Riders Press for 10-Minute Light Rail as CEO Previews $250M Fix
NJ TRANSIT - Board of Directors • New JerseySeptember 16, 2026
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Hudson County riders, organized advocates and a state senator brought a coordinated case for faster, more reliable Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service to NJ TRANSIT's board Sept. 16, 2026. President and CEO Kris Kolluri called stuck elevators "unacceptable" and said he expects to bring a roughly $250M light rail capital program to the board in November. The board also unanimously installed a new rail operations chief and approved nearly $96M in contracts weeks before the five-week Portal North cutover begins.
- Better Light Rail campaign, backed by 1,800 petition signatures, demands 10-minute off-peak HBLR service and extensions.
- CEO previews a roughly $250M HBLR capital program for November and calls elevator conditions unacceptable.
- Portal North cutover set for Oct. 12–Nov. 16 as riders describe dangerously crowded, short trains.
- Rider petition with more than 1,000 signatures argues state law requires hearings before fare increases.
- Dan Rogest named rail operations chief, 9-0, as the board approves about $96M in contracts.
1 Big Thing: Light Rail Riders Want Confidence Back
Why it matters: Hudson County's light rail is the spine of one of New Jersey's fastest-growing regions. Riders say off-peak waits of 30 minutes or more, broken countdown clocks and repeated elevator entrapments are eroding trust.
Where things stand: Hudson County Complete Streets ran a coordinated push. Campaigns Manager Jack McKee laid out three asks: 10-minute off-peak headways, a western extension to Bayfront and a northern extension into Bergen County.
"Many riders feel HBLR fails to deliver the one thing that every transit system must have — confidence," said McKee.
Campaign Lead Dana Heyman described a recent wait at 9th Street: "The next train was going to be in 34 minutes, and the one after that was in 54 minutes." She cited 1,800 petition signatures as proof of demand. The campaign also wants infill stations at 15th Street in Hoboken and 18th Street in Jersey City.
The Trenton angle: State Senator Raj Mukherjee (32nd District) endorsed the same agenda. He cited a feasibility study projecting 2,400 daily riders at a 15th Street station with Hoboken access alone, and up to 4,100 with Union City access. "Let's get it as close to running every 10 minutes as possible, because our region, our economy, they don't operate on a 9-to-5 schedule," said Mukherjee.
Mukherjee said light rail receives under 9.5% of NJ TRANSIT's operating budget. He said the agency lacks dedicated recurring revenue on the scale of its peer agencies, and he called on legislative colleagues to reauthorize the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) and add NJ TRANSIT to the capital plan.
Better Bus Campaign Lead Paul Cunningham said Hudson County's bus redesign is years overdue. He cited the 81L running two buses at rush hour and hourly after 8 p.m. He also tied the issue to development, saying housing growth in Jersey City must come with transit funding.
Elevators: Public commenter Andy Weiss cited entrapments at Bergenline Avenue and 34th Street stations. He demanded that inspection certificates be posted inside every HBLR elevator. "We need elevator safety transparency from NJ Transit," said Weiss.
The other side: CEO Kolluri agreed on elevators. "The elevators situation on 9th Street and in Union City are unacceptable," he said. Kolluri added that light rail chief Greg Woods is pursuing elevator replacement. On frequency, he urged caution: "It isn't like saying let's just do 10-minute headways and call it a day. There's an extraordinary amount of investment that has to go both in human personnel and rolling stock." He asked advocates to help quantify those costs.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board took no action on service levels. Kolluri also announced an RFP for mixed-income housing on a 4.3-acre surface parking site at Bayonne's 34th Street station. That project would bring new riders and new pressure on the line.
What's next: "I think in November we're going to come to you with almost a $250 million capital improvement program for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail," said Kolluri. Whether more frequent service follows depends on the Legislature's TTF decisions.
Portal Cutover Arrives as Riders Decry Crowding
Why it matters: The Portal North cutover will disrupt Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton and connecting lines for five weeks. It comes as riders already describe short, packed trains.
Where things stand: CEO Kolluri said the cutover runs Oct. 12–Nov. 16. He acknowledged it will be challenging but framed it as a one-time cost: "We will now have for the first time in 115 years a brand new bridge, and we will never have to deal with Portal Bridge, old Portal Bridge, ever again." Some speakers cited different dates, so riders should confirm schedules directly with NJ TRANSIT.
Vito Havrillas, vice chair and legislative director of the Lackawanna Coalition, flagged tight connections at Secaucus. "7 minutes is the minimum time to connect between the upper and lower levels," he said. He urged extra or longer trains for the Oct. 31–Nov. 1 weekend, when Halloween, Día de Muertos and the NYC Marathon coincide.
The other side: Public commenter Ryan Irwin called Northeast Corridor trains "dangerously overcrowded." He asked: "If we are increasing fares, why are we getting less train service?" Princeton commuter Megan Levinson said the May schedule change and missed Dinky connections cost her hours. She urged the board to look beyond its 6-minute on-time metric, saying reliable service "is the product we're paying for." Matt Camper of Passengers United asked why trains are canceled for lack of available operators.
