Colleagues of Andy Byford say it was a political tussle with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that led the former TTC executive to quit the MTA after just two years on the job. Sources have told the New York Times that both wanted credit for the subway’s successes and that they clashed over management of the system. They disagreed over the plan to repair the L train, for example. According to colleagues, Mr. Byford did not believe that Mr. Cuomo gave him enough support to fix the floundering system, while Mr. Cuomo felt that Mr. Byford was reluctant to embrace new technology and did not understand the governor’s role as the elected official most responsible for the subway.
