MTA’s New Administrator Tony Bridges says he’s “Proud to be Part of the Team”

For the Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) new administrator, it’s a bit of a homecoming. Administrator Tony Bridges returned to the MTA earlier this month – this time to lead the agency. On his first day, Administrator Bridges shared a message with MTA’s employees about his connections to the agency and MTA’s future. Below is his message to employees:

I am truly excited and humbled to be back with the Maryland Transit Administration and to once again be part of a team that performs this work every day with distinction, professionalism and pride.

For those who may not know me, this is my second stint with the MTA. I previously served this agency under a different administration as the MTA’s Chief of Staff. So, in many ways, coming back feels like returning home. I know the people, I know the mission, and I understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with operating and maintaining a transit system that so many Marylanders depend on every single day.

But my connection to transit runs even deeper than my professional experience.

I am a son of the union. My father is a former president of ATU Local 1300, and I grew up understanding the importance of organized labor, the dignity of work, and the value of having a strong voice for the people who keep our transportation system moving. Those experiences shaped me and continue to influence how I approach leadership today.

My roots with the MTA and MDOT run deep. And I wake up every day knowing that there is an enormous amount of work in front of us—but I also wake up knowing that YOU are the team that gets it done.

That is what gives me confidence as I begin this new chapter.

This is a new chapter for the MTA.

The past legislative session brought significant changes and new opportunities for our organization. As we move forward, we will be adding two oversight boards and two new deputy administrators who will help strengthen our ability to advocate for the MTA, coordinate our efforts, and make sure that the needs of this agency—and the people we serve—are represented effectively.

These changes give us an opportunity to take a fresh look at how we operate, how we communicate, how we advocate, and how we deliver for our customers and our workforce. But organizational changes and new titles alone will not move this agency forward.

People will.

The people throughout the MTA are the ones who make the system work.

Whether you are operating a train or bus, maintaining equipment and facilities, keeping our system safe, managing operations, training our workforce, supporting our customers, or working behind the scenes to keep the agency functioning, you are an essential part of this mission.

My job as Administrator is not to tell you how to do the work you already know how to do. My job is to make sure you have the resources, support, leadership, and accountability necessary to do that work at the highest level.

And that starts with listening.

As I begin my tenure as MTA Administrator, I plan to meet with as many members of this team as possible. I want to hear directly from you. I want to understand what is working, where we are falling short, what obstacles you encounter every day, and what you believe we can do better.

Over the next month, I plan to visit each of our major divisions and work groups—including Light Rail, Metro, Bus, Maintenance, Police, Operations Control, Training, and others—to get a better understanding of the work you do and, more importantly, how I can best support you.

I recognize that it is ambitious to try to do all of that within my first month. But I want to make something very clear:

This will not be a one-month listening tour.

You have my commitment that these visits will continue. I want to be a visible and accessible Administrator. I want to spend time where the work is actually happening, not simply hear about it in meetings and reports.

I also want us to build a culture where communication goes both ways. I will share with you what we are trying to accomplish, why we are making certain decisions, and where we need your help. And I expect our leadership team to listen when our employees tell us what they need to succeed.

Ultimately, our mission is bigger than any one administration, any one division, or any one individual.

Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, accessible, and effective transportation for the people of Maryland.

Every day, someone depends on us to get to work, to school, to a doctor’s appointment, to an important family obligation, or simply to get where they need to go. That responsibility matters.

And the way we meet that responsibility is by taking care of the people who take care of the system. So, as I begin this new chapter with you, I ask for three things: communication, collaboration, and accountability.

Let’s communicate openly.

Let’s collaborate across divisions and disciplines.

And let’s hold ourselves—and each other—to a high standard.

There will be challenges. There will be difficult decisions. And there will be days when the work seems overwhelming. But I believe deeply in this organization and, more importantly, I believe in the people who make up the MTA.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside you again. I am proud to be back. And I am excited about what we can accomplish together.

Let’s get to work.

Tony Bridges is Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration