Big state-wide news is rippling through New York. MTA Chief Jay Walder resigned today to head an even larger international transportation company. Bronx Councilman Jimmy Vacca quickly sent out a statement saying a worthy replacement needs to be installed quickly as the MTA faces enormous challenges.

Vacca:

“This resignation comes at a crucial time. A year after the worst service cuts in the MTA’s history and yet another fare and toll increase, the most serious challenges for straphangers may still lie ahead. While Chairman Walder deserves credit for taking on many structural issues that previous MTA leaders had delayed for a tomorrow that never came, the MTA continues to face a $250 million operating gap and a capital budget that runs out January 1. It’s getting harder and harder to do more with less, and the MTA needs someone at the helm not only who understands the role mass transit plays in the lives of everyday New Yorkers but who is prepared to get to work on day one.”