Ridgewood NJ, If was a very difficult commute for Ridgewood Passengers on Wednesday .Strong winds fed brush fires in the Meadowlands shuting down NJ Transit and Amtrak service between Newark and New York Penn Station. The Shutdown resulted in massive delays .
Bergen Line trains to Ridgewood were also briefly suspended then operated on a delayed schedule in both directions, while MidTown Direct rail service will be diverted to Hoboken.
The PATH service cross honored tickets and passes at Newark Penn, Hoboken and 33rd Street in NY. stations.
Rail service between Newark Penn Station and New York was resumed following earlier brush fires. NJT told customers to expect delays of up to 60 minutes.
NOAA cites “CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR RAPID BRUSH FIRE SPREAD
DURING THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING” in the area .
Ridgewood NJ, NJT Authorities say a man lying between the railroad tracks was not injured after a New Jersey Transit Main Line train passed over him.
The Suffern bond train departed from Hoboken on Saturday. There were no reported injuries , but the train was delayed for nearly an hour while the incident was investigated in Elmwood Parked .
The man who’s name has not been released is now facing a charge of interfering with transportation following the incident .
It’s not clear why the man was lying between the tracks or how long he had been there before the train went over him. But authorities say he appeared to be drunk and he was taken to a hospital for an evaluation.
PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — When Kevin Eleby started commuting by train to New York City in 2001, the station in downtown Paterson was nearly empty. Every morning he climbed the stairs to the platform to wait alongside three other riders.
Nearly a decade passed. A few new people started showing up. Then a few more. A few weeks ago, when his train rushed into the station at 7:39 a.m., Eleby was surrounded by a crowd of 45 people.
“This place was deserted. Now you come up here and it’s full. Look at all these people!” said Eleby, 48, a Paterson resident who works in information technology for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. “It’s a big change,” he told The Record (https://bit.ly/1V8CxLm).
It’s a change that’s taking place across New Jersey and in some of the nation’s largest metropolitan regions. During the housing boom of the early 2000s, New Jersey’s population grew by 2.8 percent, but car-dependent suburbs saw their populations grow by 4.1 percent, according to a study by Tim Evans, research director at New Jersey Future, which advocates for transit-oriented development.
Meanwhile, neighborhoods within a half-mile of a transit station barely grew at all.
Then came the 2008 recession — and a major shift in population and commuting patterns.
Statewide, population growth slowed, dropping to 1.5 percent from 2008 through 2014, the latest year for which data is available. Car-oriented suburbs grew at roughly the same rate.
But during the same period, transit-oriented neighborhoods saw their population surge. Since the recession, they have accounted for 38.3 percent of the population growth in New Jersey, Evans found.
“It’s really dramatic, actually, how little these transit places were growing before 2008 and now they’re growing really quickly,” Evans said. “And the outlying counties that were the locus of sprawl are now losing population.
In Bergen and Passaic counties, many older suburbs grew up along train lines, and many newer ones are dependent on cars. That means the change in population patterns is not as stark here as elsewhere around the state, Evans said.
Yet the pattern holds. Most car-based municipalities in North Jersey continued to grow after 2008, but at a slower pace than before the recession, Evans said. Places like Montvale, Cresskill, Upper Saddle River in Bergen County; Wanaque in Passaic County; and Pompton Plains in Morris County all saw their growth rates stagnate.
But many transit-oriented neighborhoods grew. In Bergen County, Fair Lawn, Lyndhurst, Garfield, Ridgewood and Glen Rock all went from losing population before the recession to gaining population since 2008.
New Jersey Transit’s director defended the use of audio surveillance systems on some of its trains Tuesday, as some questioned the monitoring’s legal and ethical underpinnings. Associated Press, Read more
Ridgewood NJ, NJ.COM is reporting that casual commuter conversations on light rail trains are being recorded by NJ Transit.
NJT has long held the belief that video and audio surveillance systems are designed to make riders more secure and that
the on-board cameras and audio surveillance systems are needed to fight crime and maintain security.
