2) Route Consensus, brought home by Hudson County Executive Bob Januszewski, who forged the deal with Bergen County and 12 local mayors.

3) Design, Build, Operate and Maintain Contract. Numerous speakers noted that the project didn't get off the ground until DOT Commissioner Frank Wilson started the Office of New Rail Construction within NJTransit, gave the job to Frank Russo, and awarded the DBOM contract to a private firm that had an incentive to finish and get fare-paying customers.

4) Good Engineers Jerry Kernan and John Lane saved the project a thousand times from those who would have "saved" it through a better route or design

5) Patron Legislative Saints in the form of Rose Heck, N.J. Assembly Light Rail Comm. Chair and Alex DeCroce, Assembly Transportation Committee Chair.

6) Patience Senator Lautenberg reminded the audience that the project was conceived in 1983, began in earnest in 1986, the route agreement was struck in 1996, and the first segment opened in 2000. Way too long.