WHEREAS, Leslie Richards began her career of public service with the Whitemarsh Township Board of Supervisors in 2007, becoming chairwoman of the board just a year later. In 2011, Richards was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, alongside now-Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure, Richards served as the Montgomery County representative on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, collaborating with various counties and stakeholders to maintain and improve transportation in the region; and
WHEREAS, Leslie Richards was nominated to serve as Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Wolf in 2015 where she pursued innovative and sustainable investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure, culminating in the Transportation Investment Plan, a 12 year capital program to support and maintain critical bridges and roadways; and
WHEREAS, Leslie Richards also served as the first female chair of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission as well as the Public Private Partnership board, one of the most comprehensive programs in the country to bring public and private-sector stakeholders together with innovative project delivery and financing options for transportation improvements; and
WHEREAS, In January 2020, Leslie Richards began her tenure as general manager of SEPTA, where she oversaw one of the largest transportation agencies in the United States, connecting over five million residents in the Greater Philadelphia area, through and out of the COVID-19 pandemic that began just three months into her time at SEPTA; and
WHEREAS, Her time at SEPTA is marked with many notable accomplishments including a redesign and modernization of the bus network, the introduction and expansion of the SEPTA Key Advantage program, an increased focus on sustainability, a consistent increase in daily ridership following the pandemic, and a decrease in serious crimes on the system; and
WHEREAS, Leslie Richards announced she would be stepping down from her role as general manager and CEO of SEPTA on November 29th, 2024 and will be expanding her role as a Professor of Practice in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor Leslie Richards for her service to the residents of the City of Philadelphia and surrounding area during her tenure as general manager and CEO of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Leslie Richards to show the deepest admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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