But Wednesday also signified a “last” — the last board meeting for Suffolk County representative Kevin Law, the former head of the Long Island Association who has served on the MTA board for three years.
Hochul has nominated Law as the next chairman of Empire State Development and his confirmation hearing is expected to take place next week. Law has said for months that once confirmed, he would step down from the MTA.
In a short farewell Wednesday, Law applauded the board, the MTA’s professional staff and the workers on the subways, buses and commuter rails. And he made two specific requests. One, he said, was “parochial” — to get the Long Island Rail Road’s new Yaphank station and the electrification of the Port Jefferson line done. The other, he said, was a “systemwide” concern — the need to continue addressing and investing in accessibility.
And Law didn’t leave without a small joke about how his outgoing and incoming jobs converge.
“And finally, I want to be invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the third track and East Side Access later this year,” Law said with a smile. “Because remember, at ESD we play a big role at Penn Station and you guys don’t want to have any issues there, right?”
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