New York's MTA Hires Canadian Executive as Operations Chief

By Paul Berger

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority intends to hire a Canadian transportation executive to oversee operations at the nation's largest transit agency.

On paper, Mario Peloquin, who is 54, is an unusual pick as the MTA's new chief operating officer. He will oversee two of the nation's busiest commuter railroads, its largest subway and bus systems, as well as nine bridges and tunnels. Yet he has limited experience running mass transit systems.

Mr. Peloquin began his career three decades ago running operations for Canadian National Railway Co. and for a light rail system in Ottawa. His more recent roles have been in business development and management at transportation and infrastructure companies.

Mr. Peloquin said in an interview Wednesday that many of his responsibilities have required involvement in his client's operations. He said that in his new role he will support the MTA's agency heads who run the subway and buses, the Long Island and Metro-North railroads, and its bridges and tunnels.

Mr. Peloquin said that New York City is larger than other cities where he has worked, yet he is unfazed by the challenge of serving 9 million daily customers on roads and rails.

"At the end of the day, the issues are very similar," he said. "The size, the complexity and so on is just a different level of the same thing."

Mr. Peloquin said that he expects to start work in the new year, once his work visa is approved.

Mr. Peloquin replaces Ronnie Hakim, who submitted her resignation in September. His hiring is part of a restructuring that takes powers from the MTA's operating agencies and consolidates them in the MTA's headquarters.

Earlier this month, the MTA announced the hire of another Canadian executive, Anthony McCord, to oversee the restructuring. The MTA also intends to cut up to 2,700 of the authority's roughly 74,000 workforce next year.

Mr. Peloquin recently served as chief executive of Thales Transport and Security Inc., the contractor that installed a new signal system on the MTA's 7 subway line.

That project was completed in late 2018, more than one year late and over budget. After it was finished, riders suffered weeks of disruption caused by software glitches.

At the time, the MTA's subway chief, Andy Byford, attempted to reassure riders by saying that he had the contractor's leaders -- who included Mr. Peloquin -- on speed dial. Now, Mr. Byford will report to Mr. Peloquin.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who controls the MTA, has criticized what he calls the transportation industrial complex, in which the MTA overpays for or puts up with subpar work because of a revolving door between the authority and the private sector.

Mr. Peloquin said that his experience in the private sector will help because he understands issues from both sides of the table and is better positioned to mitigate or prevent them.

A spokesman for Mr. Cuomo said that the governor met with Mr. Peloquin after he was selected for the role.

Write to Paul Berger at Paul.Berger@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 20, 2019 16:02 ET (21:02 GMT)

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