Fare hearings: Public commenter Adam Reich argued that state law requires hearings for this kind of service curtailment, even a temporary one. "NJSA 27:25-8D1 requires New Jersey Transit to provide for public hearings when there is a substantial curtailment in service," said Reich. He cited a petition signed by more than 1,000 riders, which also seeks hearings before every fare increase. No board member or staff member responded directly to the hearing question.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Board Member Shanti Narra acknowledged persistent complaints about trains running with fewer cars. "We're trying very hard to work as efficiently as possible with the monies that we've got," said Narra. Commuters on affected lines bear the near-term pain. The agency gains a new bridge on a critical Northeast Corridor link.
What's next: Service changes begin Oct. 12. The fare-hearing question remains unanswered.
New Rail Chief, $96M in Contracts Sail Through
Why it matters: The board installed new rail leadership and approved major spending without debate, days before the agency's most disruptive rail project of the fall.
Where things stand: The board approved Dan Rogest as senior vice president and general manager of NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations. Rogest, who was acting senior vice president, succeeds retiring 31-year veteran Jim Cincaglia. CEO Kolluri praised Cincaglia, saying he "came into this job during arguably the toughest time at New Jersey Transit, right during COVID and went through PTC, went through the first rail strike in 42 years, did FIFA." Rogest rose through the rail ranks, worked at Siemens and returned to the agency in 2023.
The vote was For: 9, Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Board Member Rashonda A. McCray). "Dan, don't celebrate for 10 days, the governor's veto period," said Kolluri.
The money: The board approved three contracts, totaling nearly $96M when the locomotive contingency is included.
- 2609-40: A $50M increase to the 2023 capital consultant task order program, groups 1–3. Vice Chair Kiabi D. Carson recused. For: 7, Against: 0, Absent: 1 (McCray).
- 2609-41: A Foley Caterpillar Inc. contract to overhaul 50 engines on ALP-45A locomotives. The contract is capped at $25.2M plus 10% contingency, about $27.7M total. For: 8, Against: 0, Absent: 1.
- 2609-42: A Dell Marketing LP renewal of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement from Nov. 1, 2026, to Oct. 31, 2029. The contract is capped at $18.2M plus 5% contingency, subject to available funds. For: 9, Against: 0, Absent: 1.
Labor: The board also approved the economic terms of an Aug. 7, 2026, memorandum of understanding with IBEW System Council No. 7. Board Member Karen Thomas recused. For: 8, Against: 0, Absent: 1. No dollar figures were disclosed aloud.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Consultants and vendors gain multiyear certainty. Rail riders gain maintained locomotives, which matters because Kolluri said rolling stock limits how much service the agency can run. Taxpayers did not get a public discussion of any item, including the labor deal's costs.
The fine print: Board Member Munr Kazmir's votes on 2609-40, 2609-41 and 2609-45 could not be confirmed. Board Member Thomas was not called on most action-item roll calls. Official minutes should settle both points.
Beyond Hudson: South Jersey, Weekend Trains, a Chatbot
Where things stand: Public commenter Jesse Rinkiewicz described broken equipment at Pennsauken and Absecon and said there is no plan for Cape May rail. "There's no gradual plan. There's just no plan," he said. "I think that may be a good idea for the board to revisit," said Board Member Narra of South Jersey planning. CEO Kolluri pointed to a South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) bus pilot and a Cumberland-Salem-Gloucester bus study. "This governor has actually funded that project," he said.
Service asks: Nick Giglia, founder and chair of ROOT (Restore Transit in Essex), pressed for hourly weekend Montclair-Boonton service. "We are asking simply for money to run the service and equipment to run it on," he said. Tim Sevener of the New Jersey Association of Rail Passengers sought restoration of Morris Line trains cut in 2008 and proposed a tax on private jets. Kolluri said resources and rolling stock constrain service.
The digital debate: Sally Jane Gellert, chairperson of the Lackawanna Coalition, said members have mixed views of the redesigned website. "More clicks equals less convenience," she said. Giglia said the Navi AI chatbot offered him a 130-minute, three-bus trip. "I want to gently and respectfully disagree with the caller about our new chatbot Navi," said Kolluri, who said feedback has been positive. He added that 1,932 buses, or 83% of the fleet, will have Wi-Fi by year-end.
Minor Items
- Title VI: The board approved its FFY 2027–2029 civil rights program for FTA submission, 9-0.
- Rulemaking: The board began rulemaking on N.J.A.C. 16:80, Human Trafficking Awareness Training, 9-0.
- Closed session: The board discussed a Clifton maintenance facility property acquisition and a Tar Heel Enterprises claim settlement. It took no further action.
- AccessLink: Advocate Fred Smith alleged no-show suspensions are used against complainers and asked that ride passes move from Lyft to Uber.
- Amtrak Scranton: Board Member Narra said she would ask staff about the planned service over the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
Looking Ahead
The Portal North cutover runs Oct. 12–Nov. 16. Rogest's appointment awaits the governor's 10-day veto window, and Kolluri expects to bring the roughly $250M HBLR capital program in November.