NJ TRANSIT Board Meeting Testimony
May 13, 2020
MNRCC Chair Randy Glucksman
Good Afternoon,
I am Randy Glucksman, Chair of the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council and an MTA Board Member.
Before getting to my comments, I want to express my condolences on the loss of Ray Kenney, a true railroad professional, as well as to the other eight employees mentioned by President Corbett.
On behalf of my constituents, I am pleased that service on the Pascack Valley Line has improved over last month’s record setting 21 train cancelations. It’s just hard to believe that even with a much-reduced schedule and graduating classes of new engineers, NJ Transit still has to cancel trains due to Engineer Availability. Thank you also for the improved service on the Port Jervis Line.
After my explanation last month of how the MTA provides information on our PTC projects, it was quite disappointing to find that there is still no information on your website showing exactly where testing is being performed and what progress is being made on each line. I will be getting an update on the status of our two railroads at the PTC Working Group virtual meeting tomorrow.
Please remember, the clock is ticking toward the deadline for full PTC implementation, which remains December 31, 2020.
As of yesterday, the MTA has lost 116 of its employees due to the coronavirus, and NJ Transit has also suffered losses. I sincerely hope that there will be no more losses. My thanks to your employees who transport our customers each day.
Thank you for the opportunity of speaking to you.
Download here: NJT Testimony 5.13.20