Applications have been arriving from people interested in becoming the T’s new general manager at a time when the transit system hit its highest weekday ridership numbers.
Despite the looming debt the MBTA faces, the potential for future service cuts and talks about fare increases, MassDOT Secretary Rich Davey said more than a dozen applicants have showed interest in the managerial position.
But only “a little more than a handful” are qualified, he said.
“It’s a very important position, so we are going to be careful about the selection,” said Davey. “[So far] they are good.”
Davey, who was GM before being promoted to his current role, said it was a seven-month process before he was selected.
He said they have received both in- and out-of-state applicants but could not reveal who they were.
A three-person committee was established in September to screen applicants prior to interviews.
“We will have some choices,” MassDOT board member Elizabeth Levin said. “I am relieved a number of them came from out of state. It means we are doing well with outreach.”
MBTA Advisory Board Budget and Policy Analyst Brian Kane said there are good internal candidates the T can choose from, too.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if they had applications from Washington, D.C., and Chicago or other big Eastern cities,” he said.
Follow Steve Annear on Twitter @steveannear.
