Woman fatally struck by NJ Transit train in Rutherford is ID’d
DECEMBER 2, 2014, 6:58 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014, 10:33 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RUTHERFORD — A woman was fatally struck by an outbound NJ Transit train during the evening rush hour on Tuesday.
Lissy Perez, 22, of Passaic, was standing on the tracks and did not move when the engineer of the train sounded his horn, according to a spokeswoman for the rail line.
The seven-car train, with about 500 people aboard, had left Hoboken at 4:47 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Port Jervis, N.Y., at 6:55 p.m., said a spokeswoman for the railroad.
Tolls Set to Increase as Port Authority unveils proposed $7.8B budget
DECEMBER 2, 2014, 6:28 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014, 6:34 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Days before tolls on Hudson River crossings are set to rise again, the Port Authority on Tuesday released a proposed spending plan for 2015 that relies heavily on those tolls to pay for upgrades to some of the region’s airports, rail lines, roadways and the World Trade Center.
The $7.8 billion overall budget — larger than that of approximately a dozen U.S. states — is about $400 million less than what the agency spent in 2014, mostly due to a significant drop in spending to rebuild the World Trade Center, which is taking shape and will start bringing in office rental revenues in 2015.
That may come as little comfort to motorist who will see the fourth toll hike in as many years starting Dec. 6. Cash tolls will rise $1, to $15, while E-ZPass rates will rise $0.75, to $12.50 during peak hours and $10.50 at off-peak times. It is estimated that an additional $100 million will be collected at the bridges and tunnels in 2015 compared with this year.
The agency’s 2015 budget will be voted on by commissioners at their Dec. 10 meeting.
The agency plans to spend $2.9 billion on day-to-day operations—a 1.8 percent increase over this year. The agency said Tuesday that it was the ninth consecutive year that it had kept its operating budget at or below the annual rate of inflation. That is despite adding hundreds of new officers to a police force that is expected to number 1,840 in 2015, the largest it has been in at least a decade.
Still not buying this up beat assessment on the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Crisis helped to improve Port Authority bus terminal
November 16, 2014, 10:54 PM Last updated: Sunday, November 16, 2014, 10:57 PM
By CHRISTOPHER MAAG
This summer, thousands of New Jersey commuters who use the Port Authority Bus Terminal felt trapped, helpless and doomed. Delays at the terminal were growing to crisis proportions, and nobody at the Port Authority seemed to care. In fact, the agency’s leaders had announced in February that the cramped, deteriorating bus terminal wouldn’t receive an overhaul for at least another decade.
Then came Sept. 15. Officials at the Port Authority, which owns the building, and NJ Transit, which operates most buses using the terminal, unveiled an intensive campaign to slice through the bureaucratic gridlock and get buses moving. The plan worked. Long lines of commuters and buses were largely curtailed.
The success shows how a handful of people can make big change by capitalizing on crisis, and viewing an intractable problem from the perspective of a changed political landscape. It’s a story of people working in the bowels of big bureaucracies who know exactly how to fix big problems, but who are hamstrung until their bosses finally come around.
NJ Transit to test WiFi in Port Authority bus terminal
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author
on November 13, 2014 at 7:55 AM, updated November 13, 2014 at 7:58 AM
NJ Transit officials want to bring some of the communications of the future to the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Commuters will be asked to test drive part of it, a WiFi system designed to help them get travel information faster in a bus terminal with less than optimal cellphone reception now.
To make that happen, NJ Transit and the Port Authority have formed a Customer Information and Technology group, said Dennis Martin, NJ Transit general manger of bus operations.
A WiFi network inside the terminal would allow commuters to access NJ Transit’s “My Tix” app, which allows riders to buy tickets using their smart phone. My Tix is being tested on Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia NJ Transit bus routes, Martin said. Riders have complained about waiting in line to use ticket vending machines in the terminal.
“The next thing is the Wi-FI and we’re talking about launching a beta site and encouraging customers to test it,” said Veronique Hakim, NJ Transit executive director. “We’ll notify them when begins.”
That WiFi network is different than the existing WiFi service offered through the Optimum network in select NJ Transit stations and terminals, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.
