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Posted on September 3, 2015 September 3, 2015

Port Authority has $1.75M tab for lawyers in probe of Pulaski Skyway funding

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015, 9:26 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015, 11:25 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The Port Authority has spent $1.75 million on outside lawyers to shield itself and its employees from an investigation into whether it improperly used toll money from its Hudson River crossings to fix state roads in New Jersey, records show.

The probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has attracted much less attention than the federal probe into the George Washington Bridge lane closures, which resulted in the indictments of two former allies of Governor Christie in May. But in an indication of the seriousness and scope of the road-repair funding investigation, the agency has quietly spent more than 2½ times as much on outside legal fees as it did during the lane-closure probe, according to agency data.

Thus far, nothing has come of the investigation into the Port Authority’s decision, at the urging of the Christie administration, to redirect $1.8 billion in toll money to rebuild the Pulaski Skyway and three other New Jersey roads.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/port-authority-spends-1-75m-to-face-ongoing-probe-of-pulaski-skyway-funding-1.1402488

Posted on September 3, 2015 August 29, 2019

NJ TRANSIT OFFERS EARLY GETAWAY SERVICE FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

September 3,2015

the staff of the Rdiegwdoo blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT will offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Friday, September 4, for the benefit of customers leaving work early for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

On Friday, September 4, extra outbound trains will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines starting at approximately 1 p.m. Extra buses will operate from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on more than a dozen bus routes starting around noon. Visit njtransit.com for details.

On Labor Day, Monday, September 7, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule. Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information.

Customers are reminded to check njtransit.com for their individual bus timetables for the weekend as departure times will vary by route.

For complete schedules and fares, visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.

Summer Savings

With summer winding down, there is still time to take advantage of NJ TRANSIT’s discounted travel packages to destinations including the Jersey Shore, Six Flags Great Adventure, Monmouth Park Racetrack and Wildwood and Cape May:

Beach Packages: Save up to $6.50 on admission to one of five beaches— Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar—by purchasing round-trip train fare and a beach pass for one price at NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Special Promotions” and select “Beach Package”) or at ticket windows. Customers can purchase the package for $31.50 from New York Penn Station or any station on the Main, Bergen County or Pascack Valley lines (except from Metro-North stations), and for $23.50 from Hoboken Terminal or Newark Penn Station. Beach packages are now on sale daily through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.

Shore Express: Enjoy a shorter trip and one-seat ride to the Jersey Shore with NJ TRANSIT’s express service, departing New York Penn Station at 9:01 a.m. and 10:01 a.m. and stopping at Secaucus Junction, Newark Penn Station, Elizabeth, Rahway, Aberdeen-Matawan, Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head without having to change trains in Long Branch. Return trips will depart Bay Head at 4:54 p.m. and 6:54 p.m. This express service will operate on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through September 12, supplementing NJ TRANSIT’s hourly rail service between Long Branch and Bay Head.

Shore EZride Jitney provides shuttle service to beaches, shopping and dining locations from Long Branch Station. NJ TRANSIT customers can ride the jitney for free with a coupon available on njtransit.com/shore.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari or Hurricane Harbor: Save up to $35 by purchasing round-trip bus transportation and park admission together.
NJ TRANSIT provides express bus service to Six Flags from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, Newark Penn Station, Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal, Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, and from Freehold. Hurricane Harbor is open Labor Day weekend, Saturday, September 5 through Monday, September 7.

Monmouth Park: Board a train anywhere on NJ TRANSIT’s rail system and save $5.50 when you travel to Monmouth Park Racetrack. Simply purchase a round-trip package to Monmouth Park from NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Special Promotions” and select “Monmouth Park Racetrack”) or at ticket windows, and receive Grandstand Admission and an official track program for $1 plus round-trip train fare. Trains stop at Monmouth Park Station on weekends and holidays through September 27. Trains will also stop at the station for Friday racing on September 4.

