Tri-Rail names Dave J. Kubicek as new executive director
Dave J. Kubicek was picked to lead Tri-Rail as Broward riders face fare hikes, funding pressure and questions about reliability.
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority board selected Dave J. Kubicek as Tri-Rail’s new executive director at a special meeting at 12:00 p.m. Friday in the SFRTA Board Room at 801 NW 33rd Street in Pompano Beach. The appointment puts a new face at the top of a system that Broward commuters use every day to reach jobs, classes, airports and other destinations across South Florida.
For Broward County riders, the change matters far beyond Tallahassee or a board agenda. Tri-Rail runs commuter service through Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, which means the executive director will help shape schedule reliability, station conditions, parking, rider connections and how well the rail line fits with other South Florida transit options. The new leader inherits the practical complaints riders know well: trains that need to stay dependable, stations that need to feel safer and more usable, and fares that need to remain workable for people who ride to work.
Kubicek arrives as Tri-Rail continues to operate under heavy financial pressure. In July 2025, former executive director David W. Dech said the railroad faced a $30 million funding shortfall that could end service in 2027. On Jan. 24, 2026, the board authorized a fare increase by August while the agency lobbied Florida lawmakers for more money. Tri-Rail also posted ridership records in January 2026 as it sought restoration of funding cuts, and in May 2026 a surge tied to soccer fans set a record for Sunday ridership, a sign that demand is there when service and events line up.
The search for a new executive director was already underway by February, when a board agenda referenced the 2026 executive director recruitment. By Feb. 28, Tri-Rail had started the search and approved a deputy to serve as interim leader after Dech prepared to leave for a commuter rail job in northern Indiana serving Chicago-area cities. Kubicek, who has been associated with Capital Metro in Austin, Texas, was one of three candidates described as having deep transit experience.
His arrival also comes after a change in board leadership. A July 1 Tri-Rail release said the SFRTA Governing Board unanimously elected Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado as chair and Broward County Commissioner Lamar P. Fisher as vice chair. With that leadership team in place, Kubicek now takes over a regional rail system that must answer to Broward riders not with promises, but with on-time trains, stable fares and a better daily ride.
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