Bob Kiley
Encyclopedia
Robert R. Kiley, better known as Bob Kiley, (born 16 September 1935) is a public transit planner and supervisor, with a reputation of being able to save transit systems experiencing serious problems. From 2001 to 2006 he was the initial Commissioner
of Transport for London
, the public organisation empowered with running and maintaining London
's public transport
network.
Kiley has also worked as a CIA agent, as the CEO of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
, the deputy mayor
of Boston
, the Chairman and CEO of the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as President
and CEO of the New York City Partnership. He is credited as being the architect
of the revival of Boston and New York
's ailing public transport systems in the 1970s and 1980s respectively.
and educated at the University of Notre Dame
in Indiana
. He graduated magna cum laude and went on to study at Harvard's Graduate School. In 1963 he joined the Central Intelligence Agency
. The BBC
reports that although former colleagues say it would be incorrect to regard Bob Kiley as a "spook" he did travel around the world in his role as Manager of Intelligence Operations. He later served as Executive Assistant to the Agency Director Richard Helms
.
Kiley left the Agency in 1970 and embarked a career in management
, with particular emphasis on transport
. He first worked as an assistant director at the Police Foundation
in Washington D.C. Two years later he became deputy mayor of Boston, a position he held for three years. In 1975 Kiley took on two new roles - one as adjunct professor of public management at Boston University
- and the other as chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He left the MBTA in 1979 and became a vice-president at the Management Analysis Center (now part of Cap Gemini). In 1983 Kiley moved down the east coast to become the Chairman and CEO of the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). He remained in the position until 1990 and in his time in the role secured state funding to the tune of $16bn to revitalise the railroads, bus
es and subway
s in the MTA region. Gene Russianoff
, of the New York Straphangers Campaign
, says that the money was spent wisely - "Even normally grudging New Yorkers say he did a good job," says Russianoff. The clean-up campaign involving arresting fare dodgers and cleaning up graffiti
is now regarded as a prelude to the city-wide policy of "zero tolerance
" enforced by Rudy Giuliani
during his time as Mayor in the 1990s.
In 1991 Kiley moved to a new role as President of the New York construction company Fischbach Corporation. He briefly held the role of Chairman too before moving again to become President and CEO of the New York City Partnership in 1995. From 1994 to 1998 he was also principal of Kohlberg & Company
, a private equity investment house. Kiley's Transport for London biography notes that Kiley is also "Member of the Council on Foreign Relations
, Board Member of the Salzburg Seminar
, the American Repertory Theater, MONY Group Inc, the Princeton Review Inc and Edison Schools, Inc. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Harvard University Center for State and Local Government."
(the public body appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport
to run London's Underground
network of trains and also Commissioner of Transport for London, the public body which reports to the Mayor of London
and which has increasingly been granted authority formerly held by London Regional Transport.
Kiley, who was given a $4m four-year contract was regarded as a strange bedfellow for "Red" Ken Livingstone
- the former firebrand socialist elected London's first mayor in 2000. Indeed they themselves described their working relationship as "a CIA activist working for an unreconstructed Trotskyite". However, Livingstone's and Kiley's views on London transport have proved very similar. Both were vehemently opposed to the government's plans for public-private partnership
s (PPP) in running of the tube. Kiley was sacked as chairman of London Regional Transport in July 2001 and repeated clashes with his boss, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers
.
Remaining as Commissioner of Transport for London, he and Livingstone took the government to court in trying to prevent PPP. They failed and in January 2003 three separate private companies took control of maintaining various tube lines. In July 2003 powers for running the rest of the Tube network, including manning and maintaining the stations, was transferred to Transport for London and London Regional Transport became defunct. Kiley welcomed the opportunity to take greater control over the running over the tube but warned that he felt he would be hampered by PPP:
In December 2004, he and Livingstone announced a 4 year extension to Kiley's contract with TfL running until 2008 at an increased salary (£2.4 million [pounds sterling] over the term of the contract). This amount is disputed by a report issued by the TaxPayers Alliance who list his salary for 2005/06 as £1,146,425. However, in November 2005, Kiley announced that he would be standing down in January 2006, after five years in the job. He was paid almost £2 million in a settlement for standing down, and remained as a £3,200-a-day consultant. He was replaced by as Commissioner by Peter Hendy
in February 2006.
Kiley's first wife and two children were killed in a car accident in 1974. He is currently married to his second wife, Rona. They have two sons.
Commissioner of Transport for London
The Commissioner of Transport for London has management responsibility for Transport for London and hence for the transport system throughout the City of London and Greater London in the United Kingdom. TfL is controlled by a board whose members are appointed by the Mayor of London, who also...
of Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
, the public organisation empowered with running and maintaining London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
network.
Kiley has also worked as a CIA agent, as the CEO of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
, the deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the Chairman and CEO of the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and CEO of the New York City Partnership. He is credited as being the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the revival of Boston and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's ailing public transport systems in the 1970s and 1980s respectively.
Minneapolis, Boston and New York
Kiley was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and educated at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He graduated magna cum laude and went on to study at Harvard's Graduate School. In 1963 he joined the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reports that although former colleagues say it would be incorrect to regard Bob Kiley as a "spook" he did travel around the world in his role as Manager of Intelligence Operations. He later served as Executive Assistant to the Agency Director Richard Helms
Richard Helms
Richard McGarrah Helms was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1966 to 1973. He was the only director to have been convicted of lying to the United States Congress over Central Intelligence Agency undercover activities. In 1977, he was sentenced to the maximum fine and received a suspended...
