John Bartlett

What public transit options are available to you from your New Jersey residence, and do you regularly use any of these services?

Walkable from home: NJ Transit bus #748. Driveable <10 minutes: NJ Transit bus #197/198; Montclair/Boonton rail line from Wayne Transit Center. I usually use the #197/198 when I need to go into New York City.

What is your impression of how well public transit serves NJ-11?

From a national standpoint, New Jersey is a leader in public transit – but that just shows how low the bar is in the United States. Those of us who live in New Jersey know that capacity and quality are not keeping up with the community’s needs, and increasing fares are part of the affordability crisis in our state.

What role do you believe the federal government could and should play to fund transit needs in NJ-11?

The federal government is an essential partner for the development of New Jersey’s transit infrastructure. As a Trustee of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) for more than 12 years, I have worked hard to improve things by bringing federal dollars back into the 11th Congressional District: $960 million so far, for projects large and small. NJTPA is responsible for keeping federal Gateway funding on-schedule, and for accessing funds for necessary improvements in NJ Transit’s rolling stock and infrastructure. I understand how federal, state, and other funding come together to make huge projects happen, and I’m ready to continue to champion our region. Among other things, we need to fight for weekend rail service into NYC, and for NJ Transit to fully replace the retired DeCamp private bus lines with service for commuters. With the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA, better known as the “bipartisan infrastructure law”) sunsetting in 2026, I will hit the ground running when I get to Congress this April, to make sure the new surface transportation bill now being developed in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee prioritizes high-usage regions like North Jersey and provides necessary funds for transit-oriented development and environmental resiliency.

How would you partner with other organizations, elected officials, and stakeholders to drive regional improvements and inter-agency cooperation?

In my dozen years on the NJTPA Board, including two as chairman during the heyday of the IIJA, I’ve learned that effective ties between our Washington delegation and local leadership, including bipartisan local connections, is essential. Case in point: a few years ago, Congressman Bill Pascrell’s office reached out to me to alert me to funds that could become available during the FHWA’s August redistribution because they went unused by another state.

Working quickly, we were able to secure $15 million to accelerate the compilation of the Passaic Downtown bus facility. I would be the same type of heads-up, attentive advocate for our region, and partner with county and municipal officials to accomplish local priorities. The State government also has a key role, and I was proud to partner with state as well as federal and local officials in 2015 to convene the North Jersey Rail Coalition to advocate extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Passaic County using NYS&W tracks. Local organizations like ROUTE are essential, providing constituent feedback and priority-setting; I commit to open lines of communication with me and my staff regarding consumers’ priorities.

Train riders in NJ-11 rely on Amtrak-owned infrastructure. What Amtrak funding would you prioritize to improve the experience for New Jersey train riders?

We need to keep the Gateway project on-schedule, including by standing up to President Trump’s fake announcement that it was “terminated.” Then, once the new tunnel is in place, we need to be sure the restoration of the existing tunnel also remains on-schedule so that we achieve the necessary redundancy and increased trans-Hudson capacity. Other priorities should include increasing the number of New Jersey communities from which you can get a “one-seat ride” into NYC, without the need to change trains in Secaucus or Hoboken. Upgrades are also needed to aging Amtrak infrastructure in New Jersey, especially signals and catenary systems, to eliminate delays and speed riders to their destination.

New York City’s congestion pricing program has achieved an 11% reduction in auto traffic into New York City, but is still under attack by the Trump administration. a) Do you oppose the Administration’s attempts to punish NYC for imposing the congestion pricing fee? b) Do you support requiring NYC to share some of the funds raised by the program with NJ to help improve bus and train service between NY and NJ, so that more NJ commuters can avoid the congestion pricing fees?

With both cases still in court, my legal analysis is that President Trump will have no more success than Governor Phil Murphy had in eliminating the congestion pricing program. More important, my policy position is that every dollar a New Jersey commuter pays to the MTA through the congestion pricing program should be spent on trans-Hudson transit. Whether through an existing bi-state agency like the Port Authority or the Gateway Development Corporation, through direct expenditure by MTA or transfer to NJDOT or NJ Transit, or some other means, this dollar-for-dollar concept would increase trans-Hudson transit options, driving down congestion while saving New Jersey commuters time and money.