Changes at Port Authority Bus Terminal easing gridlock?
Editors Note : Lots of construction but no noticeable improvements on any of the busses we take , file this article under , more tales from the land of make believe , whats your experience ?NOVEMBER 12, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2014, 12:49 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORDFor months this summer, the Port Authority Bus Terminal was so crowded and NJ Transit Bus 163 to Paramus often ran so late that Robert Celikbas rarely made it home in time to put his baby to bed.“It was sad. I never saw my daughter,” said Celikbas, 34, an accountant in Manhattan who started looking for jobs in New Jersey to avoid commuting through the terminal.
In the last few weeks, though, something has changed. Lines inside the terminal became shorter. The 163 started leaving on time. And Celikbas now spends an hour and a half at home every night with his 7-month-old daughter.
“I don’t know how they did it,” he said. “But this is definitely better.”
After years of growing congestion — and frustration — at the midtown Manhattan bus station, gridlock reached crisis proportions this summer. Buses were late, lines of commuters snaked around the building, and commuters became enraged.
Officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the building on Eighth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets, and NJ Transit, which operates 70 percent of the buses using the terminal, promised immediate changes. A new order started on Sept. 15 that included adding personnel to manage traffic and to redirect bus drivers as needed. Its focus: Keep those buses rolling.
“As long as we keep buses moving through the building, that’s the key to the whole thing,” said Mike Kilcoyne, deputy general manager of bus operations for NJ Transit.
The results, while preliminary, have been dramatic. The number of buses passing though the terminal every weekday evening is up 23 percent, said Cedrick Fulton, director of tunnels, bridges and terminals for the Port Authority.
Customer complaints in the last two weeks of September, just after the new system started, were 50 percent lower than for the comparable period a year earlier, said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit.
Serious service disruptions may face rail commuters to New York in 2015
By Jacob Donnelly • Staff Writer • November 9, 2014
Four rail tunnels connecting New York to New Jersey will be taken out of service in a phased process for repairs, due to damage caused by saltwater from Hurricane Sandy, Amtrak said in a press release last month. At least four of the them may have to be taken out of service for a year because of weakened concrete and corroding cast iron and steel.
Weekend crews have been working on the tunnels since the storm in October 2012, but Amtrak engineers discovered the damage was worse than previously thought.
About 400,000 passengers who normally ride trains through the tunnels to work each weekday will now have to find a different transportation medium.
The lost capacity resulting from the two Hudson River and two East River tunnels being taken out of service could result in delays not only to New York commuters but also throughout the entire New Jersey Transit system and Amtrak’s East Coast operations, as delays on one part of the route reduce the number and timeliness of trains available throughout the entire system. Long Island Rail Road also uses these tunnels.
One of the tunnels under the East River is expected to close as early as late 2015, according to The New York Times.
Amtrak, which owns the tunnels, does not have a timetable for performing the repairs but is linking the repairs to the completion of the Gateway tunnel. The Gateway Program, proposed in 2011, has not yet been fully funded.
“The rehabilitation work for both damaged tubes of the Hudson River tunnel cannot reasonably begin until after the new Gateway Tunnel is built and operating,” Amtrak said in the statement. “This will allow rail traffic to shift to the new tunnel and avoid major service impacts.”
Rep. Scott Garrett calls new Hudson River train tunnel vital
OCTOBER 23, 2014, 11:35 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014, 11:42 PM BY HERB JACKSON WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT | THE RECORD
Rep. Scott Garrett said Thursday that a new train tunnel should be built under the Hudson River “sooner rather than later” because the potential closing of one or both of the existing tunnels owned by Amtrak “would be a nightmare.”
But Garrett, in a meeting with the editorial board of The Record, said leaders in New Jersey and New York should reach an agreement first on what share of the cost they would bear if they want Washington to become involved.
NJ Senate Candidate Bell praises Christie for halting budget busting tunnel project to Macy’s Basement
October 9, 2014 Last updated: Thursday, October 9, 2014, 1:21 AM
By JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
The Record
Governor Christie’s decision to halt construction on new Hudson River commuter tunnels “looks pretty good in retrospect,” even as damage from Superstorm Sandy is now expected to cause more delays during upcoming repair work, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate said Wednesday.