Wildwood and Cape May: Express bus service continues through September 7 between Philadelphia, Wildwood and Cape May. Bus No. 316 departs from the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Philadelphia. Save up to 25 percent with a new promotional fare. A round-trip ticket at the promotional fare is $30 between Philadelphia and Wildwood and $33 between Philadelphia and Cape May.

For details on NJ TRANSIT’s Summer Services and customer discounts, visit njtransit.com/summer.

On weekends, kids ride free on NJ TRANSIT

Every weekend, families riding NJ TRANSIT can save with Family SuperSaver Fares, which allow two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. For the Labor Day holiday weekend, the program will be in effect from 7 p.m. Friday, September 4 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 8.

Posted on September 1, 2015 August 31, 2015

Here’s why N.J. commuters lost 2 weeks of their lives last year

file photo by Boyd Loving

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on August 26, 2015 at 8:00 AM, updated August 26, 2015 at 12:10 PM

Why are you almost always late for dinner or constantly missing your kids soccer games last year? Well, New Jersey residents wasted almost two work weeks in 2014 just sitting in traffic.

It’s not just your family and social life that suffered. Traffic in the New Jersey-New York region caused commuters to burn 35 more gallons of gas they wouldn’t have if traffic was flowing freely. And drivers paid $1,739 in fuel costs and wasted time for the privilege of staring at someone else’s brake lights in 2014.

The bad news was delivered in the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, released Wednesday by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and INRIX, a supplier of travel time data.

Commuters driving in the New Jersey-New York-Connecticut region have the fourth-worst commute out of the 15 largest urban areas for delays. But we spend more money than any other region in the amount of gas we burn to schlep to and from work, the report said.

Don’t feel too smug if you commute elsewhere in the state, because two other New Jersey regions also made the list for crummy commutes in the report.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/08/heres_why_nj_commuters_lost_2_weeks_of_their_lives_last_year.html#incart_river

Posted on August 31, 2015 June 27, 2021

Port Authority Bus Terminal New Gate Assignments Starts September 8th

August 31,2015

the staff of the Riidgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) is undergoing gate changes in an effort to further improve access and service to all bus customers – those of NJ TRANSIT as well as the independent carriers. This reorganization builds upon the ongoing cooperative efforts of the Port Authority of NY & NJ, NJ TRANSIT and the independent carriers to improve operations, efﬁciency and the overall customer experience at the terminal.

Building upon our previous initiatives, such as the addition of WiFi service, expansion of MyTix, and the improved reliability of service and reduced wait times during the PM peak commuting hours, further operational improvements are necessary to address congestion in the terminal that often occurs due to multiple carriers sharing common areas of the platform queues.

To enhance operation and control within PABT, carriers will be consolidated into speciﬁc areas of the terminal, which will make it easier for customers to find their specific carrier, minimize trafﬁc conﬂicts and improve ﬂow to alleviate customer congestion on platforms. This will offer a more streamlined experience since most routes and personnel within a given area are from the same carrier.

The reorganization of gates at PABT will further improve on-time performance, resulting in shorter customer queues and wait times in the terminal. It will also offer greater operational ﬂexibility and faster recovery time when delays and disruptions do occur. Please refer to the charts included here to ﬁnd your new gate assignments.

NJ TRANSIT gate changes effective 9/8/15.

Bus Departures

For information on the Port Authority Bus Terminal and a terminal map, go to https://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/pabt-terminal-guide.html

Posted on August 30, 2015 August 30, 2015

Pope’s Visit Will Test New York Area Transit

For months, city and transportation officials have been planning how to handle the crush of visitors

By
ANDREW TANGEL
Aug. 28, 2015 8:21 p.m. ET

New Yorkers expect transit delays and traffic jams when the president visits or world leaders gather at the United Nations.

But in late September, the region’s transportation network could face an even bigger challenge as Pope Francis barnstorms the East Coast, with a visit to the Big Apple during weekday commutes.