President Trump has vowed to cancel federal funding for the Gateway Rail Tunnel project, which is needed to preserve commuter rail traffic between NJ and NYC. What is your view of the project? What approaches should be considered to ensure the continuation of the project?

As a member of the regional body (NJTPA) responsible for Gateway funding, I responded immediately to Trump’s so-called “termination” and stood with Congressman Mikie Sherrill and other elected officials in Secaucus to advocate for the project. Gateway is the single most important transit project for our region and the nation, and in Congress I will make sure allocated funding gets spent on-time and on-purpose regardless of the President’s illegal position.

Sometimes keeping a project with multiple funding streams on-track means “moving money around” among sources and purposes, and I will use my role and voice in Congress to support New Jersey, New York, and bi-state agencies to do what it takes to keep the Gateway project moving.

New Jersey is seeking federal funding to extend the Bergen/Hudson Light Rail system to Englewood and the south Jersey River Line Light Rail System to Glassboro. What factors should be considered for funding projects like this? How would you approach advancing transit expansions like this and others within NJ-11?

The most fundamental question for any government investment, including in transit, is: “Is it worth what it costs?” Since convening the North Jersey Rail Coalition in 2015, I’ve been an advocate of extending the Hudson-Bergen light rail not just along its currently-planned route but also onwards to Paterson and Hawthorne via existing, out-of-service NYS&W tracks. I believe that project would be worth the cost. I have also advocated other studies, including the Paterson-Newark Transit Market Study, to identify the best new uses for existing rights-of-way.

New Jersey Transit’s bus electrification goals require substantial federal funding to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in the agency’s bus garages needed to charge new electric transit buses. How do you view federal funding investments in such projects?

Federal funding is essential to large-scale improvements to NJ Transit’s bus fleet or facilities. That’s why I’ve spent the last 12 years on the NJTPA Board, championing such improvements–especially those that improve climate resiliency. I would make them a priority if given the opportunity to work on the new surface transportation bill being developed in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee this year.

The Trump Administration is seeking to end California’s ability under the Federal Clean Air Act to set stricter automobile pollution standards than the federal standards. New Jersey along with many other states has traditionally adopted California’s stricter standards, helping keep our air cleaner and encouraging the sales of electric passenger and commercial vehicles under such programs as Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks, which were implemented under the Murphy administration. What is your view on maintaining California and other states' ability to set stricter air quality standards?

Federal environmental and air quality regulations–indeed, any regulations–should establish a floor, not a ceiling. Individual states like California or New Jersey, or regional coalitions like those northeastern states that are now standing up to Trump on public health and vaccine policies, should be free to establish higher standards.

Last year, the Republican budget ended federal EV tax incentives. In response, US automakers scaled back their investments in new EV and electric battery production. This puts our domestic auto industry at a competitive disadvantage to the Chinese, whose EV models are increasingly gaining a larger share of the world wide auto marketplace. What policy approaches should Congress consider to maintain US global competitiveness in the auto industry?

The EV tax incentives should be restored, and the federal government should continue to support the development of EV infrastructure like the 24 new EV charging stations Passaic County has installed with the help of $850,000 in federal funding. In addition, Trump should abandon his disastrous tariff war, which hurts both American consumers and American companies that manufacture goods like automobiles for export.

Similarly, the EPA has delayed funding for the fourth and fifth year of the Clean School Bus Program grants and rebates, which were authorized by Congress in the previous administration ($1 billion/year). What is your perspective on the federal government's role in funding electric school buses?

Any local government entity needs help to make major capital acquisitions like a bus fleet. In Passaic County, we support our Boards of Education in this regard by operating a Passaic County “Banc” program that takes advantage of the County’s excellent credit rating to help schools finance large purchases. Such programs should be encouraged through means like federal matching funds, with a preference for programs like EV vehicle purchases that are designed to improve air quality and mitigate the effects of climate change.