Kolluri Nominated to Lead Gateway Development Commission
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The Gateway Program will eventually double rail capacity between Newark, N.J., and New York. (GDC)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on May 6 nominated Kris Kolluri to serve as CEO of the Gateway Development Commission, a partnership between the two states and Amtrak that is working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Jersey Transit (NJT) to coordinate delivery of the Gateway Program, which will eventually double rail capacity between Newark, N.J., and New York.
Among the Gateway Program components are the redevelopment of the Portal North Bridge—for which NJT last month issued a “Notice to Proceed” to start construction—and a new two-track Hudson River tunnel—whose Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program rating was recently updated to “medium-high” by the Federal Transit Administration.
Kolluri currently serves as the President and CEO of Camden Community Partnership, Inc., an economic and community development non-profit. Previously, he was CEO of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors (Joint Board), and Counsel at Windels Marx Lane and Mittendorf, where he advised clients on transportation and economic development matters.
Kolluri has also served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (January 2006-December 2008). In this capacity, he was Chairman of NJT, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority.
He is expected to be considered for the Gateway Development Commission leadership role by the Commission Board at its May 16 meeting, according to the New York Governor’s Office. The Commissioners include Steven M. Cohen, New York Commissioner and Co-Chair; Balpreet Grewal-Virk, New Jersey Commissioner and Co-Chair; Tony Coscia, Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair; Jamey Barbas, New York Commissioner; Janine Bauer, New Jersey Commissioner; Marie Therese Dominguez, New York Commissioner; and Jerry Zaro, New Jersey Commissioner.
“With his extensive resume, Kris Kolluri brings an extraordinary record of public service, and I am confident he will serve New York and New Jersey well as CEO of the Gateway Development Commission,” Gov. Hochul said. “The Gateway Hudson Tunnel is critical to the Northeast corridor serving more than 800,000 passengers daily and is a key component of our plan to build back stronger than ever. I thank Gov. Murphy for his collaboration on this selection, and I look forward to continuing our work to secure federal funding, in partnership with the Biden Administration, for these vital projects and deliver for New York and New Jersey.”
“Moving the Gateway Program, and specifically the Hudson Tunnel Project, forward is critically important for our region, and I am confident that Kris Kolluri’s leadership will help us realize these much-needed projects,” Gov. Murphy said. “Kris has years of infrastructure management and operations experience, as well as years of government experience, that will be vital as we continue working with our federal partners to get the Gateway Program fully funded and completed.”
“I am honored to be nominated by Govs. Phil Murphy and Kathy Hochul to be CEO of the Gateway Development Commission,” Kolluri said. “I look forward to meeting the Commissioners and supporting their important work.”
U.S Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on May 6 released the following statement on the Kolluri nomination: “I commend Gov. Murphy and Gov. Hochul on taking this important step, nominating a CEO to lead the Gateway Development Commission. Kris Kolluri’s leadership and experience with important infrastructure projects will help him steer this organization at this crucial time. We look forward to working with Kris and the Gateway Development Commission, along with New York, New Jersey, the Port Authority, NJ Transit, and Amtrak to deliver this urgently needed project of national significance, including with new resources unlocked by the President’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
