New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Kris Kolluri as the pick for the next president and CEO of New Jersey Transit, and the NJ Transit board of directors voted unanimously on Dec. 11 to confirm the his nomination to lead the public transport agency. NJ Transit offers commuter rail, bus and light rail service.
Kolluri will replace Kevin Corbett, who recently announced his resignation in January to take up an academy role.
Kolluri comes from the Gateway Development Commission, the bi-state entity formed by New Jersey and New York to spearhead rail infrastructure projects along part of the Northeast Corridor between northern New Jersey and New York City, including the the $16.1 billion Hudson Tunnel project and the $1.7 billion Portal North Bridge. NJ Transit trains will use both pieces of infrastructure once they are completed.
“Kris Kolluri has played a vital role in strengthening our region’s transit infrastructure, and I am confident in his ability to lead NJ Transit as we work to deliver the reliable, efficient and modernized public transit system that the people of New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement.
Kolluri was named CEO of Gateway in 2022 and held the position until earlier this fall. During his time at the helm of Gateway, the agency secured funding for the Hudson Tunnel project, including a record $6.9 billion capital investment grant from the Federal Transit Administration, completed the procurement of several pieces of the project and construction began on both sides of the river.
He has also served in leadership roles with the economic development nonprofit Camden Community Partnership, New Jersey Schools Development Authority, New Jersey Dept. of Transportation, NJ Transit, New Jersey Turnpike Authority and other agencies.
“Over the next year, I look forward to working with the governor and the board to continue to put NJ Transit on a path to deliver the improvements customers expect and deserve,” Kolluri said in a statement.
Corbett did not specify his next role in his Dec. 9 resignation letter, but news outlet ROI-NJ reported that he is at Rutgers’ school of engineering.
Meanwhile, Gateway continues its search for a new CEO. Its chief financial officer, Patrick McCoy, serves as acting CEO.
