Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Author: Donald Winship

  • Transit Funding Bill Introduced in Congress

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    Donald Winship

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    The Public Transportation Preservation Act of 2010 (S-3412) has been introduced in Congress.  The bill would provide $2 billion in grants for cash-strapped transit providers around the nation so they can continue to operate transit service.  Essentially every transit agency in the country, including New Jersey Transit, is having financial difficulties.  The Lackawanna Coalition and…

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  • NJT Drastically Raises Rail Fares

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    Donald Winship

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    The New Jersey Transit Board of Directors voted to raise peak-hour and commuter-rail fares, as well as interstate bus fares, by 25%.  Off-peak rail fares will be increased by 47%, although some will increase by as much as 64%.  There wil also be some cuts in rail service, including several trains on the M&E and…

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  • Governor Appoints New Transportation Leaders

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    Donald Winship

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    Gov. Christopher Christie has appointed new leaders for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit.  The new commissioner of NJDOT is James Simpson, a New Yorker who started his transportation career in the trucking business.  He was also Federal Transit Administrator from 2006 to 2009 in the Bush Administration.  The commissioner of…

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  • Moynihan Station Plan Gets Stimulus Funding

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    Donald Winship

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    The plan to extend the existing Penn Station into the historic Farley Post Office Building on the west side of Eighth Avenue received a boost as the Federal Government gave the project a grant of $83.3 million under the TIGER (Transportation Improvements Generating Economic Recovery) Program.  New York State and Amtrak officials hailed the move,…

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  • NJT Proposes Massive Fare Hikes with Service Cuts

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    Donald Winship

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    New Jersey Transit has proposed drastic fare increases to fill an alleged $300 million budget shortfall during the next fiscal year.  In addition, Gov. Christie has cut NJT’s curent-year subsidy by $32.7 million. The fare increases will average 25% across the board, with a special increase for rail riders who ride trains outside of commuting…

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  • Sarles Named to Head D.C. Metro

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    Donald Winship

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    Former NJT Executive Director Richard Sarles has been named as the interim head of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, otherwise known as “Metro”).  He begins his new job on April 1st.  He takes over the system in the wake of a serious accident last year and financial challenges, which many transit authorities face.…

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  • Increase in Funding for Transportation for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Becomes Law

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    Donald Winship

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    Funding for transportation for senior citizens and persons with disabilities will be increased.  The bill that will raise the portion of the Casino Revenue Fund that will be spent on special transportation programs will increase from 7.5% to 8.5% beginning with the next fiscal year on July 1st.  Because revenue earned by the casinos in…

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  • Funding Bill for Senior/Disabled Passes Assembly

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    Donald Winship

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    Assembly Bill 2046, which would increase the portion of the Casino Revenue Fund for transportation for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, passed the Assembly on January 11th by a vote of 75 to 2, with 2 abstentions.  The measure would raise the percentage of the fund dedicated to special transportation from 7.5 to 8.5%.…

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  • Service Cuts Not as Severe as Feared

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    Donald Winship

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    Rail service cuts were not as severe as feared.  Although we reported apprehension about expected severe cuts in the January-February issue of the Railgram, the actual service reductions were modest, averaging a train or two on most lines.  The most hard-hit will be the Atlantic City Rail Line, which will lose one of its busiest…

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  • New Leadership Coming to NJ Transit

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    Donald Winship

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    Governor-elect Chris Christie has appointed new leaders for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit.  His choice for transportation commissioner is Jim Simpson, a New Yorker who was federal transit administrator in the Bush administration from 2006 until 2009.  Simpson is familiar with the ARC Project and other NJT capital projects, as well…

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