The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Ridgewood NJ, In a decisive vote on June 10, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) approved a new labor contract with NJ Transit, ending years of stalled negotiations and bringing wage increases for nearly 450 rail engineers.
More companies are saying “back to the office,” but are employees really listening?
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Ridgewood NJ, from JPMorgan’s hardline stance to Electronic Arts joining the RTO trend, the pressure to return to the office—either full-time or on a hybrid basis—is growing. Yet, despite mandates, the real question remains: Are these policies actually effective?
Continue reading Return to Office in 2025: Why RTO Mandates Still Aren’t Working
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Hackensack NJ, New Jersey Transit train on the Pascack Valley Line struck and killed a man near the Clinton Place crossing in Hackensack on the morning of May 22, according to NJ Transit officials.
Continue reading NJ Transit Train Fatally Strikes Man in Hackensack Near Clinton Place Crossing
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Hackensack NJ, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) today announced the filing of criminal charges against a NJ Transit employee who allegedly engaged in a years-long scheme to sell phones purchased with NJ Transit funds for personal profit, unlawfully earning hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Newark NJ, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was detained on Friday, May 9, after refusing to leave a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility located at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. The confrontation has sparked national attention, drawing in federal authorities, congressional representatives, and immigration policy critics.
Continue reading DHS Arrests Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at ICE Facility
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Ridgewood NJ, a tentative agreement between NJ Transit and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) was reached on May 7, offering a temporary sigh of relief for thousands of bus and light rail riders across New Jersey. However, the threat of a rail strike still looms as negotiations continue with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).
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Ridgewood NJ, tensions are rising between NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) after NJ Transit officially rescinded its contract offer, resetting negotiations amid an ongoing labor dispute now entering its fifth year.
Continue reading NJ Transit Withdraws Contract Offer to Engineers as Strike Threat Looms in Mid-May
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New York NY , the Trump administration has announced a major shift in the leadership of the long-awaited reconstruction of New York’s Penn Station — handing over full control to Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), effectively sidelining the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which had been leading the project for years.
Continue reading Trump Administration Shifts Leadership of Penn Station Overhaul to Amtrak
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Newark NJ, Amtrak has announced a $40 million investment to upgrade aging infrastructure on the Northeast Corridor between New York Penn Station and Trenton, as part of a major push to prevent a repeat of the “Summer of Hell” delays that plagued commuters in 2024.
photo courtesy of www.artchickphotography.com
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Ridgewood Nj, the threat of a rail strike in New Jersey is growing after NJ Transit’s locomotive engineers voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative labor agreement, with a staggering 87% voting “no”. The high turnout — 93% of eligible union members — sends a powerful message as the agency faces increasing pressure to return to the bargaining table.
Continue reading NJ Transit Engineers Overwhelmingly Reject Contract Offer, Strike Looms for May 15
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Ridgewood NJ, get ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day hassle-free with enhanced NJ TRANSIT service for the New York City parade on Monday, March 17, and the Pearl River parade on Sunday, March 23!
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Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey commuters could face major disruptions this spring as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) has rejected a settlement proposal in its ongoing wage dispute with NJ Transit. The decision paves the way for a possible train engineers’ strike as early as March 22, 2025.
Continue reading NJ Transit Engineers Reject Federal Wage Proposal, Potential Strike Looms in March
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Ridgewood NJ, despite taxpayers having been repeatedly told by Village officials that the former taxi offices at Ridgewood’s train station had been rented, the property remains vacant. One Village Council member even suggested that residents should stop by and say “hello” to the new tenant.
Continue reading Former Taxi office at Ridgewood Train Station Remains Vacant
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Ridgewood Nj, Navigating the Garden State’s transportation system is often a challenge — expensive, frustrating, and sometimes maddening. This past year brought battles over congestion pricing, ongoing issues at NJ Transit, and rising tolls. Unfortunately, 2025 is shaping up to continue these trends, though with some major infrastructure improvements on the horizon.
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Ridgewood NJ, as expected the New Jersey Transit Board of Directors unanimously approved a 15% fare increase on Wednesday morning, marking the first hike in nearly a decade.
