Vocal critic on NJ Transit board stepping down. Here's why he's leaving

One of the authors of the NJ Transit reform law who was among the first wave of appointees to the newly expanded agency board will not seek another term.

Bob Gordon, a former state senator from Fair Lawn, informed Gov. Phil Murphy over the weekend that he would not like to be reappointed to the board after his term expires Dec. 6.

Gordon was not reappointed earlier this year by the governor for a second term as a paid member of the Board of Public Utilities, a role he took after leaving the Legislature. In September, he announced that he had taken a new job as a vice president of a New Jersey-focused government relations firm, Stevens & Lee Public Affairs.

"I need to devote my attention to that fully, and I wanted to serve my complete term and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be there at a time when NJ Transit is addressing many great challenges," Gordon told NorthJersey.com in an exclusive interview.

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Gordon is the third person to leave NJ Transit's board this year. James D. Adams was not reappointed to his position by Murphy, and Cedrick Fulton abruptly resigned in February, citing several issues of transparency and long-term budget choices, with the last straw being the last-minute decision to sign a 25-year lease for a new headquarters despite questions and concerns from the board. Murphy has not yet announced a replacement for Fulton.

Law sought to increase transparency at NJ Transit

Gordon, Adams, Fulton and Richard Maroko were the first four candidates to be appointed by Murphy and confirmed by the state Senate after the reform legislation was signed into law nearly five years ago. That law sought to increase transparency at the agency by expanding the size of the board.

It also required candidates to have rider or industry experience. Maroko is now the only one of those four who remains on the board. His term expires Jan. 13, 2024.

Gordon, Fulton and Adams were arguably the most outspoken members of the board, asking questions of staff, leading efforts to table or vote against certain items over the years, and pressing for more explanation about contracts, accountability and customer issues, such as the time a rider was stranded on a train after falling asleep and waking up in the rail yard.

"When we joined the board, the agency was feeling the effects of very limited investment over the preceding 10 years, and we essentially had to rebuild the organization," Gordon said. "I'm confident that we’re going to see the dividends of those decisions in the coming years."

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Verbal attacks from the public

In addition to concerns about some opaque decision-making at the agency, NJ Transit's board has endured years of hours-long meetings and verbal attacks from public speakers. Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJ Transit's board chair, commissioner of the Department of Transportation and recently named chief of staff to Murphy, has warned that this environment will make it difficult to retain and recruit new members to serve in these voluntary board roles.

Gordon, in particular, faced backlash from environmental advocates after he questioned the merits of a report regarding the controversial Transitgrid project, a natural-gas-powered microgrid the agency has pursued to provide backup power to the agency's rail system in the event of a natural disaster.

Gutierrez-Scaccetti has also publicly chided Gordon on several occasions for his concerns about the agency's systemic budget challenges, its use of capital funds to fill operating budget gaps and a lack of constitutionally dedicated funds, something that most public transportation agencies of NJ Transit's size have.

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Gutierrez-Scaccetti did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Gordon's departure.

Despite the ups and downs, Gordon said he was thankful for the chance to be a representative on the board.

"I consider it a great privilege to serve with the people I did — both on the board and staff," he said, adding that it was "a very positive experience, and I am pleased that I had the opportunity to be there."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Vocal critic on NJ Transit board stepping down. Here's why