PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The board that runs SEPTA broke a couple of barriers this week in electing its first Black chair and its first female vice chair.
The board on Thursday unanimously elected former Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence as chair. He takes the place of longtime chair Pat Deon, who stepped down last month.
Lawrence has served on the transit agency’s board since 2011, for the last three years as vice chair.
Chester County's Marian Moskowitz now replaces him as vice chair.
Lawrence says his goal in the position is clear: “We want to bring the riders back, and we want to make sure that we have a safe, clean and efficient system for them to do that.”
The new chair says his top priority is getting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget passed to help address the transit agency's $240 million deficit. Lawrence is a regular rider of the system — and he says that makes a difference.
“I took the Manayunk-Norristown Line in today. It was 10 minutes late, so I was late for my first meeting here, so I understand the frustration,” he shared.
“I think the No. 1 priority right now for everyone who supports public transportation is to support the governor's budget proposal. And we're going to work very hard with the Senate and the House and the governor to get that across the finish line.”