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More money and less bureaucracy.
These are the recommendations of a $ 1.3 million NJ Transit audit released this morning.
Governor Phil Murphy ordered the audit at the end of January, which aimed to determine what was wrong at NJ Transit and to identify the weaknesses of the agency. The 179-page report identified shortcomings, including "inadequate, uncertain and unsustainable" funding, no technology vision and no $ 5.3 billion capital oversight plan.
The findings of the audit were first reported by Bloomberg.
The audit profiled a struggling public agency that lacked a strategic plan, obsolete technology, and inadequate employee training plans when others retire or leave.
Read the audit here
At a meeting in Metuchen railway stations after the morning rush hour, Mr. Murphy said he was determined to repair the railway and planned to implement the recommendations of l & # 39; audit.
"The audit is what will allow us to rebuild NJ Transit," he said, describing how the audit of the study identified a "broken chain of command," recommending a direction. streamlined.
State Senator Patrick Diegnan, D-Middlesex, said that although the interest in going back, NJ Transit is what it is today, due to eight years of inattention and neglect.
The governor added that he was not going to let the audit collect the dust.
"I took NJ Transit this morning and talked to commuters and engineers," Murphy said. "They want us to fix the problem."
But he said that it would not happen overnight.
It will not please commuters like Laura Kane of Metuchen.
Kane, who introduced the governor and was invited to sit on the NJ Transit Advisory Committee, said she had settled in Metuchen for a 40-minute train ride to New York.
"This trip has a huge impact on my day-to-day life, so a good day, my commute can be efficient.On a bad day, my arrival box is filled with NJ Transit alerts," she told the press. "Last week on Thursday, it took me three hours to get home.
Others, for their part, quickly criticized the audit and the agency on Twitter:
"Based on the assessment, we need more of your hard-earned money for mismanagement"
– Army of Weapons (@ PATH2RBNY) October 9, 2018
And while the press conference was underway, NJ Transit announced new delays in trains:
PVL train 1611 at 11.25 from Secaucus lasts up to 10 minutes. late due to the maintenance of the track.
– NJ TRANSIT – PVL (@NJTRANSIT_PVL) October 9, 2018
The governor stated that communications with customers were unacceptable.
"It will be repaired and must be," he said.
Murphy signed the order of execution which began auditing almost 10 months ago at Summit Station. Murphy said he wanted the audit completed as soon as possible, probably within three months. Instead, it was delayed by three months and began only in early May, with a $ 1.3 million contract finally awarded to the North Highland Company on April 30.
Among the recommendations of the audit:
- Streamline the organizational structure – The report called for streamlining the organizational structure to ensure effective decision-making, as well as greater transparency and accountability to the public.
- Recruitment Best Practices – NJ Transit was urged to improve recruitment policies, including the streamlining of application and interview processes.
- Fixing of the supply structure – The report states that NJ Transit must pay for its purchases and equipment and service contracts.
- More reliable financing – North Highland, which conducted the audit, found that NJ Transit's current funding practices were "inadequate" and called for more sustainable funding sources.
Even prior to the audit, state officials had stated that the lengthy period of time required to make major purchases and hire consultants and professionals was a major problem for suburban railways. NJ Transit has a 460 day procurement process for large contracts. This delayed the purchase of new trains and buses that we badly needed.
The lengthy procurement process was also attributed to shortages of parts that marginalized the trains.
NJ Transit is also affected by a shortage of engineers for train driving due to retirement and by a lack of sufficient training to cover workers who leave for better jobs in other roads. suburban iron, officials said.
The shortage of engineers has been attributed to a multitude of canceled trains that leave passengers crushed on reserved seats reserved for rush hour seats, with unexplained absences.
Larry Higgs can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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