Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti | |
---|---|
Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation | |
In office 2018–2024 | |
Governor | Phil Murphy |
Preceded by | Richard T. Hammer |
Succeeded by | Francis K. O'Connor |
Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey | |
Assumed office September 30,2023 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Newark,New Jersey,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | University of Connecticut (BS) Rutgers University,New Brunswick (MS) |
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti is the former executive director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. She became acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation in January 2018 and was confirmed in June 2018 [1] [2] and acting director of the state's Transportation Trust Fund Authority. [3] [4] She also serves chair of the board for NJ Transit. [5]
Gutierrez-Scaccetti was born in Newark,New Jersey,and raised in Lawrence Township,Mercer County,New Jersey. She attended the University of Connecticut (1977–1981),attaining a bachelor's of science degree in business administration,and Rutgers University-New Brunswick (1983–1987),graduating at the top of her class (4.0 GPA) with a masters of science degree in human resources and industrial relations. [6]
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority oversees the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. Gutierrez-Scaccetti began her work for the agency as assistant contract administrator in the law department. She became chief of staff in 1995 and deputy director in 1997 before becoming executive director in 2008. During her tenure she worked on bond issues,labor negotiations,implementation of E-ZPass,the consolidation of the turnpike and parkway under the agency and widening projects for both roadways. She resigned in June 2010 soon after the beginning of Christie administration. [7]
In August 2011 she became the executive director and CEO of the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. [8] In 2013,Gutierrez-Scaccetti chose Conduent for the SunPass electronic toll collection system over its competitors,even though the competitors were cheaper and had better technical scores. Gutierrez-Scaccetti flew to New Jersey for an industry conference less than two weeks before the selection meeting. After the conference,she delayed her flight to meet with Conduent representatives and one of its subcontractors. Florida state employees involved in awarding contracts are prohibited from discussing the bidding with the competing companies before the selection is made [9] It is expected that the Florida Turnpike Enterprise will lose more than $50 Million because of Conduent's inability to process tolls. [10]
She was nominated to be commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation by Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy in December 2017,pending New Jersey Senate approval, [6] which she received in June 2018. [1] In addition to the roads and bridges,the department is also responsible for mass transit in the state,largely provided by NJ Transit,which Murphy has called a "national disgrace". [11] In this position,she also served as the chair of TRB's executive committee in 2023.
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The 117.2-mile (188.6 km) mainline's southern terminus is at the Delaware Memorial Bridge on I-295 in Pennsville. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with I-80 and US 46 in Ridgefield Park. Construction of the mainline,from concept to completion,took a total of 22 months between 1950 and 1951. It was opened to traffic on November 5,1951,between its southern terminus and exit 10.
Middlesex County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey,extending inland from the Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States census,the county was the state's third-most populous county with a population of 863,162,its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 53,304 (+6.6%) from the 2010 census count of 809,858,which in turn reflected an increase of 59,696 (8.0%) from the 750,162 counted in the 2000 census. Middlesex is part of the New York metropolitan area. Many communities within the county serve as commuter towns to and from New York City and other points north. The county is part of the Central Jersey region of the state.
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Trenton,also the state capital,prompting its nickname The Capital County. Mercer County alone constitutes the Trenton–Princeton metropolitan statistical area and is considered part of the New York combined statistical area by the U.S. Census Bureau,but also directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is included within the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Media Market Area. The county is part of the Central Jersey region of the state.
Burlington County is a county in the South Jersey region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by land area in New Jersey and ranks second behind neighboring Ocean County in total area. Its county seat is Mount Holly. As of the 2020 census,the county was the state's 11th-most-populous county,with a population of 461,860,its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 13,126 (+2.9%) from the 448,734 recorded at the 2010 census,which in turn had reflected an increase of 25,340 (6.0%) from the 423,394 enumerated at the 2000 census. The most populous place in the county was Evesham Township with 46,826 residents as of the 2020 census. Washington Township covered 102.71 square miles (266.0 km2),the largest area of any municipality in the county.
The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access,tolled highway that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May north to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname,the "Garden State". The parkway has an unsigned reference number of Route 444 by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). At its north end,the road becomes the Garden State Parkway Connector,a component of the New York State Thruway system that connects to the Thruway mainline in Ramapo,New York.
