Bernard Jackson Named NYCT COO, Joins NYCT from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
William Amarosa Jr. Named SVP of Subways; Rachel Cohen Named VP of Paratransit
View Photos of Jackson, Amarosa, and Cohen
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) President Demetrius Crichlow today announced new appointments to senior strategic roles including Bernard Jackson who has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer for New York City Transit. Jackson comes to the role with over 38 years of experience spanning multiple transit agencies across the nation, last serving as the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
William “Bill” Amarosa Jr. has been named Senior Vice President of Subways. Amarosa previously served as the Vice President of Operations Support, NYCT and has served in an acting capacity as Senior Vice President of Subways since the start of the year.
Rachel Cohen has been named the Vice President of Paratransit after serving in the acting role since May 2024 and first joining the NYCT Accessibility team in 2018 after working at NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), the New York City regulatory authority for Access-A-Ride for-hire vehicles.
Each brings key leadership experience that will advance NYCT’s goals of delivering efficient, reliable, and safe service for riders.
“New York City deserves a world class Transit leadership team. I’m proud of the team and confident these talented people will continue to serve riders with professional excellence that NYC Transit can count on,” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Millions of riders rely on us to get them where they need to go safely and efficiently every day – let’s get to work!”
Bernard Jackson, Chief Operating Officer, MTA New York City Transit
“I'm proud to join the NYC Transit team which represents the best in public transit and a world class agency at a time when leadership is laser focused on building and improving a safe and reliable customer experience,” said incoming New York City Transit Chief Operating Officer Bernard Jackson. “The direction and strategy that NYC Transit has embarked on, a focus on the needs and satisfaction of riders, has never been more crucial to the long-term sustainability of the New York metropolitan region. I am incredibly excited to be a part of this new course, and I look forward to helping steer the agency to its next phase of operational and mobility excellence."
Bernard Jackson will join the MTA as NYCT’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Jackson will oversee and drive performance and service improvements across the departments of Subways, Buses, Paratransit, and Operations Planning. He brings to the MTA decades of transit experience and a vast knowledge of transit systems from across the country. Previously at DART, Jackson oversaw bus, light and commuter rail, Paratransit, On Demand Services, Maintenance of Way and Facilities Maintenance divisions. Jackson also gained experience as the Chief Operations Officer, Service Delivery at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). He began his career at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) where he worked for 28 years, first starting as a bus service and bus operator and through the years elevated to become Vice President of Bus Operations and Director of Rail Operations.
William “Bill” Amarosa Jr., Senior Vice President of Subways, MTA New York City Transit
“Leading Subways for New York City is a job I dreamed about since I was young and just starting my career,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Bill Amarosa. “As a department, we will prioritize safety, operational excellence, customer service, and fiscal responsibility. I am grateful to the leaders and mentors who challenged me to grow, to Demetrius for his tutelage, and to our 30,000-person workforce for their trust in me as we take things to the next level.”
Bill Amarosa will continue to serve as Senior Vice President of Subways after completing nearly three months in the role in an acting capacity. In this position, Amarosa leads the team responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving the subway system. During his time in the acting position, on-time performance has grown to 83% on weekdays and 87% on weekends. Ridership has also improved with February ridership up 9% as compared to the same time last year. He previously held the role of Vice President of Operations Support which oversaw critical back of house functions to support subway operating divisions. Starting his career at NYCT as a high school intern, Amarosa gained ten years of private sector experience before returning to the MTA in operations planning and budgetary roles. For Amarosa, transit is more than just a career, it is his passion. He has visited transportation systems worldwide and in 2006, Amarosa broke the Guinness World Record for riding the entire NYC subway system in the shortest amount of time.
Rachel Cohen, Vice President of Paratransit, MTA New York City Transit
"Accessible transit is my passion, and I am proud to be moving into this new role, and thankful to MTA leadership for the opportunity,” said New York City Transit Vice President of Paratransit Rachel Cohen. “This is a moment of great opportunities for Access-A-Ride, and I look forward to leading the incredible AAR team as we continue to provide safe and reliable paratransit service to our growing ridership, and every day finding ways to do so more efficiently and effectively."
Rachel Cohen will continue as Vice President of Paratransit after being appointed acting Vice President in May 2024 and is the first woman to do so. In this role, she oversees a team that provides 30,000 daily rides to people who are unable to use the subway or bus system due to a disability. During her tenure, Cohen oversaw Access-A-Ride ridership records including a single day high of 43,000 scheduled trips on Wednesday, March 19. Cohen joined NYCT in 2018 after working at NYC TLC, the New York City regulatory authority for Access-A-Ride for-hire vehicles, as the Director of the Office of Systemwide Accessibility, which was newly formed. She grew the team and led the effort to increase accessibility across all MTA modes of service. In this role, Cohen will focus on more efficient scheduling for customers, fiscal responsibility, and improving vendor management.