MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak announced in a letter to MBTA employees Tuesday afternoon that he is leaving the embattled agency.
"It is with mixed emotions that I share with you the news that January 3rd, 2023 will be my last day at the MBTA. Serving as MBTA General Manager has been the experience of a lifetime and it has been my honor and privilege to work with all of you," he said in his letter.
The statement did not give a reason for his departure.
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Poftak did address the many issues the T has experienced of late, expressing optimism in the agency's future.
"While we have faced and will continue to face challenges, I believe in the strength and resilience of the MBTA. As I look back on my four years as General Manager, I take great pride in what we have accomplished together."
You can read his full letter to MBTA employees below:
Poftak said that while he will be leaving in January, he will continue to support the MBTA and its employees.
"For the next few months, I will be focused on preparing for the transition to a new administration and to new leadership here at the MBTA," he added. "For now, please accept my gratitude for the essential work you do every day here at the MBTA."
Poftak has served as the general manager of the MBTA since January of 2019, when he replaced Luis Ramirez after just 15 months on the job. Poftak was a member of the T's oversight board and served as interim GM prior to Ramirez's appointment.
During his time as head of the T, Poftak weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in ridership and revenue. More recently, he was the face of an agency besieged by problems and criticism that came to a head over the summer when officials announced plans to shut down the Orange Line for a month to enact much-needed repairs.
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The work was part of the MBTA’s response to a safety Federal Transit Administration review following several problems and accidents that have led to injuries, and in one case, the death of a rider. The FTA released a scathing 90-page report earlier this year that said the MBTA has for years prioritized capital projects over safety and maintenance.
Even while the FTA’s review was ongoing, a fire on an Orange Line train in July sent passengers scrambling out of windows and prompted one to jump into a river.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren was among the lawmakers and transit advocates who were quick to say on Tuesday that Poftak's imminent departure -- which will come right before the next governor takes office -- was long overdue, but others said they don't think all the T's troubles can be pinned on one person.
"I think he had a tough job and there are things he would agree he would have done differently and that we might have liked to see him do differently," said Stacy Thompson, executive director of the nonprofit LivableStreets Alliance.
She noted that Poftak "jumped in when others weren't willing and took on a system already underfunded, undersourced and behind on maintenance."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
