From the Chairman's Desk:

Susan M. Zellman

Chairman, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

This summer, the NJTPA adopted Plan 2035, the long-range transportation plan for northern New
Jersey. Working to prepare our region for the next 25 years was a great challenge and learning
experience.

Like metropolitan regions across the country, northern New Jersey sees its transportation system as a vital economic asset. Transportation investments, in addition to creating jobs in the near term, support the travel and commerce that form the foundation of our economy and quality of life. We look towards a balanced approach to investment that includes support for mass transit, for walking and biking options, more livable communities and
addressing climate change.

But creating a sustainable transportation system, as we all know, confronts difficult challenges, not the least of them, finding the funding to fulfill our vision. InTransition magazine, we hope, can help all of us in the transportation
community better understand and coordinate our responses to the complex challenges we face—including the need to finance mass transit systems, as discussed in this issue’s cover story.