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NJ TRANSIT BOARD SELECTS WILLIAM “BILL” CROSBIE AS AGENCY’S NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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April 6, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In a unanimous vote, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors appointed William (“Bill”) Crosbie as the new Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT during a special meeting today.  The appointment is effective on or about April 25, 2016.

Mr. Crosbie succeeds Dennis J. Martin, who has served as the agency’s interim Executive Director since December, 2015. Mr. Martin will resume his previous position as VP/GM of NJ TRANSIT’s Bus Operations Division.

“I would like to thank Governor Christie and the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors for this tremendous opportunity to serve the more than 900,000 people who utilize the New Jersey Transit system each year,” said incoming Executive Director Crosbie.  “I am anxious to roll up my sleeves and stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of NJ TRANSIT to address the service, safety, equipment and facility needs of our customers and our infrastructure.”

Prior to Executive Director Crosbie’s appointment, he served as President & CEO as well as Regional Director for North America for SYSTRA USA, an international transportation engineering consulting firm.  During his tenure, he was responsible for leading day-to-day operations as well as the strategic development of the firm.

In addition to serving as Vice President of Railroad Programs for the Parsons Corporation, Executive Director Crosbie spent more than seven years as the Chief Operating Officer of Amtrak where he directed the transportation, engineering (infrastructure), mechanical (rolling stock), police and security, environmental, health, and safety functions.

“Bill Crosbie brings a depth of background in operations, transportation, engineering, finance, and security to New Jersey Transit that is perfectly suited to address the needs facing the agency at this important time,” said Acting Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman Richard T. Hammer.

Executive Director Crosbie is a transportation security expert and Professional Engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the transportation field. He is a regular guest lecturer at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School on intelligence analysis, cyber security, and infrastructure protection. He has served on numerous Boards including the Boards of Directors for Washington Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Chicago Union Station.

Executive Director Crosbie holds a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

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Commuters could soon sit on NJ Transit board, but wouldn’t be able to vote

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A bill that would add two members to NJ Transit’s Board of Directors advanced to the state senate for a future vote.

(Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on May 11, 2015 at 12:52 PM, updated May 11, 2015 at 12:54 PM

A bill that would add two commuters to NJ Transit’s board is rolling down the tracks toward a vote.

The bill, proposed by state Senators Nicholas Sacco, D-Bergen, and Raymond Lesnaik, D-Union, was unanimously cleared by the five members of the senate Transportation Committee Monday morning and will go to the full senate for a vote.

The bill would add two non-voting commuter members to NJ Transit’s eight member board of directors.

“It’s difficult to get public input into decisions that affect people’s lives by people who take public transportation to get to work,” Lesniak said. “By having two public members, who will be able to make a motion, to have it voted on, we will be doing better by giving (the board) more public input.”

Lesniak used the upcoming NJ Transit fare increase public hearings as an example of why riders need representation on the board. Some of them are at inconvenient locations or times for commuters to attend and voice their opinion.

The idea was supported by founders of the state’s newest commuter commuter group, the New Jersey Commuter Action Coalition. They questioned why the proposed members wouldn’t have a vote.

“If these individuals are allowed to attend meetings in their entirety and engage with the rest of the group to truly exchange ideas, I think it is a great start,” said Michael Phelan, NJCAN co-founder. “If they will sit there and observe and be asked to leave so that the adults can talk for real after the meeting, then it’s not good. Why wouldn’t these members of the public be as capable of absorbing facts and voting as those who are on the board?”

Phelan suggested that bill should require that the two commuter board members take the next two available voting seats, as they become available, and that those seats continue to be held by commuters going forward.

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