(January 10, 2022) - Warren County Commissioner Director Jason J. Sarnoski was named Third Vice Chair of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) at its January 10 Board of Trustees meeting.

In accordance with the Board’s bylaws, Passaic County Commissioner John W. Bartlett, who was elected Chairman of the Board, appointed Commissioner Sarnoski to the position.

“I want to thank Commissioner Bartlett for naming me Third Vice Chair, and I look forward to continuing to serve on the Executive Committee,” Commissioner Sarnoski said. “The NJTPA plays an important role, coordinating regional transportation planning efforts and prioritizing funding while considering the needs a diverse region of urban, suburban and rural communities. My position on the Board has allowed me to work on projects and issues that are important to Warren County, like our recent County Transportation Plan update and the creation of the Morris Canal Greenway. I have also been working with the NJTPA and the New Jersey Department of Transportation to address concerns Warren County has over the Route 80 rockfall mitigation project.”

The NJTPA oversees regional transportation planning and annually authorizes more than $1 billion in federal surface transportation funding for 13 counties in northern and central New Jersey.

The Executive Committee provides guidance and leadership to the full Board on a wide range of planning, policy and administrative issues. It meets as needed to review financial, personnel and policy matters. Board membership is an uncompensated position.

Commissioner Sarnoski was elected in 2010 and joined the NJTPA Board of Trustees in 2011. He first joined the Board’s Executive Committee when he was elected to a two-year term as Secretary in 2020, the same year he was elected to a two-year term as Vice Chair of the Board’s Project Prioritization Committee. He has also served as a member of the Planning & Economic Development Committee.

At the meeting, the NJTPA Board also selected four other members of its Executive Committee. In addition to electing Commissioner Bartlett Chair, the Board elected Ocean County Commissioner John P. Kelly as First Vice Chair; Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny, Second Vice Chair; and Union County Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski, Secretary.

The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current and future transportation needs. It establishes the region’s eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.
 
The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13 counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren), and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor’s Representative, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT, the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a Citizen’s Representative appointed by the Governor.

Warren County Commissioner Director Jason J. Sarnoski