By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media

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NJ Transit, the nation's second largest railroad, was first in the nation in accidents last year, according to federal railroad data.

This year looks no better, with multiple derailments at New York's Penn Station in the last three months and an ongoing dispute between track owner Amtrak and Gov. Chris Christie about how to put things right.

What's more, the cash-strapped commuter railway was so crowded and understaffed in 2016, it missed out on collecting some 240,000 fares in 2016, according to its conductor's union. That's akin to losing $5.5 million in revenue at a time when every penny counts.

Candidates for governor on both sides of the aisle this week unveiled plan after plan to fix the nation's second largest commuter railroad.

Here's how those hoping to replace Christie stand on fixing NJ Transit.

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The Republicans

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Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno

This week, Guadagno unveiled a plan to end what she termed the "mayhem" at NJ Transit, promising to conduct a "full-scale audit" on the state's transportation trust fund.

She also vowed to eliminate the panel of four political appointees that controls where, when and how transportation dollars are spent, calling it "the worst public policy to come out of Trenton in a generation."

Citing a need for an "evidence-based transportation funding" formula that prioritized projects "based on need, congestion, safety and economic development" she would undertake a raft of new initiatives, including:

Building a new Penn Station and NJ Transit Bus Terminal in New York City.

Completing the Gateway rail tunnel using federal funding.

Adding ferry service in partnership with New York

Additional express trains to boost capacity.

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Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli

On Wednesday, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerset) debuted a plan to "overhaul" an NJ Transit whose passengers "are routinely seeing their lives turned upside down and their safety put at risk by failing infrastructure and mismanagement."

For starters, Ciattarelli called for using the state's recently raised gas tax to fix NJ Transit.

"A significant portion of gas tax revenues must be immediately targeted to address the NJ Transit crisis," said Ciattarelli, who said he would "dedicate every penny possible of NJ Transit's TTF renewal monies to address emergent track repairs, which later may require reimbursement from Amtrak."

He vowed to "end immediately" the practice of raiding NJ Transit's capital budget to cover daily operating expenses.

Ciattarelli wants to free up funds from the state budget by streamlining NJ Transit, the state's transportation department and its Motor Vehicle Commission under one roof.

He supports building the new Gateway tunnel with federal dollars, but also wants to fashion a new tax agreement with New York that allows Garden State residents to pay income tax on wages where they live, not where they work.

New Jersey already has such an agreement with Pennsylvania, and he says the New York pact would be dedicated to improving infrastructure.

"We want to have good relationships with our neighbors in New York and Pennsylvania, but under a Ciattarelli Administration we won't ever be taken advantage of by either of them," he said.

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Commissioner Steve Rogers

Nutley town commissioner Steve Rogers promised to undertake a "management study" of the entire NJ Transit system that would hold supervisors directly accountable for system performance.

He said he also wants to focus on innovation, expanding NJ Transit's mission to include more light rail and alternative transportation such as "monorail systems, railway and light rail systems, waterway and air."



"We must begin investing in our future transportation needs," said Rogers. "This investment will create thousands of jobs and bring millions of dollars of revenue into the state."

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Hirsh Singh

As an Atlantic county aerospace engineer, Hirsh Singh argues he's uniquely qualified to address inefficiencies in the state's transportation trust fund to cut costs and redirect funding to key projects.

Singh has said he actually wants to repeal the newly-raised gas tax funding the transportation trust fund, arguing it hurts middle and low-income families the most, and instead would legalize and tax marijuana to create a new source of funding to maintain infrastructure.

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Joseph Rullo

Ocean County businessman Joe Rullo says his plan to save NJ Transit is to slash "redundant management and consolidate spending to increase purchasing power."

He vows to "dissolve the Transportation Trust Fund and consolidate all highway authorities" and says he believes that by legalizing and taxing marijuana, New Jersey will be able to "eliminate tolls and repeal the gas tax."

He will demand federal funding to build new tunnels to New York.

"We are ranked almost dead last in federal aid and that is a disgrace," he said.

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The Democrats

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Phil Murphy

This week, Democratic front runner Phil Murphy proposed what he called a "multi-hundred-million-dollar proposal" to fix NJ Transit, adding that he didn't rule out instituting a new tax as a dedicated funding source for the agency to put the brakes on fare increases.

Like Guadagno, Murphy is calling for an audit of the agency, but in the short term also wants to appoint an "emergency manager" to solve the myriad issues bedeviling NJ Transit service to Penn Station. The emergency manager would coordinate with the Port Authority, Amtrak and federal agencies to resolve track repair issues.