In recent years NJT has installed video surveillance on transit buses and video and audio devices have already been installed on River Line light rail vehicles and are currently being installed on the Hudson-Bergen and Newark Light Rail.
According to the Port Authority ,PATH trains also have on-board cameras to monitor riders, which was a built in feature of the new PA-5 cars that replaced older trains.
While NJT claims commuter rail trains are not equipped with surveillance devices.We could not get a confirmation to the extent of which bus riders were under surveillance.
According to Transit all light rail vehicles that are equipped with surveillance have signs informing customers of their presence.So the question arises does on-board surveillance go too far when the agency records everything passengers are saying, without telling customers how long they keep or who has access to the recordings?
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.
Ridgewood NJ, Just weeks since a potential strike was adverted and less than a year after NJ Transit closed a $56 million budget gap by raising passenger fares 9 percent, NJT now finds itself another $57 million in the hole. Slower ridership growth leading to lower-than-projected revenues leaves the agency 128 days to close the budget gap.
The biggest single hit “surprise “was a new contract for unionized bus workers, which cost the agency $46.6 million in additional salaries and benefits. NJ Transit also spent $18 million more than it expected on services by outside companies, including a program to overhaul the agency’s double-decker train cars, plus another $13 million on materials and supplies, to renovate facilities . Federal money partially offset some of these expenses , and NJ Transit expects more federal reimbursements to help off set budget gap.
According to NJT the biggest financial challenge is the new contract with 11 rail unions to increase pay for its 4,200 train workers by 21 percent between now and the end of 2019, including retroactive pay to 2011. NJT has not yet released the contract’s total cost, but Governor Christie reiterated it will not necessitate another fare increase. NJT last raised fares in July 2015.
Besides the new contract NJT will soon pay more money yest unspecified to use Northeast Corridor tracks belonging to Amtrak, this according to the Northeast Corridor Commission.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood commuters may finally get the much coveted “One seat ride ” to Manhattan . On Thursday the Port Authority committed it self to building a connection as part of a new Hudson River rail tunnel ,this connection would give Ridgewood rail commuters a direct train ride to New York City.
The agency authorized spending $35 million ,which would be matched by $35 million from Amtrak to fund the preliminary planning and environmental review for the project, known as the Gateway tunnel.
The new rail connection known as the Bergen Loop would connect NJ Transit’s Main-Bergen and Pascack Valley train lines directly to the Northeast Corridor line, bypassing Secaucus Junction and delivering commuters to New York Penn Station.
That means no more ferry rides, PATH trains or transfers in Hoboken or Secaucus. Proponents claim direct train service will increase the value of North Jersey real estate by billions of dollars.
In New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority received a $3 billion budget cut last year, endangering completion of the long-awaited Second Avenue subway. In San Francisco, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission faces $1 billion in budget cuts over the next two years, forcing the agency to scrap seven projects aimed at reducing congestion.
In Washington, D.C., chronic underfunding of maintenance and safety programs at the Metro transit system has contributed to numerous accidents and more than a dozen deaths over the last 33 years, including an electrical problem in January 2015 that killed one passenger and injured more than 80. Earlier this month, the entire subway system was shut down for a day to conduct emergency inspections.
NJ Transit faces similar financial problems. The agency’s current budget diverts $450 million from long-term construction projects, intended to improve safety and reliability, to pay for day-to-day operations. Since the practice started in 1990, governors and legislators of both parties have diverted $6.5 billion, according to NJ Transit.
That’s enough money to build the long-awaited extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line into Bergen County and contribute to the replacement of the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in Kearny as well as the proposed train tunnel under the Hudson River, experts say. All of those projects, which include repairs to parts of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line that NJ Transit relies heavily upon, would help the agency accommodate its recent surge in ridership more reliably and safely, said Martin Robins, a former deputy executive director of NJ Transit.
Still, how the funding deficit affects maintenance, performance and system upgrades is a matter of debate among transportation experts. NJ Transit leaders defend the practice, saying it helps the agency maintain its aging fleet and keep trains running on time.
