Sally Librera: On Behalf of Riders, Thank You For Your Service
Sally Librera is a consummate transit professional whose strong and thoughtful leadership made a real impact on the lives of millions of daily subway riders. She led the impressive turnaround of a system that was at its lowest point in decades to become an envied transit network. Sally oversaw such significant transformative efforts as: the Save Safe Seconds campaign, which safely increased subway speeds at dozens of pinch points; transition of the 7 line to CBTC; transformation of the Staten Island Railway, including opening the Arthur Kill station; and played a major role in the success of the Subway Action Plan and in the implementation of many Fast Forward actions.
Sally had the complex and heart wrenching role of steering her remarkable team at the Department of Subways through the COVID-19 pandemic, which took the life of 77 subway workers and which saw 40% of the workforce out at one point.
Despite running the nation’s largest subway system, Sally always took the time to talk and listen to riders and implement their suggestions, including developing performance metrics that reflect what riders care about most. Her legacy is solid and on behalf of riders, we thank her and wish her well.