Joseph J. Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), announced he is resigning from his post. He informed Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s administration of his plans to step down this week.
Previously, Lhota served as deputy mayor under Rudolph Giuliani. He was recently praised for his effort to restore subway service a week after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.
It”™s believed Lhota wants to pursue the office of Mayor of New York City as a Republican. Lhota reportedly explored the option of running for mayor during a meeting with Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier this month.
The chairman is scheduled to make a public appearance today as the MTA is set to approve a fare increase raising the cost of a subway ride to $2.50.
A successor has yet to officially be named, but in the past, Lhota had authorized Thomas F. Prendergast, president of New York City Transit, to act as chairman in his absence.
