New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie named a former state lawmaker who was one of his staunchest supporters during the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal to chair the agency that controls the region's airports, bridges and ports and the World Trade Center.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also named a new executive director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The joint announcement ended months of uncertainty in the upper levels of management at the powerful bistate agency.

Christie's pick for chairman is former State Senator Kevin O'Toole, a longtime ally of the governor who publicly endorsed the discredited notion that the 2013 lane closures at the George Washington Bridge were part of a traffic study. During the Bridgegate trial, former Port Authority official David Wildstein testified that he approached O'Toole to be a "validator" — someone who could add legitimacy to the lane closure argument. O'Toole also served on the legislature's Bridgegate investigative committee, and attempted to prevent Democrats from pursuing Bridgegate subpoenas. 

"I'm really shocked that Kevin O'Toole, given his track record, would be put in as chair of the Port Authority," said Tom Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association. "Creating a strong independent board and hiring a CEO are, if anything, more critical for the Port Authority than they were two and a half years ago." (That's when a special panel issued a report calling for reform at the agency.) "And so it's really important they start to move toward that and it's not clear this is doing that."

Martin Robins, director emeritus of Rutgers University's Voorhees Transportation Institute, said outgoing chairman John Degnan did an extraordinary job at restoring credibility to the agency and boosting morale after Bridgegate.

"To follow a convicted felon who had served in the position before him and having to cope with the interference of Governor Cuomo, and also the relative inaction of Governor Christie during John's tenure," he said. "It was a tough assignment."

Robins is optimistic that the Port Authority will still yet follow the recommendation from the 2014 special panel report that called for changing the way leadership is appointed. The plan called for a new chairman every two years that will be rotated between the states. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo tapped Rick Cotton, the governor's special counsel for interagency initiatives, to be the Port Authority's executive director. Cotton follows Pat Foye, who held that position since 2011, and is reportedly taking a position at New York's MTA. 

"At the direction of Governor Cuomo and Governor Christie, one of the first priorities for Mr. O'Toole and Mr. Cotton will be to resume the search for a new Port Authority CEO," a joint press release from both governors stated.

The incoming governor of New Jersey will be able to replace O'Toole if he or she chooses. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno declined to comment on what they'd do.

(with the Associated Press)