(The following story by Larry Higgs appeared on the APP website on September 16, 2010.)
NEWARK, N.J. — The 464 people who listened to NJ Transit’s live chat Wednesday afternoon learned that even Executive Director James Weinstein gets delayed on the train, just like them.
During the hourlong chat, in which 800 people submitted questions, a viewer named Bill who rides from Metropark station in Woodbridge to New York asked Weinstein if he rides the train and thus understands the frustration of commuters during a summer that saw record delays.
“I ride the train every day. I believe . . . the executive director should experience what our customers experience,” Weinstein said. “I’ve experienced nights being stranded between Newark and Trenton, waiting for power problems to be resolved, equipment failures or, unfortunately, suicides. I’m there and I understand the frustration.”
A woman from Rutherford started her question by commenting “I’m surprised you’d submit yourself to such punishment.” Several questioners took NJ Transit to task for a summer of problems and late trains.
A North Jersey Coast Line rider from South Amboy told Weinstein that “50 percent of the trains are late” and that the Coast Line is the worst. A rider from Howell asked why service was so terrible this summer?
“It was a tough summer. The weather created havoc on the infrastructure and equipment and that created delays,” he said. “One of the most frustrating things about being delayed is not knowing what’s going on.”
Weinstein conceded that on-time performance overall has sunk to 90 percent during the summer months and pledged to remain focused on improving it.
“We ask your patience. We’re as tired of apologizing as you are of listening to us apologizing,” he said.
Weinstein said NJ Transit is working to get more information from train crews to pass on to customers.
“Being told there is a stop signal ahead isn’t acceptable,” he said. “Some delays are unavoidable, some are avoidable. We’re focusing on those.”
One rider asked if NJ Transit management took pay cuts before hiking fares 25 percent. Weinstein said they took a 5 percent salary cut.