The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) board recently voted to appoint Leslie S. Richards, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary, as its general manager.
Richards previously served on the SEPTA board and will assume the role of general manager in January. She will oversee all aspects of SEPTA’s operations and 9,500 employees.
“SEPTA is critical to the vitality of the Philadelphia region, and to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a whole,” Richards said. “I am honored to be selected as the next General Manager, and look forward to working with SEPTA employees, riders, residents, and other stakeholders to ensure we meet the region’s transportation needs now and for years to come.”
As PennDOT Secretary, Ms. Richards instituted new policies based on sustainable infrastructure investments and innovation. She launched the Transportation Investment Plan, a metric-driven strategic investment approach for the 12-Year Capital Program. She also started a new initiative called PennDOT Connects for the planning and delivery of capital and maintenance projects. This new policy enhances PennDOT’s collaboration with local governments and ensures the department’s investments consider the mobility needs of communities in project design.
SEPTA serves Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties and is the country’s sixth-largest public transportation agency. It serves approximately 1 million riders each weekday.