Route 440 is a state highway in New Jersey,United States. It comprises two segments,a 5.15-mile (8.29 km) freeway in Middlesex County linking Interstate 287 (I-287) and the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95),in Edison to the Outerbridge Crossing in Perth Amboy and an 8.18-mile (13.16 km) four-lane divided highway in Hudson County running from the Bayonne Bridge in Bayonne to US Route 1-9 Truck in Jersey City. These two segments are connected by New York State Route 440 (NY 440),which runs across Staten Island. The freeway portion in Middlesex County is six lanes wide and intersects the Garden State Parkway and US 9 in Woodbridge.
Metropark station is an intermodal transportation hub on the Northeast Corridor in the Iselin section of Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County,New Jersey that is located 24.6 miles southwest of New York Penn Station. It is owned and operated by NJ Transit and serves Amtrak and NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line. NJ Transit runs peak period 'loop' buses in coordination with train schedules.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey,including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system,planning and developing transportation policy,and assisting with rail,freight,and intermodal transportation issues. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation. The present acting commissioner is Francis K. O'Connor.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway,which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Township,New Jersey.
James Stuart "Jim" Simpson is the former commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Transportation (NJDOT),from 2010–2014,and a former federal government official and moving company executive.
Stephen Dilts is a former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT),having been sworn into the post on December 16,2008,and leaving that position early in 2010. Dilts succeeded Kris Kolluri,who was shifted to head the $12.5 billion New Jersey Schools Development Authority.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) is a non-profit advocacy and policy organization dedicated to reducing car and truck dependency and promoting a "more balanced,environmentally sound and equitable transportation network" in downstate New York,New Jersey and Connecticut. TSTC's methods include political and media advocacy including a self-published blog,original research and analysis,litigation,and community organizing.
Transportation in New Jersey utilizes a combination of road,rail,air,and water modes. New Jersey is situated between Philadelphia and New York City,two major metropolitan centers of the Boston-Washington megalopolis,making it a regional corridor for transportation. As a result,New Jersey's freeways carry high volumes of interstate traffic and products. The main thoroughfare for long distance travel is the New Jersey Turnpike,the nation's fifth-busiest toll road. The Garden State Parkway connects the state's densely populated north to its southern shore region. New Jersey has the 4th smallest area of U.S. states,but its population density of 1,196 persons per sq. mi causes congestion to be a major issue for motorists.
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) is the federally authorized metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the 13-county northern New Jersey region,one of three MPOs in the state. NJTPA's annual budget is more than $2 billion for transportation improvement projects. The Authority also participates in inter-agency cooperation and receives public input into funding decisions. The NJTPA sponsors and conducts studies,assists county planning agencies and monitors compliance with national air quality goals. The Authority provides federal funding to support the planning work of its 15 subregions. The funds are matched by a local contribution. As vital partners in regional planning work,the subregions help bring a local perspective to all aspects of NJTPA's work to improve the northern New Jersey transportation network.
There are three metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) in New Jersey. The organizations are the main decision-making forums for selecting projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in deliberations involving the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT),the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT),county and municipal transportation planners and engineers,other transportation implementing agencies,the public and elected officials at the state,county,and municipal levels.
Louis J. Gambaccini was an American government official who spent his career in the area of transportation.
Phil Murphy became the 56th Governor of New Jersey on January 16,2018. He won re-election in 2021,becoming the first Democrat since Brendan Byrne in 1977 to do so. His first term,overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic,has been characterized as establishing the already liberal-leaning state as one of the nation's most progressive.
Kevin Stephen Corbett is an American transportation and economic development executive. He became President and CEO of New Jersey Transit (NJT),the New Jersey state public transportation agency,in February 2018.
Route 3 Bridge refers to a pair of vehicular bridges over the Hackensack River in Secaucus and East Rutherford,New Jersey. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Meadowlands Sports Complex at milepost 8.50 of New Jersey Route 3,the downstream bridge carries eastbound traffic while the upstream bridge carries westbound traffic. The bridges are often congested,due in part to the distance from other crossings of the river.
George Samir Helmy is an American politician serving since 2024 as the junior United States senator from New Jersey. A member of the Democratic Party,he was appointed by governor Phil Murphy after Senator Bob Menendez resigned. He served as Murphy's chief of staff from 2019 to 2023. Helmy is the first Coptic Orthodox U.S. senator.