The settlement of a prolonged contract dispute between NJ Transit and unions representing 4,200 of the railroad’s employees was reached only after provisions were made for recent retirees to receive retroactive pay increases, a published report said Sunday.
The unions had threatened to strike after five years of working without a contract, but on Friday night the two sides reached a tentative deal to avoid a shutdown of the commuter rail lines between North Jersey and New York City.
NEWARK – New Jersey Transit and rail union negotiators have reached a deal to avert a strike ahead of the Sunday deadline.
Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey riders would have been impacted by a strike, which was set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
After nearly nine hours of negotiation Friday, transit union spokesman Steve Burkert came out with other union leaders to announce the deal.
“We have reached a tentative agreement,” he said. “Thankfully for the commuters of NJ Transit the crisis has been averted. We thank our members for having faith in us in solidarity. We’re going home to our families.”
Burkert did not take any questions from the media following the announcement.
Gov. Chris Christie held a news conference soon after the announcement. He reiterated that a deal was reached, but said that it still needed to be ratified by the rail unions involved. He said that he would not discuss the financial details of the agreement until union leaders shared it with their members, but said that it would not require any immediate fare increases.
The major issues that were being negotiated were health care and wage increases. About 4,000 NJ Transit workers had been working without a contract for nearly five years.
Ridgewood NJ, A crew member of a NJ Transit train telephoned police after spotting a man lying on the tracks near the West Glen Avenue train trestle in Ridgewood on Thursday night, 03/10, at approximately 10:30 PM. Responding NJ Transit and Ridgewood police officers found the individual lying between the HoHoKus train station and West Glen Avenue. He was unresponsive when found and pronounced dead shortly thereafter by a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital. It is believed the deceased was struck and killed by a Hoboken bound NJ Transit train.
Investigators will review video footage from at least one (1) train to determine if, when, and where the victim was struck. All train traffic on the NJ Transit Bergen County and Main Lines was delayed while investigators worked at the scene. The body was removed from the scene by representatives of the Bergen County Medical Examiner’s Office shortly after 1:00 AM on Friday, 03/11. The victim was said to have been a Ridgewood resident
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — The clock is ticking towards a possible NJ TRANSIT strike on Sunday.
Leaders representing the 11 rail unions wrapped up talks Thursday with NJ TRANSIT officials at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Newark after taking a day off from negotiations, CBS2’s Meg Baker reported.
NJ TRANSIT negotiator Gary Dellaverson said no announcement of a deal was imminent. He said wages and health care negotiations have yet to be reached, calling agreements “very complicated.”
“I don’t have anything very exciting to say,” Dellaverson said. “What we did this morning, for the last few hours, has been to continue to be precise with one another… as to the areas where there still remain differences between us.”
NJ TRANSIT released a notice Thursday saying that in the case of a strike, all existing positions would be terminated. All employees on sick leave would no longer receive sick leave compensation and insurance positions would be discontinued.
Union members rejected the notice and said it is counterproductive to the negotiating process.
Sen. Robert Menendez said federal negotiators will get involved if they have to, saying “we cannot afford a shutdown.”
The leaders of NJ Transit and its rail unions warned anyone planning to ride trains Saturday night to be home by midnight or make alternate plans, since a lockout or strike could start as early as 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
New Jersey Transit and rail worker unions on Tuesday were closer to a contract agreement to head off a strike than they were a day earlier, a union official said. Associated Press Read more
Basics of dispute
The dispute revolves around a 5-year-old contract stalemate. Unions have demanded a deal similar to the one signed in 2014 by the Long Island Railroad, with an 18-percent pay raise over seven years plus retroactive pay from 2011, when the current contract came up for negotiation. The unions also want a modest increase in employees’ health insurance payments, capped at 2.5 percent of their base salaries.
NJ Transit told the Presidential Emergency Board, which has been mediating the latest discussions, that such a plan would cost the agency an additional $183 million by 2018. In a Feb. 19 letter to New Jersey’s Congressional delegation, NJ Transit said the union proposal was “excessive,” and included “platinum-level health benefits.”
