Thomas McLernon
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Thomas J. McLernon was an American transportation executive who served as general manager of the
New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a New York state public-benefit corporations, public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York (state), New ...
and the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...
.


Lehigh Valley Railroad

McLernon was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He spent the first thirty years of his career with the
Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, ...
. He began with the railroad in 1920 as a messenger and then served as a clerk, yardmaster, freight agent, and finally as the superintendent of all stations. In 1934 he organized and was elected president of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's first local of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks.


New York City

In 1955, McLernon became the general manager of the New York City Transit Authority. During his tenure, McLernon was able to eliminate the system's deficit. He also ordered the installation of automatic coin turnstiles in the New York City Subway.


Boston

In May 1960, McLernon was named general manager of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. He was given an 11-year contract and took office on July 1. During his tenure, McLernon battled the MTA's advisory board, the
Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from th ...
, and the Carmen's Union, which went on strike twice during McLernon's time in office. On August 4, 1964 the MTA was taken over by the newly formed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. McLernon was chosen to manage the new system. On December 30, 1964, the MBTA board of directors elected to terminate McLernon. Director Robert P. Springer criticized McLernon for having "no concept that the job of management is not the job of a dictator", for mismanaging authority personnel, and for having a "vendetta with the Carmen's Union". He stated that the board chose to terminate McLernon after "his own subordinates disagreed with him and came to the board". McLernon in turn criticized the MTA/MBTA board for not giving him a "free hand to run the system", which prevented him from addressing the major problems besetting the MTA/MBTA. He also criticized the MBTA employees for being loyal to the Carmen's Union and not to "the organization that pays them".


New Jersey

After leaving Boston, McLernon moved to South Orange, New Jersey. He worked in the railroad division of the
New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...
and the New Jersey State Department of Commutation. He retired in 1970 and that same year moved to Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey. Following his retirement, McLernon worked for many years as a transportation consultant. McLernon died on May 14, 1986 at his home in Spring Lake Heights. He was 80 years old.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLernon, Thomas 1986 deaths Lehigh Valley Railroad people Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority people People from Jersey City, New Jersey People from South Orange, New Jersey People from Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey