NJ Transit filled the vacant customer advocate role Thursday with a French man, Franck Beaumin, who has experience in transit operations worldwide. (Fran Baltzer for New Jersey Monitor/NJ Transit)
After four years without a customer advocate, NJ Transit filled the role Thursday with a French man who has experience in transit operations worldwide.
Franck Beaumin will be the new customer advocate for the beleaguered transit agency, which has faced strong criticism in recent months over delayed trains, canceled routes, and fare increases.
NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor, also the state’s Department of Transportation commissioner, said Beaumin’s experience will be “an asset in advocating for our customers.”
“I am looking forward to engaging with our customers and working with the operational teams on every mode to improve the passenger experience at every step of the journey,” O’Connor said in a statement .
The role has been vacant since October 2020 , when Beaumin’s predecessor, Stewart Mader, left the agency. The position is mandated under a 2018 law that called for an independent voice to advocate for riders while also having access to top officials at NJ Transit.