William Wheeler, the brains behind the MetroCard and the finalizing of the Second Avenue Subway, died suddenly this week, MTA officials said.
Wheeler, who worked for the MTA for 32 years, was crucial in formulating the MetroCard before it was introduced in 1992, replacing the subway token.
“Wheeler understood that for the MetroCard to work, it had to work for all the people on the subway and buses, had to have a flat fare, and had to be able to be purchased and used at all stations,” said transit guru Mitchell Moss, who gave Wheeler the 2011 Public Service Leader award from the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management. “He knew that it had to not only be usable, but had to be more convenient than the token.”
Wheeler was also instrumental in creating the route of the Second Avenue Subway, which finally opened last year.
Before Wheeler weighed in, MTA officials were unsure of how to connect the three new stations to the rest of the system.
“He understood how you could connect it to make it go from the east side of Manhattan to the west,” says Moss. “It’s the only line that does that.”
MTA Chairman Joe Lhota sent a note to all agency employees lauding Wheeler’s legacy.
“Bill was a legendary planner and he directed the long-term growth of the MTA over many decades,” wrote Lhota. “He always had kind words and keen insights for anyone who crossed his path.”
Wheeler, who was 69, joined the MTA in 1986 as a deputy director of strategic planning. He became director of planning and development in 1992 and was promoted to director of special project development and planning in 2002. Before he joined the MTA, he worked for the City of Yonkers and the Westchester Transportation Department.
He died at his home in Tarrytown on Sunday. His wife, Diane, passed away in 2013. He is survived by his children, Joanna Marie Wheeler and Will Wheeler.