With the Hoboken's Lackawanna Terminal in shambles from the NJ Transit train...

...Johnny's first going to send his condolences for the three confirmed dead and his best thoughts for the over 100 injured.

Secondly, today Johnny is going to do something he never does, he's re-running a post from last year about Positive Train Control and how our local congressperson, Rep. Albio Sires was part of a cowardly voice vote to give the transportation companies an additional 3-5 years to add PTC. Sires never stood up in an area rife with train commuters and pushed the issue. He didn't stand on the floor of Congress and demand a quicker fix. Nope, Rep. Albio Sires simply joined everyone with a voice vote, the coward's way out so as not to put your name to a vote, and now we have a huge train crash that quite possibly could have been mitigated by PTC. Time will tell.

SHAME on you Rep. Sires and here is that article:
http://jerseycitydesk.blogspot.com/2015/11/every-so-often-you-have-to-hold-your.html

Every so often you have to hold your elected officials feets to the fires

This is one of those times.

We all too well remember the fatal accidents lately on Metro North and Amtrak trains impacting our friends and neighbors. Most people in Rep. Albio Sires district have taken trains or use them regularly. Trains and transportation are of utmost importance. Thus safety on trains protecting riders is of utmost importance. Congress, after the Amtrak crash near Philadelphia, passed a new rail safety law with "Positive Train Control" technologies that could have quite possibly prevented the fatal Amtrak wreck. It was to be in place by this December 31st.

Here is where we as citizens, taxpaying and not, who ride the trains need a firm answer from Rep. Albio Sires on a difficult topic. The House took a "voice vote" which means nobody wanted to be on record when Congress just voted to give those who run the transportation another three to five more YEARS to get it done. Why go on record when you can simply say after the next preventable crash "Well, uh, yeah of course I was for it all along and everyone hates train accidents."

Rep. Sires, publicly, come out and tell us you are against any and all delays in PTC and how you're working to get it done faster. A voice vote won't do on this. More at this link and if you're not mad you're not paying attention.

Exchange Place to WTC on the PATH is no more on weekends for a long long time

We guess it matters how you think about Chris Christie and his lackeys at the Port Authority as to how you read this one.

The Port Authority has announced:

The shutdowns—between the Exchange Place station in Jersey City and the World Trade Center—are scheduled to begin Feb. 14 and continue on most weekends during 2014. 

So is this well-timed payback towards Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop or is the PA actually trying to fix the tunnels? They are claiming the need to get this Exchange Place to WTC line power-washed and brought in line with something called "positive train control" which is mandated by January of 2015. The Wall Street Journal has more:

The new signal system will be similar to the technology called "communications based train control," which is installed on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's L subway line. The system provides both protection against collision and the ability to run trains closer together, enabling operators to squeeze more capacity out of overburdened transit lines.

But the new system couldn't have been installed in time for the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline to install the federally mandated anticrash system. Many intercity railroads, which are subject to the mandate, have said they can't meet the deadline, including Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

So is the timing of this really a signal modernization and cleaning or is this a stick in Jersey City's eye? Before you answer remember that the new national WTC Memorial opens this year and the easiest way to get there from Jersey City and Hoboken was just cut off on weekends.

So there you have it and friends it will be up to you as to how you interpret it.