 2004 as a transportation planner and advanced to leadership positions in logistics and employee development.

At NYC Transit, she led technical training for Subways employees, including training programs for crews in rail car maintenance, service delivery, occupational safety, emergency response, and for technicians in the track, electrical and infrastructure departments. Her accomplishments at the Department of Subways included enhancing employee safety, streamlining administrative processes, identifying operational efficiencies, and implementing programs for employee development.

“Sally’s leadership and experience in our Subways operations are huge assets to the operations of Staten Island Railway, in particular her extensive knowledge of the training that is critical to running every aspect of a transit system. The Staten Island Railway operates in a mix of suburban and urban environments that present unique challenges, but Sally’s successes at the Department of Subways show that she is well equipped for the job,” said MTA New York City Transit Acting President Darry C. Irick.

Librera’s appointment to the leadership position at Staten Island Railway comes as the railway is in the midst of a major rebuilding effort after Superstorm Sandy severely damaged track infrastructure and critical facilities in 2012. SIR is building a new mechanical repair shop to replace the Clifton facility that was flooded during Sandy and upgrading the St. George interlocking to improve service reliability.  The new Arthur Kill SIR station opened in January 2017 and became the MTA’s first newly constructed SIR station since the railway was incorporated into the MTA in 1971. The MTA 2015-2019 Capital Program includes $386 million of investments and improvements to SIR, such as the replacement of the car fleet and three new power substations to increase supply to the line, allowing for service flexibility and reliability. Capital investments also include rolling out countdown clocks at all SIR stations, track replacement, radio system enhancements, and station repairs.

“This is an exciting time at Staten Island Railway, with New York State investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the modernization of the railway in every aspect of its operations, from new rail cars to updated power and track infrastructure and a new maintenance facility. I am thrilled to join the talented team at SIR and look forward to working with the community to ensure these investments yield significant improvements to service for our customers on Staten Island,” Librera said.

Librera holds master’s degrees in urban planning and transportation engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in labor relations from Cornell University.

Librera succeeds Douglas Connett, who retired in 2016.