Statement By Randolph Glucksman
NJ TRANSIT Board Meeting – September 7, 2017
Good Morning:
Speaking as chair of the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council, I want to thank you for keeping the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line service in tact during the Penn Station construction project.
I am concerned about the number of trains that have been canceled or as recent alerts are now referring to these occurrences as the “combining of trains.” As an occasional user of Train #1618 (8:05 AM Nanuet), when it is combined with its follower (8:14 AM Nanuet), there is a difference if the train and Secaucus Jct. connection gets me to NY Penn Station shortly after 9:00 or about a half-hour later, especially if I have to take the subway to my destination.
On a different subject, for several years my colleague Orrin Getz and I have requested that NJ Transit re-visit the Pascack Valley Line Sidings Project and determine what needs to be done to bring this project back to life. Specifically, does there need to be a new environmental impact statement? What about the memorandum of understanding? These are just two of many important questions. Construction of the Vale and Golf sidings would allow for more flexibility in operating Pascack Valley Line service, especially when trains are delayed at their scheduled siding meets. It would also permit scheduling of trains that would eliminate those horrendous 2 plus hour midday service gaps, which do not exist on any of your other lines and which I have previously stated on numerous occasions, makes riding the Pascack Valley Line not an option for some meetings that I attend in New York City.
Speaking to you as the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council’s recently appointed member to the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, I will work with my fellow board members to request that Metro-North staff work with NJ Transit staff to determine what needs to be done to move this project. In the overall scheme of funding, I don’t believe this to be a huge capital expenditure.
Thank you for your time.
Download here: 090717 MNRCC NJ Transit Board