Select Committee on NJ Transit to Hold Third Hearing

Select Committee on NJ Transit to Hold Third Hearing

Trenton– The special committee formed to investigate NJ Transit will hold its third hearing on Thursday when they will hear from experts and advocates on the performance and reliability of the public transportation system for disabled persons, as well as the challenges, funding issues, and complications involved in providing that service, Senate President Steve Sweeney said today.

The Senate Select Committee on New Jersey Transit’s hearing will be held Thursday, January 16, at 11:00 a.m. in Committee Room 4, State House Annex, Trenton, N. J.

“This hearing will put a focus on the performance and reliability of NJ Transit services for the disabled, and how service can be improved for members of this community,” said Senator Sweeney, who is chairing the Select Committee. “We have assembled a number of respected paratransit experts, advocates and academics, and we look forward to hearing their analysis and ideas.”

The hearing will consist of four panels:

1. Karen Alexander, Managing Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University; Cecilia Feeley – Transportation Autism Project Manager, Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation; and Dennie Todd – Health & Transportation Coordinator, NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities;
2. Tom Baffuto – President, ARC of NJ; Colleen Jennings – Self Advocate, ARC of NJ; Peggy Englebert – Executive Director, ARC of Camden; and Barbara Coppins – Advocate Assistant, Disability Rights New Jersey;
3. Floyd Nesse – Vice President Government Affairs, ACCSES NJ; Steve Cook – Executive Director, ARC of Mercer; Walter X. Kalman – Honorary Board Member Advocate for Families and Communities, Community Access Unlimited, Elizabeth; and Susan Perron – President/CEO, Abilities Solutions; and
4. Audrey Winkler – Executive Director, JESPY House; Scott Elliott – Executive Director, Progressive Center for Independent Living; Norman Smith – Chairperson, NJ Statewide Independent Living Council; and Steve Gruzlovic – Chair of the Transportation, Chair of the Transportation Committee, a member of the Statewide Independent Living Council, and also an individual with a disability who uses NJ Transit services very frequently.

The special committee, created to investigate the causes of the operational and service problems that continue to plague the state’s central rail and bus system,  includes: Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland), Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), Deputy Majority Leader Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson), Senate Transportation Committee Chair Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), Senator Joe Cryan (D-Union), Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-Morris/Somerset/Union), Senator Kip Bateman (R-Hunterdon/Mercer/Middlesex/Somerset), and Senator Kristin Corrado (R-Bergen/Essex/Morris/Passaic).