Until NJ Transit's Penn Station woes are ironed out, Murphy wants to create an "indefinite cross-honoring agreement with PATH...ferries and bus services, including private carriers" to ensure NJ Transit customers can get to work without added expense more easily obtain delay letters to excuse transit-related lateness.

He supports federally funding the Gateway project, and for greater accountability, wants to give commuters representation on the board of NJ Transit.

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Jim Johnson

Former U.S. Treasury undersecretary says he has a "unified vision" for funding NJ Transit repairs and upgrades, and wants to end political appointees to the agency.

"NJ Transit is in crisis, and we cannot wait any longer to fix our system and get moving again," Johnson said.

He wants to adopt the state of Illinois' model of "predictive maintenance" to avoid breakdowns and delays before they happen.

And while not going so far as Ciattarelli's call to merge NJ Transit with the state's Department of Transportation and its MVC, Johnson would mandate the agencies share data and are better coordinated.

He also wants to finish NJ Transit's long-delayed Glassboro to Camden railway as part of an effort to develop South Jersey infrastructure, which he said has been neglected.

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Bill Brennan

The former Teaneck firefighter turned community activist says he would fix NJ Transit with a mix of funding sources.

Some of those sources do not currently exist but would be proposed under his administration. That includes a marijuana sales tax revenue and what he calls a "CEO pay inequality surcharge" on executives making exponentially more than their lowest-paid employees. Others, like New Jersey's so-called "millionaires tax" has repeatedly been vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie.

He wants to convert Madison Square Garden, which sits above New York's Penn Station, into an integrated Port Authority bus and train terminal by at the end of MSG's 5 year lease, which is held by the Port Authority.



Brennan also wants to focus on "green" infrastructure.

"All new infrastructure will incorporate a renewable energy component," said Brennan. "Bridges will harness hydro power from the rivers they cross, covered roadways will incorporate solar panels, high points on infrastructure will generate wind energy and deep borings will include geothermic capacity."

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Assemblyman John Wisniewski

As chairman of the Assembly’s transportation committee, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) has devoted much of his career to transit issues.

He says he wants to "root out and terminate" all patronage hires at NJ Transit. He also wants to end political appointments made by the governor to the Port Authority's board, add citizen representatives, and downsize the Port Authority to be responsible only for bridges, tunnels, trains, buses and ferries.

Wisniewski said he wants NJ Transit to expand access from affordable housing to employment hubs, arguing that New Jersey's current transportation infrastructure under-serves working class people who disproportionately rely on public transportation.

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State Sen. Raymond Lesniak

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) has been pushing for greater public control of NJ Transit for years, and last December introduced legislation that would add two public members to the eight-member New Jersey Transit Corporation board.

He believes its lack of active citizen participants in its decision making is the reason for the agency's recent woes.

"The commuters who ride the buses and trains deserve a direct voice in the operational and management decisions that impact the quality, the safety and the efficiency of the service provided by NJ Transit," Lesniak said.

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Councilman Mark Zinna

Tenafly borough council president Mark Zinna says while most recent governors have either neglected NJ Transit or have viewed it as "a piggybank for pet projects" he claims he would "reinvigorate" the nation's second busiest rail line with a series of reforms.

For starters, he wants to create a "unified system" of fares.

"The same passes will be used on PATH, NJ Transit trains, NJ Transit buses, and regional light rail," said Zinna.

After years of capital projects being postponed, Zinna wants to end the practice of borrowing to fund operations and embark on a campaign of infrastructure building not seen since the Great Depression.

"Modeled after the Works Progress Administration, it will immediately repair New Jersey Transit's crumbling infrastructure, paying huge dividends to residents, commuters, and the state's economy," said Zinna.



He says he would direct NJ Transit to work with the MTA and plan the extension of the 7-line into New Jersey "so that NJ commuters have one-seat access into New York City."

He also wants to direct NJ Transit to expand the A-train subway over the George Washington Bridge, up Route 4, to 208, all the way to Paterson.

"This will open economic opportunity to the whole corridor, and it will finally bring reliable mass transit to the region," he said.



He wants to work with President Donald Trump to finish the Gateway Tunnel to New York.



"Infrastructure may be the only issue Donald Trump saw with any clarity during the campaign," said Zinna. "I'll hold him to it."





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Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.