For months, city and transportation officials have been planning how to handle the potential for tens or hundreds of thousands of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis between the events on his itinerary.

While encouraging riders to take mass transit instead of driving into the city, transportation officials are also urging riders to plan ahead and expect packed trains, delays and added security.

“Patience will be required,” said Ronnie Hakim, executive director of NJ Transit, the operator of commuter trains, light rail and buses. “We think it will be crowded.”

While NJ Transit expects to run more buses into and out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, Sept. 25, Amtrak’s two Hudson River rail tunnels lack the capacity to handle additional rush-hour commuter trains, she said.

By the time the pope arrives, Amtrak expects to have finished work to repair the aging tunnels’ electrical system, whose malfunctions caused several days of long delays for commuters last month.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/popes-visit-will-test-new-york-area-transit-1440807664

Posted on August 19, 2015 August 20, 2015

Construction at Ridgewood Park & Ride and Benjamin Franklin Middle School?

August 18,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Any of readers notice the giant steel structure being erected next to the Ridgewood Park & Ride?Also, what are they doing at the Ben Franklin Middle School? They ripped up most of the grass around the front and side of the school.

In case you are unaware This bus stop is extremely convenient for anyone who commutes into work, or just wants to go into NYC for the day. The Shortline bus will pick you up here, and drop you off right at Port Authority, which is located in Midtown on 42nd St. and 8th Ave. The trip takes exactly 35 mins from Ridgewood Park & Ride to Port Authority, and vice versa as long as there isn’t heavy traffic.

If you take a bus before 7 AM it is a 35-40 minute ride on the shortline, however, if you leave even half an hour later at 7:30 AM you can probably tack another 10 minutes onto that (and probably another 5-10 minutes more if you leave around 8 AM). These times are for the bus ride only.

During rush hour buses going into the city have their own dedicated lane into the tunnel so you don’t have to deal with the traffic that someone driving a car does, but there is traffic at the entrance to the bus lane off of the turnpike as all of the buses merge into that lane. Hence the later you leave the more likely you are to get caught at the entrance to the bus lane and the additional time I quoted above. For what it is worth accidents in the bus lane are very rare so large delays are unusual if you are on a 7 AM bus .

You can find the link to the bus schedule online (coachusa.com/info/shortl…) or at the little trailer located at the Park & Ride, which is also where you can buy tickets. The tickets are $9 either way, though you can buy a month’s worth of tickets that amount to $6 per ticket. If you want to park your car here, you need a pass which I believe you can purchase at the same trailer. Otherwise, you can just opt to do metered parking with quarters. Either way, get here early in the morning on weekdays, since most of the parking spaces get taken before morning rush hour is over.

Also, we recommend you arrive at least 5 minutes earlier than the expected time on the bus schedule, because the drivers don’t always match the time correctly. Sometimes they run a bit late, but worse is when they get here early and decide to leave early. Just account for that if you’re on a tight schedule.

The AirBrook shuttles to Newark Airport also run from the park and ride there is the ticket trailer all the way in the back behind the parking lot.

Please note to be careful when you’re driving in to the Park & Ride, because the entrance is also right next to the Park & Ride exit; and just before that, is another ramp that leads onto route 17. People often dart out onto Route 17 without even checking so be very careful when entering/exiting.

One more note ,the helix that approaches the Lincoln Tunnel is going through a multi-year construction project. The delays magnify during construction periods which is thankfully not often rush hour . Rush hour for NYC is traditionally thought of as 6:30 am to 9:30 am.

Posted on August 13, 2015 August 13, 2015

Analysis: Hudson rail tunnel plan is popular, but no one wants the bill

AUGUST 12, 2015, 11:51 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2015, 11:56 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG AND HERB JACKSON
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

It’s the tunnel that everyone agrees is necessary and no one wants to pay for.

