MBTA Chief Poftak Stepping Down In 2023

BOSTON, MA — MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak well step down in early 2023, leaving the helm of the state's largest transit agency at a tumultuous time.

Poftak shared the news in a letter to MBTA employees Tuesday, saying he would leave the role by Jan. 3.

"While we have faced and will continue to face challenges, I believe in the strength and resilience of the MBTA. As I look back on my four years as general manager, I take great pride in what we have accomplished together," the letter said.

The T is in the midst of a difficult period following a recent federal inquiry into the agency's safety practices, and two major subway line shut-downs. The Orange Line shut down in August and September promised faster service — but Poftak has recently backed away from those upgrades.

The T's board hired Poftak in 2018 after the agency's previous general manager, Luis Ramirez, stepped down after a little over a year on the job. He previously served as executive director of the Harvard University Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, and was an associate of Gov. Charlie Baker, having served on Baker's 2014 transition team.

Poftak's last day will come just 48 hours before a new Massachusetts governor will be sworn in on Jan. 5. Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey has been leading polls in the gubernatorial race all year, and she has previously said she wants to overhaul the T's leadership team.