SEPTA names agency veteran Scott Sauer as interim general manager

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) veteran Scott Sauer has taken on a new role as the agency’s interim general manager. Sauer had most recently been the chief operating officer for SEPTA. 

SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. announced Sauer would serve in this position while the board considers a permanent successor to former SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards, who stepped down at the end of November. 

Sauer started his career with SEPTA in 1990 as a surface train operator. A second-generation transit professional, he follows in the footsteps of his late father, Robert, who served the Philadelphia Transportation Company and SEPTA for 30 years. 

“I am honored to be entrusted with the stewardship of a transit system that is absolutely essential to the region’s success,” Sauer said. “My priority will be to commit this organization to a back-to-basics philosophy emphasizing the fundamentals that keep Greater Philadelphia moving each day: safety, customer service and reliability.” 

Over the years, Sauer worked his way up through roles as a subway/elevated train operator, transportation manager and safety officer. In 2013, he was appointed assistant general manager of system safety, where he developed and implemented critical safety initiatives. 

In 2017, Sauer was promoted to assistant general manager of operations, overseeing all operational aspects of SEPTA, including transportation, control center, vehicle maintenance and station cleaning. In 2022, Sauer was named chief operating officer, expanding his oversight to include the engineering, maintenance and construction division; transit police; and capital programs. 

Sauer’s leadership has helped to guide SEPTA through challenges over the past couple years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, cybersecurity incidents, civil unrest and budgetary constraints. Sauer also manages a $2.5 billion annual budget, focusing on transformative projects such as rail fleet replacements, station upgrades to achieve full accessibility by 2035 and infrastructure improvements to enhance SEPTA’s reliability and state of good repair. 

Sauer has served on multiple industry boards and committees, including two terms with the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS), where he served as chair; the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Transit Safety and Security; the Northeast Corridor Safety and Security Committee; and the Board of Directors for Operation Lifesaver, Inc. 

Since 2011, Sauer has also been a faculty member in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TSI Associate Staff Program, teaching transit rail incident investigation and mentoring future transit professionals. He holds a master’s degree in environmental protection and safety management from St. Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.