What if North Jersey had a transit system that truly served everyone? The 2026 North Jersey Transit Forum creates a space for residents, agencies, businesses, and community leaders to answer that question together. Organized by HudCoStreets, the forum transforms diverse perspectives into a powerful, unified vision for the future of regional mobility.
Schedule - April 25, 2026
The Duncan Family Sky Room, Saint Peter’s University
7:15am Doors open, Registration & Breakfast
8:00am Opening Remarks & Keynote
8:30am Panel # 1 - Better Buses: Exploring BRT for Hudson County and Beyond
9:20am Panel #2 - Better PATH: From Service Improvements to EWR Extension Plan
10:10am Panel #3 - Better Light Rail: Connecting Hudson, Bergen & Essex Counties
11:00am Panel #4 - Funding Transit in NJ: From Operations to Capital Projects
11:50am “Bus Bench Chat”: Access to Transit or “First and Last Mile Solutions”
12:30pm Lunch
1:45pm Infrastructure Tours Depart
4:30pm Afternoon Tea & Coffee
5:00pm Closing Remarks
6:00pm Happy Hour
Programming & Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Kris Kolluri,
President & Chief Executive Officer, NJ TRANSIT
MC
Katie Brennan, Assemblywoman, District 32
Welcome
James Solomon, Mayor, Jersey City
Opening Remarks
Craig Guy,
County Executive, Hudson County
8:30 am - Better Buses: Exploring BRT for Hudson County and Beyond
Francesca Giarratana,
Deputy Director, Dept. of Planning
Leah Katz, Acting Senior Director, Capital Planning,
NJ Transit
Walter Hook, Ph.D.
BRT Planning International
Renae Reynolds Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Phil Betheil, Deputy Director of Bus Priority, NYCDOT
Moderator
Clayton Lane Trustee, HudCoStreets
9:20 am - Better PATH: From Service Improvements to EWR Extension Plan
Clarelle DeGraffe,
Director & General Manager of PATH
Jim Heitmann, Chief Operating Officer, PANYNJ
Morgan Keane, Program Director, CX Strategy & Execution, PANYNJ
Rebecca Riehl
Assistant Director, Passenger Services & Customer Experience Division
Moderator
Andy Kaplan,
ITE-Met board,
HudCoStreets Advisory Council
10:10 am - Better Light Rail: Connecting Hudson, Bergen & Essex Counties
Denise Ridley, Council President, Jersey City
Leah Katz, Acting Senior Director, Capital Planning,
NJ Transit
Bill O’Dea, Hudson County Commissioner, District 2
Emily Manz, Chief Business Development Officer, Director of Marketing, Invest Newark
Timothy Henkel, Chief Executive Officer, Pennrose, LLC
Moderator
Emory Edwards, Executive Dir. Hudson County Chamber of Commerce
11:00 am - Funding Transit in New Jersey: From Operations to Capital Projects
Senator Angela McKnight, District 31
Senator Raj Mukherji, District 32
Assemblywoman Katie Brennan, District 32
Rep. LaMonica McIver, (NJ-10)
Rep. Rob Menendez, (NJ-08)
Assemblyman Andrew Macurdy, District 21
Moderator
Zoe Baldwin
VP, State Programs, Regional Plan Association
Moderator
Doug O'Malley
State Director, Environment NJ
11:50 am - “Bus Bench Chat”: Access to Transit and First & Last Mile Solutions
Sam Schwartz,
Chair, The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College
Shabazz Stuart
Founder and CEO of Oonee
Debra Kagan, Executive Director, NJ Bike & Walk Coalition
Planning Committee
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Emmanuelle Morgen
HudCoStreets Executive Director
-
Andy Kaplan
ITE-Met board, HudCoStreets Advisory Council
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Beatriz Bofill
HudCoStreets trustee, Bike JC trustee
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Paul Dennison
Management Consultant, Dennison Associates
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Jack McKee
HudCoStreets PATH Campaign Organizer
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Elaine Du
ITE-Met board
Sponsorship Opportunities
We are inviting partners and businesses to help support the work that makes this forum a reality. If you would like to connect about sponsorship opportunities contact Emmanuelle Morgen at emmanuelle@hudcostreets.org.
