Rina Cutler resigns Philadelphia job to work for Amtrak

Philadelphia Deputy Mayor of Transportation Rina Cutler, who also worked for Ed Rendell's mayoral and gubernatorial administrations, is leaving next month for a senior position at Amtrak.

Mayor Nutter named Cutler - who spent decades in transportation management with Boston and San Francisco and with PennDot and the Philadelphia Parking Authority - to his staff in March 2008. Among her responsibilities were the Streets Department, the Philadelphia Water Department, and Philadelphia International Airport.

"Anything that moves is in your portfolio," Nutter said at a news conference announcing her departure. "Planes, trains, cars, pedestrians, and bikes, water, sewer and natural gas, all things that form the backbone of a modern city."

During her tenure she oversaw the $67 million construction of the South Street Bridge, a 10 percent drop in pedestrian-involved accidents, and the launch of Philadelphia Bike Share, due to begin in the coming weeks.

Nutter also credited Cutler for helping to increase recycling in the city and for creating an "unprecedented" relationship with SEPTA.

Her last day is April 17. John Elfrey, director of operations in the same office, will become acting deputy mayor of transportation and utilities.

Cutler, 61, said the job at Amtrak, senior director for major station planning and development, will allow her to find ways to improve stations and rails along the Northeast Corridor.

"Major rail stations are front doors to cities," she said. "And so the ability to work to do a lot of strategic planning and bring in private development to help fund the railroad . . . is a challenge I was not able to resist."