.
Kiley left the Agency in 1970 and embarked a career in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, with particular emphasis on transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
. He first worked as an assistant director at the Police Foundation
Police Foundation
The Police Foundation, of Washington, DC, is a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping the police be more effective in doing their job. It was founded on July 22, 1970 by the Ford Foundation, and has continued to receive its primary support from that foundation, although it now has a large...
in Washington D.C. Two years later he became deputy mayor of Boston, a position he held for three years. In 1975 Kiley took on two new roles - one as adjunct professor of public management at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
- and the other as chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. He left the MBTA in 1979 and became a vice-president at the Management Analysis Center (now part of Cap Gemini). In 1983 Kiley moved down the east coast to become the Chairman and CEO of the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). He remained in the position until 1990 and in his time in the role secured state funding to the tune of $16bn to revitalise the railroads, bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
s in the MTA region. Gene Russianoff
Gene Russianoff
Gene Russianoff is staff attorney and chief spokesman for the Straphangers Campaign for NYPIRG, a New York City-based public transport advocacy group that focuses primarily on subway and bus services run by New York City Transit....
, of the New York Straphangers Campaign
Straphangers Campaign
The Straphangers Campaign is a New York City-based transit interest group that critiques the operations and planning activities of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and especially that agency's affiliate, New York City Transit, operator of the city's huge subway and bus system...
, says that the money was spent wisely - "Even normally grudging New Yorkers say he did a good job," says Russianoff. The clean-up campaign involving arresting fare dodgers and cleaning up graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
is now regarded as a prelude to the city-wide policy of "zero tolerance
Zero tolerance
Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are...
" enforced by Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
during his time as Mayor in the 1990s.
In 1991 Kiley moved to a new role as President of the New York construction company Fischbach Corporation. He briefly held the role of Chairman too before moving again to become President and CEO of the New York City Partnership in 1995. From 1994 to 1998 he was also principal of Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company
Kohlberg & Company is a private equity firm that focuses on leveraged buyout transactions founded by industry pioneer Jerome Kohlberg, Jr.Today, the firm invests in a variety of transactions including leveraged carveouts , take private transactions and acquisitions of privately held companies...
, a private equity investment house. Kiley's Transport for London biography notes that Kiley is also "Member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, Board Member of the Salzburg Seminar
Salzburg Seminar
Salzburg Global Seminar is an American non-profit organization that holds seminars on economics, politics, and other issues for future political, economic, and business leaders from around the world...
, the American Repertory Theater, MONY Group Inc, the Princeton Review Inc and Edison Schools, Inc. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Harvard University Center for State and Local Government."
London
In January 2001 Bob Kiley moved across the Atlantic to become Chairman of London Regional TransportLondon Regional Transport
London Regional Transport was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, UK from 1984-2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.The organisation was...
(the public body appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
to run London's Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
network of trains and also Commissioner of Transport for London, the public body which reports to the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
and which has increasingly been granted authority formerly held by London Regional Transport.
Kiley, who was given a $4m four-year contract was regarded as a strange bedfellow for "Red" Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
- the former firebrand socialist elected London's first mayor in 2000. Indeed they themselves described their working relationship as "a CIA activist working for an unreconstructed Trotskyite". However, Livingstone's and Kiley's views on London transport have proved very similar. Both were vehemently opposed to the government's plans for public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
s (PPP) in running of the tube. Kiley was sacked as chairman of London Regional Transport in July 2001 and repeated clashes with his boss, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers
Stephen Byers
Stephen John Byers is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for North Tyneside from 1997 to 2010; in the previous parliament, from 1992, he represented Wallsend...
.
Remaining as Commissioner of Transport for London, he and Livingstone took the government to court in trying to prevent PPP. They failed and in January 2003 three separate private companies took control of maintaining various tube lines. In July 2003 powers for running the rest of the Tube network, including manning and maintaining the stations, was transferred to Transport for London and London Regional Transport became defunct. Kiley welcomed the opportunity to take greater control over the running over the tube but warned that he felt he would be hampered by PPP:
- I maintain that the Government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) is not the right way to manage the maintenance and renewal of the Tube. As they stand, the PPP contracts do not satisfactorily address the improvements to the Underground that TfL and the public demand. Nevertheless, we will do everything within our power to hold the infrastructure companies to account on those Tube improvements they have promised to deliver.
In December 2004, he and Livingstone announced a 4 year extension to Kiley's contract with TfL running until 2008 at an increased salary (£2.4 million [pounds sterling] over the term of the contract). This amount is disputed by a report issued by the TaxPayers Alliance who list his salary for 2005/06 as £1,146,425. However, in November 2005, Kiley announced that he would be standing down in January 2006, after five years in the job. He was paid almost £2 million in a settlement for standing down, and remained as a £3,200-a-day consultant. He was replaced by as Commissioner by Peter Hendy
Peter Hendy
Peter Hendy, CBE is the current Commissioner of Transport for London.-Early career:He started his career in the public transport industry in 1975 as a London Transport graduate trainee...
in February 2006.
Kiley's first wife and two children were killed in a car accident in 1974. He is currently married to his second wife, Rona. They have two sons.