NEWS |
177-00: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , December 19, 2000
As PATH's new Assistant Superintendent of Transportation, Mr. Lejda is challenged with trying to find ways to accommodate the ridership, which has risen by nearly 25 percent in the last five years. With constraints posed by the rapid transit system - such as single-track tunnels, short platform lengths and aging car equipment and signals - the task won't be easy.
Prior to assuming his new job last month, Mr. Lejda served in an acting capacity and spent many long nights and some weekends developing schedule changes that took effect on November 6. The changes included expanded rush-hour service designed to relieve overcrowding caused by the ridership surge.
"My staff and I looked at a dozen possible schedule changes and ran numerous test scenarios before the new schedule was worked out," Mr. Lejda said. "We constantly look for ways to provide additional service for our customers within the constraints of the system."
In addition to regular service, Mr. Lejda also oversees planning for extra service that PATH provides to special events - such as the October 30 ticker-tape parade for the New York Yankees. On the day of the parade, PATH carried 302,000 people, more than 50,000 above an average weekday. Most of PATH's 180 engineers and 130 conductors worked that day to help provide the added service.
Mr. Lejda has had little trouble relating to the rank-and-file workers who run the system. He began his PATH career in 1981 in an entry-level job and rose through the ranks.
Four months after graduating from Raritan High School in Hazlet, N.J., Mr. Lejda was hired as a clerk at PATH's maintenance facility at the Pavonia Station in Jersey City.
In 1983 - on his 21st birthday - Mr. Lejda became a PATH train conductor, and a year later, he became an engineer. He served as an engineer for approximately five years before he became a train dispatcher and terminal supervisor.
Mr. Lejda was promoted to the position of acting assistant trainmaster in 1990, and became permanent in the job in 1993. He was responsible for day-to-day train operations on the PATH system. In 1996, he took on the added responsibility of operations analyst, developing train and crew schedules, coordinating construction activity on the railroad, preparing budget plans and analyzing service needs.
In January, Mr. Lejda was promoted to trainmaster, and was recently elevated to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Transportation.
As Assistant Superintendent of Transportation, Mr. Lejda is responsible for overseeing the 423 employees in the Transportation Division, including engineers, conductors, station service employees, and revenue collectors.
Mr. Lejda still holds his engineer's license and must operate a certain number of PATH trains per year to maintain it. But he said operating the trains also gives him a first-hand perspective of service changes that may be needed on the system.
Mr. Lejda, 38, grew up in Hazlet, and now lives in Marlboro. When not at work, he is an avid golfer.