NJ Transit vet named Conn. DOT's public transportation chief

Following a nationwide search, Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner James Redeker appointed Richard W. Andreski, a highly experienced public transportation professional, to lead the DOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation.

The DOT’s Bureau of Public Transportation oversees the operation of Connecticut’s commuter rail and bus services. On the train side, this includes the New Haven commuter rail line, the nation’s busiest; the construction of the Hartford Line Rail Program between New Haven and Springfield; and the New Haven Rail Yard Improvement Program.

On the bus side of public transit, responsibilities include CTtransit and CTfastrak, Connecticut’s first bus rapid transit system; the implementation of CTfastrak East; and a variety of ridesharing programs. The Bureau of Public Transportation also oversees the operations of two Connecticut River ferries, between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury, and between Chester and Hadlyme.

Andreski began his career with NJ Transit in 1999, following several years as a public transportation advocate seeking improvements in trans-Hudson rail service for New Jersey. In his nearly 17 years with NJ Transit, he has held positions of increasing responsibility, including chief of staff, rail operations, where he was responsible for negotiating new business agreements with Amtrak that will require greater transparency and accountability in railroad performance. Most recently, he served as director, Trans-Hudson Project Planning.