NJ Transit, Amtrak testify before New Jersey lawmakers

TRENTON, N.J. (PIX11) - Some palpable tension could be felt during Thursday's Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities (TIA) Committee, which featured NJ Transit President Kevin Corbett and Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner.

During the hour-long hearing, both leaders testified to lawmakers that the northeast corridor has been underfunded for many decades and that federal funding is paramount to their future success.

"New Jersey Transit remains 100% committed to continuing to support Amtrak efforts to accelerate all the necessary infrastructure improvements that would deliver the best possible experience for both our rail customers who depend on the northeast corridor," said Corbett.

The hearing follows a summer filled with transit meltdowns and was part of the reason the meeting was called.

"What I really want to do is I want to get some concrete answers as to how we as a legislature can help them," said Democratic Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, who chairs the TIA Committee.

Republican Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips, a member of the committee, saw several exchanges with Corbett. At one point, DePhillips asked Corbett if he agreed if NJ Transit should be audited, to which Corbett said no.

"Year after year more money is coming into New Jersey Transit," said DePhillips. "We need to look under the hood. Where's the money going? What's it being directed towards? The service is not improving, if anything it's declining."

Last month, both leaders met with a congressional delegation to discuss the ongoing service improvements and said a third-party report on this summer's transit programs would come out in November.

"The report work is underway," Gardner told reporters after Thursday's hearing, "so we're still on track I think to finalize that by the end of the month. We're not done yet."