This week, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York became the latest person to step into the fray, saying a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River should be built by a non-profit development corporation established specifically to tap every available pot of federal, state and regional money.

“We’ll only get Gateway done by adding up several pieces of financing, with an eye toward getting the maximum amount possible from the federal government,” Schumer said Tuesday at a news conference, referring to the name Amtrak has given a nascent plan for a new two-track tunnel.

But pursuing that financing requires promises from Governor Christie, a Republican presidential candidate who canceled a previous tunnel project, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, who does not even want to meet to discuss it.

And until they are on the same page, any chance of persuading a Republican-led Congress focused on spending cuts to get behind a project as big as Gateway is a heavy lift indeed.

Still, Christie, Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and nearly every transportation expert from Boston to Washington, D.C., agree with Schumer that work should begin immediately to build a new train tunnel, which would supplement the existing, century-old one that is beginning to fail.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/analysis-hudson-rail-tunnel-plan-is-popular-but-no-one-wants-the-bill-1.1391222

Posted on August 12, 2015 August 11, 2015

Amtrak contextualizes apology for July delays

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog

Testifying this morning in front of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, Steve Gardner of Amtrak cited outdated, deteriorated infrastructure – worsened by the impact of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 – as the culprit for massive train delays during the week of July 20th. (Max Pizarro, Politickernj.com) https://politickernj.com/2015/08/amtrak-contextualizes-apology-for-july-transit-delays/

Posted on August 12, 2015 August 11, 2015

Amtrak: Hard number for what NJ would pay for tunnel currently unknown

Following a presentation by an Amtrak representative Monday morning, state Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) asked about how a proposed Gateway Program designed to relieve outdated infrastructure would alter or enhance Newark Penn Station. (Max Pizarro, Politickernj.com) https://politickernj.com/2015/08/amtrak-hard-number-for-what-nj-would-pay-for-tunnel-currently-unknown/

Posted on August 12, 2015 August 11, 2015

Amtrak rep: ‘I know of no viable alternative’ to 2025-timed Gateway program

If the earliest a new tunnel can be built is 2025, according to Steve Gardner of Amtrak, what happens between now and then if there is a significant system failure, asked state Senator Robert Gordon (D-38), chairman of the Senate Oversight Committee. “I know of no viable alternative,” Gardner told Gordon. (Max Pizarro, Politickernj.com) https://politickernj.com/2015/08/amtrak-rep-i-know-of-no-viable-alternative-to-2025-timed-gateway-program/

Posted on August 11, 2015 August 11, 2015

Port Authority bus depot: the great gate reshuffle

AUGUST 10, 2015, 6:19 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015, 7:39 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

After Labor Day, about a third of commuters rushing to the Port Authority Bus Terminal after work will have to get used to racing toward different bus gates.

The Port Authority is reassigning 40 bus routes, affecting six of the facility’s 21 bus carriers, as part of a plan to improve operational efficiency at the aged terminal, Port Authority administrators announced Monday.

That could lead to less crowding and easier commutes home, they said.

The gate reassignments will happen as the bistate agency consolidates its bus operations, making it easier for the facility’s largest carriers — NJ Transit and Coach USA — to operate, which hopefully will translate into a smoother commute, said Diannae Ehler, general manager of the Lincoln Tunnel and Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The facility has never seen permanent gate reassignments on this scale — “This is an extremely ambitious change to undertake,” Ehler said.

In a statement, NJ Transit Executive Director Veronique Hakim said the change will improve commutes by giving the carrier its own dedicated service area, shortening customers’ waiting time and streamlining the platform queuing process. Coach USA Executive Vice President Don Carmichael, also in a statement, said the realignment will allow Coach also to improve its efficiency.

