New York, NY —

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.