Rob Free has been appointed president of the Lengthy Island Rail Highway, Janno Lieber, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair, introduced in a information launch Thursday.
Free, who served as LIRR’s performing president for the final six months, started his profession as a station cleaner 31 years in the past. Over time, he rose by the ranks, extra not too long ago turning into chief transportation officer and senior vp of operations.
Free performed a number one function in bringing LIRR service to Grand Central Madison. Whereas he served as an LIRR govt, the MTA accomplished the Most important Line Third Observe challenge, opened a brand new LIRR station at Elmont-UBS Area, and accomplished the LIRR concourse at Penn Station.
“Rob Free was the pure selection for the job – a local Lengthy Islander who’s dedicated his working life to the LIRR, rising by the ranks from cleaner to operating operations to now main North America’s busiest commuter railroad,” Lieber stated within the information launch.
“Rob intrinsically understands the extent of service prospects count on, and I do know he’ll proceed to ship on this now everlasting function. I’d additionally wish to thank Cathy Rinaldi for serving to to ease this transition, first serving as interim president of LIRR after which as an advisor to Rob,” he added.
“After I joined the LIRR as a 22-year-old station cleaner, I by no means imagined that sooner or later I’d be operating this unimaginable group,” Free stated within the information launch.
“It’s been a tremendous journey up to now and I’m excited to proceed to construct on our successes and make the using expertise even higher for Lengthy Islanders,” he added.
Free stated that ridership “continues to climb, with weekdays routinely carrying 230,000-plus riders, as is on-time efficiency which has been above 95% for 3 straight months.”
As performing president, Free has stated his priorities included working to enhance security for riders and workers, reliability and customer support. Throughout this time the MTA stated it elevated its police division’s presence on the rails. And in accordance with knowledge from the MTA, in February, the LIRR reported that 96.3% of trains arrived on time.
Working to enhance customer support satisfaction, Free within the final two years spearheaded initiatives that included changing 12,000 seat cushions, the MTA stated.
He additionally “commonly personally surveys platform operations and checks loos to make sure they’re clear and in good working order,” the MTA stated within the information launch.
“All through the previous a number of months, Free has demonstrated excellent management whereas serving as performing president of the Lengthy Island Rail Highway, and his everlasting appointment is actually nicely deserved,” Lengthy Island Contractors’ Affiliation Government Director Marc Herbst stated in an announcement.
“As a lifelong Lengthy Islander, he has demonstrated his dedication to our group,” Herbst added. “Coupled along with his experience in infrastructure growth, together with the transformative third observe challenge, this makes him the proper candidate to guide the LIRR ahead. As each the pinnacle of LICA and Suffolk’s consultant on the MTA board, I sit up for a continued partnership with Rob to advance vital tasks that profit all Lengthy Island residents, companies, and commuters.”