Carm Basile, the former CEO of the Capital District Transportation Authority, died Thursday.
CDTA Board of Directors Chairman Jayme Lahut told the Albany Times Union that Basile died from medical complications following a recent surgery.
Basile, 69, stepped down from the helm of the regional transportation agency at the end of 2024 — ending a career that spanned more than four decades.
He began his tenure at CDTA as a transportation planner in 1981 and eventually reached the role of CEO in 2009. Basile introduced three lines that provide limited-stop service along the region's busiest travel corridors, making CDTA the only system in upstate New York to operate Bus Rapid Transit.
In a statement, CDTA praised Basile's contributions to the agency and said, "his legacy will continue to be felt throughout the organization and the Capital Region community."
Basile was involved with many regional organizations, including the board of the United Way of the Greater Capital Region.
United Way CEO Peter Gannon called Basile’s passing heartbreaking in a statement Friday, adding, “Carm embodied the very best of our community, both through his professional achievements and in the relationships he developed throughout his life.”
