Wave Wire Service
LOS ANGELES — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors has voted to extend the contract for CEO Stephanie Wiggins, who will continue to lead the transit agency as it undertakes major initiatives in preparation for global events.
By a 12-0 vote, directors extended Wiggins’ contract for an additional four years with an option for a one-year renewal at the discretion of the board. Wiggins annual starting salary will be $510,806.94, a pay bump of more than 20% compared to her previous compensation of $400,004.80, an increase of $110,802.14. County Supervisor and director Holly Mitchell was absent during the vote.
The contract will take effect June 1.
The board consists of county Supervisors Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger, Lindsey Horvath, Hilda Solis and Mitchell; Mayor Karen Bass, City Council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Imelda Padilla; Inglewood Mayor James Butts; Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval; Whittier City Councilman Fernando Dutra; and Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, the founding president of the Ward Economic Development Corporation, a faith-centered organization serving South L.A.
All members of the board supported Wiggins, citing her leadership and ability to get things done.
“CEO Wiggins has led the MTA through challenging circumstances,” Hahn said in a statement. “In the wake of violent crimes, she worked with our board to prioritize safety, install barriers on our entire bus fleet to protect our bus operators, expand the successful Tap-to-Exit program and pilot technology to keep weapons off our system. Under her leadership, ridership has grown for 28 straight months.”
According to Hahn, Wiggins’ salary is on par with leaders of other similarly sized agencies.
“With the World Cup and the Olympics coming up, we need strong, capable and consistent leadership and I am glad we will have Stephanie Wiggins at the helm,” Hahn added.
Wiggins was first appointed CEO on April 8, 2021.
As head of the regional transit agency, Wiggins has led ridership recovery that was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, managed the completion of major construction projects such as the Regional Connector, reconfiguring the A and E lines; and expanded bus lanes.
Meanwhile, under her leadership, the MTA has tackled public safety issues. Last year, highly publicized violent crimes plagued the agency. The agency, in turn, expanded its unarmed ambassador program, deployed more security officers and installed protective barriers on all its buses.
Additionally, it’s fostering a “see something, say something” culture with its riders.
The agency is in the middle of establishing its own in-house police department, which they aim to have operational by 2029.
Other initiatives include a crackdown on fare evaders with the installation of taller fare gates at all new rail stations and some existing ones. The MTA also is piloting weapons detection systems.
According to board members, they anticipate Wiggins will be well equipped to manage multiple projects ahead of the Olympics, which can be found at www.metro.net/28×28/.
The projects, known as the Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative, are a mix of transit solutions to improve connectivity to major sports venues.
Projects in the pipeline include LAX/Metro Transit Center Station, set to open June 6; J Line Electrification; new pedestrian and bike paths in South Los Angeles and Inglewood; Purple Line Extension; Gold Line Foothill extension to Pomona; and improvements to the G Line in the San Fernando Valley.
In addition to previously serving as CEO of Metrolink from 2019-21, Wiggins held various positions with the MTA from 2008 to 2018, including a nearly four-year stint as deputy CEO.
Wiggins received her bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Whittier College in 1992, later earning her master’s in the same field from the USC Marshall School of Business in 2007.
