Local 304 member Charles Russell at the Walter
Rand Transportation Center in Camden.
“We had the right people already on site so there wouldn’t be a
delay to the transit system in case of an emergency,” said NJ Transit
Chief Chris Trucillo.
When the Pope left the Big Apple to make his final stop in Philly,
New York law enforcement agencies were able to breathe a sigh of
relief. Not so for NJ Transit members, who reallocated resources
southbound to oversee the Ben Franklin Bridge, which served as a
walking platform for anyone heading to Philadelphia to catch Pope
Francis’ final stop.
Trucillo acknowledged that the Philadelphia leg was even more
difficult from a planning perspective because the “very robust network” in relation to New York’s Penn Station and Port Authority Bus
Terminal didn’t exist in South Jersey and needed to be enhanced to
handle the mass of people projected in the area.
Designated as a “National Special Security Event” by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), preparation for the Pope’s visit
became a federal endeavor that included Secret Service collaboration.
With the help of Local 304 State Delegate Jerry D’Alessio, various
subcommittees were formed to handle specific elements including
credentialing, transportation, ticketing, communications and government affairs, and even signage to h