Thomas J. McLernon was an American transportation executive who served as general manager of the New York City Transit Authority 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
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.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, w ...
. 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
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
.
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 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
, 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
South Orange, officially the Township of South Orange Village, is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village's population was 16,198, reflecting a decline of 766 (4.5%) fro ...
. 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 transportat ...
and the New Jersey State Department of Commutation. He retired in 1970 and that same year moved to
Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey
Spring Lake Heights is a borough located in the southern coastal portion of Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,713,
McLernon died on May 14, 1986 at his home in Spring Lake Heights. He was 80 years old.