Richard Davey is the new president of New York City Transit, and today was his first day on the job.

Davey rode the subway alongside New Yorkers on his first official day.

It’s no secret that many New Yorkers rely on public transportation, so he spoke with commuters about what they want to see done.

Students told News 12 they want to feel safer riding the train. Older New Yorkers say they have concerns about accessibility. Essential workers want a cleaner commute.

"What I’m hearing is safety is absolutely Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on their minds. We’ve got to continue to work with the city and work with the police commissioner and others," Davey says.

Davey has a background in public transportation and was the CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation from 2011 to 2014. His new appointment to New York City Transit comes after several violent incidents on the subway that made national news, including the Brooklyn subway station shooting that injured 23 people last month.

Davey says ridership is bouncing back after millions of New Yorkers stayed home during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he says the agency’s work is far from over.

“I think people are coming back, which is great news, but again, we've gotten a lot of work to do when it comes to safety and security, and the things that we can control - reliability, customer service and cleanliness," he adds.

New York City Transit says 4.8 million riders used the transportation system last Wednesday and it hopes that number continues to grow.