The changes will affect about 30 percent of weekday passengers at the terminal for some routes of these carriers: NJ Transit, Lakeland and DeCamp, and Coach’s Community, Shortline and Rockland lines. Around 220,000 use the facility daily.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/latest-bid-to-better-port-authority-bus-depot-the-great-gate-reshuffle-1.1390259

Posted on August 7, 2015 June 27, 2021

New Jersey Transit has a solution to commuter misery: stay home

August 6th 2015

By Elise Young, Bloomberg NewsBloomberg

TENTON, N.J. — For six days in July, equipment failures forced New Jersey Transit trains to share a single Hudson River tunnel, delaying Manhattan commuters as long as 90 minutes.

Such disruptions will mount even if Amtrak, the national passenger railroad that owns the century-old tracks, makes repairs and builds replacements, which could take until 2030.

New Jersey Transit’s solution calls for flexible bosses.

In the event of a prolonged shutdown, the agency is counting on about one-third of its more than 165,000 daily Manhattan commuters to work from their houses. About 60,000 would be channeled to ferries and the rest could go by “a robust bus program,” said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman. Undetermined is what that would cost, or who would pay for such a workaround.

“This tunnel is going to be harder and harder to keep functioning reliably,” said Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s executive vice president for Northeast Corridor business development. “It’s unreasonable to expect that there’s not going to be further kinds of disruptions or additional outages needed over several years ahead.”

New Jersey Transit, the nation’s third-largest commuter system, has few options. The ability to cross-honor, or send rail ticketholders to buses and the PATH subway during service interruptions, is constrained by space at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan.

“For both bus and rail we are at or near full capacity in the peak,” Snyder said in an e-mail. Alternative transportation costs were too difficult to forecast, she said, because “many variables” can affect pricing.

“Amtrak has yet to come up with a plan or schedule regarding tunnel repairs that are expected to take place over the next 20 years,” Snyder said. “Until that happens, New Jersey Transit cannot speculate on the type of alternatives that may be necessary.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-newjersey06-20150806-story.html

Posted on August 5, 2015 August 5, 2015

NJ Transit offer for rail workers includes 10-percent pay raise

NJ Transit has offered its unionized rail workers a 10-percent pay increase over 7.5 years, according to a summary released by a coalition of union groups. But that raise would be offset by a big increase in employees’ health insurance costs, which could translate to a pay cut for about 1,400 workers, according to the unions. (Christopher Maag, The Record) https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-transit-offer-for-rail-workers-includes-10-percent-pay-raise-health-insurance-cost-increase-1.1385871

Posted on July 28, 2015 July 28, 2015

Feds call meeting with Christie and Cuomo to discuss new transit tunnel

JULY 27, 2015, 10:53 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 27, 2015, 10:53 PM
BY HERB JACKSON AND CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx urged Governor Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday to meet with him in the next two weeks to talk about replacing the century-old Hudson River rail tunnel that is frequently the cause of delays for commuters.

Foxx’s call comes after a week in which state and federal officials traded increasingly harsh words about delays on trains entering and leaving New York City.

In a letter to the two governors obtained by The Record, Foxx recounted how the federal government put up $3 billion for a new NJ Transit tunnel that was begun in 2009, then canceled by Christie in October 2010.

Amtrak, which owns the existing tunnel and Northeast Corridor tracks used by many NJ Transit commuters daily, has proposed the Gateway project, which includes building two new tubes under the river. If Gateway were built and the existing two-track tunnel were overhauled to replace failing electrical systems and structural damage caused by flooding from Superstorm Sandy, rail capacity under the river would eventually be doubled.

Foxx said that Amtrak was in discussions with the Federal Railroad Administration about financing, but that Washington would not bankroll the project by itself.

“Neither Amtrak nor your individual states, acting alone, can replace these tunnels,” Foxx wrote. “It will take all of us working together. To that end, I would like to meet with you within the next two weeks to discuss the project, especially your states’ roles in getting it completed.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/feds-call-meeting-with-christie-and-cuomo-to-discuss-new-transit-tunnel-1.1381739

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