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  • NJ ARP calling for replacement of NJT CEO

  • Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.
Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.

Moderators: lensovet, Kaback9, nick11a

 #1535470  by lensovet
 
Ran across this from an article posted by EuroStar about "signaling" problems:
One of the state’s oldest commuter groups and a petition started by riders are calling for NJ Transit’s CEO to step down, blaming the agency’s leadership for a lack of substantial improvement over the last two years.

The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers called for NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett and state Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti to resign. The commissioner is also chairwoman of NJ Transit’s board of directors.
https://www.nj.com/traffic/2020/02/comm ... -down.html

They've gotten about 1300 signatures in 5 days, which doesn't feel like a lot to me. But I also genuinely fail to understand the impetus here — a shutdown of one of the Hudson Tunnels due to the Amtrak wire-down incident on 2/3, which NJT had zero control over? They added the signal incident to their list of grievances too, but again, one engineer running a red light is now cause for the CEO to be brought down? Huh?

I feel like I'm missing something important here, or it's 2020 and people like to be outraged about everything and think about nothing.
 #1535557  by Backshophoss
 
What they don't know or understand what the "Christi Era" did to NJT behind the scenes,budget cuts both operations and capital,
Screwed up maintaince cycles and the late install of ACSES to run on the NEC and Fed PTC mandate.
The "battle damage will take years to erase,system wide.
Last edited by Backshophoss on Mon Mar 02, 2020 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1535570  by ryanov
 
I’ve also read that article and don’t see anyplace where NJ-ARP is calling for anyone’s resignation. Some random Twitter account that claims to be an advocacy group has. I don’t know what, if any, group they are associated with.
 #1535679  by Dcell
 
WashingtonPark wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 3:49 pm The big issue seems to be Snyder. She very much frames everything as if it's either perfect or very soon to be. Maybe a little brutal honesty would encourage more trust in a system with a rough past.
100% agree. She denies any problems have occurred and flat out is untruthful at times. Her comments enrage me more than the train breakdowns that I experience but she denies have happened.
 #1535701  by lensovet
 
ryanov wrote: Mon Mar 02, 2020 5:28 pm I’ve also read that article and don’t see anyplace where NJ-ARP is calling for anyone’s resignation. Some random Twitter account that claims to be an advocacy group has. I don’t know what, if any, group they are associated with.
Literally the first sentence in the article is
One of the state’s oldest commuter groups and a petition started by riders are calling for NJ Transit’s CEO to step down
and state's oldest commuter groups is a hyperlink to the NJ-ARP website. Did they change the article when you read it?

The article is also posted on NJ-ARP's official facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/njarp/p ... 815072931/
 #1535712  by MedicSutton
 
Corbett comes off as an individual imho who has never had experience with public transportation in his life prior to his appointment at NJT. Also seems to lack knowledge of his organizations day to day operations and the state in which said organization operates in. What NJT needs is new energy at the top. Not another Guy Smiley in a suit to put in front of the cameras.
 #1535720  by ryanov
 
lensovet wrote: Wed Mar 04, 2020 2:00 am Literally the first sentence in the article is
One of the state’s oldest commuter groups and a petition started by riders are calling for NJ Transit’s CEO to step down
and state's oldest commuter groups is a hyperlink to the NJ-ARP website. Did they change the article when you read it?

The article is also posted on NJ-ARP's official facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/njarp/p ... 815072931/
And then there’s no quote that says that. So what you’re suggesting is that they were speaking to NJ-ARP and then never bothered to get a quote that says they are calling for his removal? I guess it’s possible.

I’ll just ask them.
 #1535749  by WashingtonPark
 
MedicSutton wrote: Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:35 am Corbett comes off as an individual imho who has never had experience with public transportation in his life prior to his appointment at NJT. Also seems to lack knowledge of his organizations day to day operations and the state in which said organization operates in. What NJT needs is new energy at the top. Not another Guy Smiley in a suit to put in front of the cameras.
And that seems to be the issue. Nobody can wave a magic wand over this and make all the problems disappear. I think they are demanding more from the top than just the ability to put lipstick on a pig. Less public relations talk and more real solutions to real problems, even though that's not the easy way to go.
 #1535789  by ryanov
 
I saw a complaint about that too: that NJT was too optimistic or wasn't saying how bad things really were. My understanding of the situation from reading what NJT has said is that the situation was really really dire. They couldn't even run a Sunday schedule with the crews available reliably. They're now saying things are improving. In general, I think they are.
 #1535825  by Backshophoss
 
What my help is a PR spokesperson with a sense of reality and briefed on what's really happening in the field.
There's resentment of "smiley faced" PR people with no sense of reality
 #1535836  by JoeG
 
Honesty by NJT management and PR people seems to be at an all time low, and it was never very high. They make Amtrak look transparent. I thought that the new regime might change this. Looks like I was wrong. They are spending money to fix things but somehow they are not willing to admit they are broken.
 #1535873  by ryanov
 
Again, I think they were really honest about the fact that things were very bad. I'm not sure what folks are talking about on that score.
 #1535914  by WashingtonPark
 
ryanov wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2020 1:52 am Again, I think they were really honest about the fact that things were very bad. I'm not sure what folks are talking about on that score.
After they called for a change in management Nancy Snyder jumped out there and said “Despite having to dig out from the incredible hole we were in after years of neglect and disinvestment, our progress has been steady and substantial.” In others words, current management has made great strides over the last two years and any problems are past management's fault. I'm guessing her idea of a great job and the commuter's idea of a great job don't sync up.