Governors shake up Port Authority leadership

Cuomo's special counsel for interagency initiatives, Rick Cotton, will serve as executive director, the governors said in a joint statement.

"I can think of no one better than Kevin O'Toole to assume the Port Authority chairmanship at this point, with New Jersey and NY moving forward with the most important project in generations to impact commuters and the economy in the Northeast Corridor, the Gateway Program", he said.

Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday appointed new leaders for the agency that controls the region's airports, bridges and tunnels.

Christie said he could "think of no one better" than O'Toole to lead the agency through the process of completing the Gateway Program, which would greatly expand train capacity to Penn Station. They will take over their new roles following the next meeting of the board.

The announcement comes after the conviction of Christie aides over a political payback scheme involving 2013 lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, which the Port Authority oversees. Foye, who was appointed as the agency's executive director in 2011, notably ordered for the lanes to be reopened on September 9, 2013.

Cuomo, a Democrat, said Cotton has the "experience and tenacity" to guide the Port Authority through infrastructure projects, including at the city's airports.

Foye had announced toward the end of 2015 that he would be leaving his position, but he had chose to stay on after a replacement hadn't been found. A spokesman at Cuomo's office declined to comment on the speculation.