MTA Chairman Jay Walder (left) and No. 7 General Line Manager John Hoban (right)

NEW YORK, NY October 05, 2009 —The new MTA chairman, Jay Walder, begins his first day of work this morning. He'll meet and greet straphangers at the Main Street stop of the Number 7 line at 9 o'clock, and then ride the subway to the MTA's midtown headquarters.

Walder grew up in the Rockaways and worked at the MTA in the 1980's and 90's before leaving for a teaching position at Harvard. He ended up as a top executive at London's transit system where he helped to institute the Oyster Card, a fare card that you can use on commuter rail there as well as the Tube.

Walder spoke to WNYC's Matthew Schuerman about his plans for the MTA.