The seven-member Gateway Development Commission board voted unanimously to hire Kris Kolluri as its CEO, after the former New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner was nominated by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, at the Regional Plan Association Centennial Assembly at Chelsea Piers on May 6, 2022.
The Gateway Development Commission is a partnership between New York, New Jersey and Amtrak that coordinates delivery of the Gateway Program with its partner agencies, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and NJ TRANSIT.
The Gateway Program —which includes the redevelopment of the Portal North Bridge and a new Hudson River tunnel— is one of the nation's most pressing infrastructure needs. It would deliver critical rail infrastructure projects between Newark, New Jersey, and Penn Station in New York City (“PSNY”), along the Northeast Corridor (“NEC”).
The NEC is the most heavily used passenger rail line in the U.S., with more than 2,000 trains per day carrying approximately 800,000 daily passenger trips across eight states and Washington D.C. It serves a region that is home to 17 percent of the U.S. population and 97 Fortune 500 company headquarters, and an area that contributes 20 percent of the national GDP. The NEC is a vital artery in the region and a critical element of the national transportation network, linking millions of people to good jobs, and connecting this region with the rest of the country.
"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 Chief Executive Officer of the Gateway Development Commission," said Governor Hochul. "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 Governor 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," said Governor Murphy. "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 thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in selecting a nominee who will help advance these critical projects."
NY Governor Kathy Hochul and NJ Governor Phil Murphy made the nomination of Kris Kolluri, at the Regional Plan Association Centennial Assembly in New York City, on May 6, 2022. The Gateway Program is one of the nation's most pressing infrastructure needs. It would deliver critical rail infrastructure projects between Newark, New Jersey, and Penn Station in New York City (“PSNY”), along the Northeast Corridor (“NEC”).