Cannito (file)

NEW YORK - MTA Metro-North Railroad President Peter Cannito Friday announced his intention to retire in July.  He will continue to lead the railroad until that time, giving the MTA notice to begin a search for his replacement.

Cannito was hired in June 1999 as the railroad’s third president.  When he leaves the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, he will have been the longest tenured President in Metro-North’s 25-year history.

Dutchess County MTA Board Member James Sedore said he was “somewhat surprised” by Cannito’s announcement.

“Given what we’ve done over the last five or six years since he’s been there, you couldn’t get much better,” Sedore said. He said he thought Cannito would be looking for another job as a new challenge.

Sedore pointed to the modernization of train stations under Cannito as well as the most recent initiative of transit oriented development, which is being investigated in Beacon.

Sedore said the study into the feasibility of extending the Port Jervis line to Stewart Airport and resolution to the future of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which he hopes will include rail, has in large part been at the helm of Cannito. “He has really left a legacy for us to look at.”