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, Uber plans to add trains, buses, planes, and car rentals to its UK app this year. It will expand these services to other countries if the test goes well. The company is aiming to become a one-stop shop for all travel needs. It plans to add hotel bookings in the future. Uber recently secured a 30-month license to continue operating in London after a battle with city regulators over its ride-hailing app.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 165, which lifts 50 percent capacity limits on NJ TRANSIT and private-carrier buses, trains, light rail vehicles and Access Link vehicles, and now requires that NJ TRANSIT and private-carriers limit vehicles to the maximum seated capacity, effective at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
NJ Transit has quite a few rank-and-file employees who earned more than $75,000 each in overtime in 2016. In some cases, they take home a bigger paycheck than their boss.
One police sergeant took home a total of $229.575, more than NJ Transit’s police chief, who earned $162,273 or the $208,988 made by the executive director last year.
Why is overtime so high?
Unforeseen events play a large role in dictating how much overtime is needed, said Penny Bassett, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.
During a recent incident where a truck that was too high hit a rail bridge in Pennsauken, track inspectors and crews were dispatched to make immediate repairs to make conditions safe for customers and the general public, she said. In that incident, service was restored sooner than officials predicted.
In other cases, use of planned overtime is a management tool, she said. Sometimes, overtime is cheaper than the cost of salary and benefits of hiring a new employee.
NJ Transit officials said the agency has lost employees to other commuter railroads, which has resulted in using overtime to cover those vacancies. Last November, Executive Director Steven Santoro said the agency has seen a 5 to 10 percent decline in the number of maintenance employees in the last few years.
November 1st 2016
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Ridgewood NJ, The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and NJ TRANSIT invite the public to learn more about their recommendation for the Hudson Tunnel Project at two upcoming information sessions. During the meetings in November, the public will be able to learn more about the recommendation (Preferred Alternative) and the Environmental Impact Statement for the project.
The Preferred Alternative identifies a specific alignment that includes two new tracks extending from the Northeast Corridor in Secaucus, N.J., continuing in a tunnel beneath the Palisades, and beneath the Hudson River to connect to the existing approach tracks that lead into Penn Station New York, as well as rehabilitation of the existing North River Tunnel once the new tunnel is complete.
Both meetings will be held from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM and will be in an open house format. Although there will be no formal presentations, project staff will be available to answer questions. See attached flyer.
The new tunnel would be constructed first, so that upon completion of construction, trains could be diverted from the existing tunnel to allow its rehabilitation. When the rehabilitation is complete, both the existing and new tunnels would be in service, providing redundant capability and increased operational flexibility for Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT.
The Project is intended to preserve the current functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York and strengthen the resiliency of the Northeast Corridor. FRA and NJ TRANSIT have made a recommendation (identified a Preferred Alternative) that consists of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitation of the existing Northeast Corridor Hudson River crossing, the North River Tunnel.
More information about the Hudson Tunnel Project, the upcoming meetings, and the Preferred Alternative is available at the Project website,www.hudsontunnelproject.com. Project staff may be contacted via the Project website as well, at www.hudsontunnelproject.com/contact.html.
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
June 8,2016
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Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police Department Patrol Officer Peter Tuchol, Jr. and a New York Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W) Railroad employee who did not wish to be identified survey a downed tree in the rear of 334 Lakeview Drive, Ridgewood that stopped freight train traffic on the NYS&W’s main line between Ridgefield Park, NJ and Binghampton, NY. The tree fell at approximately 12 noon on Tuesday, 06/07, according to a nearby resident. A railroad crew was expected to clear the blockage late in the afternoon.
Ridgewood NJ, An NJT engineer is operating trains along the nation’s third-largest commuter railroad even though his driver’s license has been suspended for 10 years because of a history of driving while intoxicated.
New Jersey Transit engineer Thomas Broschart’s license was suspended in 2007 for a decade, according to WABC-TV in New York (https://7ny.tv/1NJoUA8). Federal law doesn’t require him to have a motor vehicle driver’s license to operate a train.
“Federal law governing engineers sets forth specific regulations in dealing with DWI cases involving engineers and we are obligated to follow those Federal Railroad Administration rules,” NJ Transit said in a statement Tuesday. “The code was strictly adhered to and the engineer is certified to operate locomotives according to federal law.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez in perhaps the understatement of the century told WABC ,it was “pretty alarming” that Broschart can transport commuters but can’t legally drive to and from work, ah yes we agree!
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
October 09,2015
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Ridgewood NJ , According Rep Scott Garrett , “This week in Bergen County we saw a train derailment. While thankfully there were no injuries or environmental damage, it’s obvious that we need to know that the train lines carrying hazardous materials through our towns are safe and reliable. Today I requested that the Federal Railroad Administration share information about the safety condition of train tracks and infrastructure carrying crude oil through New Jersey’s Fifth District.”
Furthermore Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) today called upon Sarah Feinberg, Acting Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), to share information about the safety condition of train tracks and infrastructure carrying crude oil through New Jersey’s Fifth District. The letter asks FRA to acquire the most recent inspection reports from CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway and establish a time for the Congressman and local officials to review the reports.
“Just this week in Bergen County we saw a train derailment,” said Garrett. “While thankfully there were no injuries or environmental damage, it’s obvious that we need to know that the train lines carrying hazardous materials through our towns are safe and reliable.”
Specifically, Garrett requested the following information for the time period covering January 1, 2013 to the present as it relates to rail infrastructure within the Fifth District of New Jersey:
All safety inspection reports currently in the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) possession
Any recommendations made to the rail industry to improve the condition of the rail infrastructure
Any findings of structurally deficient rail infrastructure
The schedule of future FRA safety inspections
Notices from the rail industry on scheduled maintenance and infrastructure upgrades
“We have a right to know if the rail infrastructure in our communities meets or exceeds safety standards and, if it does not, what action is being taken to address any deficiencies,” wrote Garrett in the letter. “This is information that my constituents should not have to wait long to receive.”
