Corbett Out, Kolluri In at NJT

After 7 years, Kevin Corbett left NJ Transit on January 15 to take a position at Rutgers. His background concentrated on real estate and maritime transportation, rather than transit. His sometimes-controversial tenure at the agency got mixed reviews.

            With the help of Raymond P. Kenny (1950-2020), who came out of retirement as president of the Long Island Rail Road to serve as head of NJT Rail, the agency got through implementation of the government’s required Positive Train Control (PTC) system and started to improve the railroad’s performance from that during former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. Still it wasn’t good enough for the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers (NJ-ARP), who called for Corbett to resign early in 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 virus struck.

            Similar problems, including cancellations, annulments, delays, and missed connections, have been plaguing the railroad again lately, and some riders and their advocates have been complaining.  Corbett was showered with praise from transportation business colleagues at his final NJT Board meeting in December, but some advocates for the riders strongly criticized his performance at NJT.

            His replacement is Kris Kolluri, who started his career at a South Jersey law firm, handing real estate and transportation matters. He later held a number of State positions: he was head of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and CEO of the Gateway Development Commission. He served as the N.J. Commissioner of Transportation from 2006 until 2008, under former Gov. Jon Corzine.  As the commissioner serves as chairperson of the NJT board of directors, he gained some knowledge of the agency, despite not working directly with NJT.  Kolluri also served as acting governor on December 28, 2006, when Corzine and the next 3 officials in succession were out of the state.

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