Jeffrey Bell, speaking to The Record’s editorial board, also said he considers Christie’s success with Latinos last year during his bid for reelection a model, adding he favors comprehensive immigration reform even if other Republicans nationally have taken a firmer position on the issue.
“It makes us seem — I mean the Republican Party — completely unwelcoming,” Bell said of the stances some other GOP candidates have taken.
Bell, a 70-year-old former aide to Ronald Reagan, is trying to upset incumbent U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat who is ahead in the race, according to the most recent public opinion polls. Christie headlined a fundraiser for Bell on Tuesday and Bell, who lost bids for the Senate in 1978 and 1982, said the Republican governor “has been very helpful.”
Bell didn’t try to distance himself from Christie’s 2010 decision to stop work on the new tunnels, which the governor said would have exposed New Jersey to billions of dollars in potential cost overruns.
Pedestrian pinned under NJ Transit bus in Ridgewood October 6th 2014 Boyd A. Loving 8:23 PM
Ridgewood NJ , A NJ Transit bus struck a male pedestrian crossing Oak Street at the intersection of Franklin Avenue in Ridgewoodon Monday evening, 10/06 at approximately 7:15 PM. The victim was pinned under the driver’s side of the bus and remained there until freed by Ridgewood firefighters. The bus was operating on Route #752. The victim was conscious and alert as he was being placed on an ambulance stretcher. He was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center; injuries were reported to his leg and ankle. Oak Street between East Ridgewood and Franklin Avenues is closed while the accident investigation is being conducted. Franklin Avenue in the vicinity of Oak Street may be subject to closure as well. Ridgewood PD, EMS, FD, and Emergency Services personnel responded. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation Unit was requested, as were members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit. NJ Transit PD was also requested.
Amtrak tunnel closures loom for badly needed repairs on aging Hudson River crossings
OCTOBER 1, 2014, 7:40 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014, 12:17 AM BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
Traveling from New Jersey to New York City is about to get even harder.
The salty floodwaters of Superstorm Sandy caused so much damage to two train tunnels under the Hudson River that they must be closed for additional hours every week, which will mean fewer trains and longer waits for commuters, officials said. Already, the tunnels are closed for large portions of the weekends for repairs. Now, those closures will extend into the week.
And that work is just a stopgap because the 104-year-old tunnels will continue to deteriorate, said Stephen J. Gardner, an Amtrak spokesman. Eventually the tunnels must be closed for about a year apiece and completely rebuilt. That could come to pass within the next 20 years, officials have said.
Before that happens, Amtrak’s leaders hope to build two additional new tunnels capable of handling existing traffic. But those will cost in excess of $10 billion, and likely much more. New tunnels were being built, but the project was scrapped in October 2010 by Governor Christie, who cited potential cost overruns that would have to be borne by New Jersey taxpayers.
If the old tunnels close before new ones are constructed, the region’s transportation network could be crippled, said Anthony R. Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s board of directors.
Degnan: ‘We’ll do whatever the legislatures tell us to’ , yea I’ll believe it when I see it
NEW YORK, NY – Even here, standing on the sidewalk outside the entrance to 7 World Trade Center in this bustling metropolis, newly-minted Chairman John Degnan’s enthusiasm for reform at an embattled Port Authority comes across strong. (Brush/PolitickerNJ)
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014, 10:25 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014, 12:32 AM BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
When Governor Christie, citing potential cost overruns, canceled a project to build new tunnels under the Hudson River, many thought the effort to build rail connections between New Jersey and New York was dead, possibly forever.
Just weeks after Christie’s announcement, however, powerful forces in both states announced initiatives to jump-start the process in other forms. Now, the first phase of one of these projects, a Hudson River tunnel from New York Penn Station, is nearly complete. Other plans, such as expanding Penn Station, extending the New York subway to Secaucus, and modernizing New Jersey’s railroad tracks, are making quiet progress. But plans, approvals, and, most important, funding for the largest portions of the project have not been secured.
Each of these parallel efforts is a race against time. It may take years — even decades — to muster the money and political will necessary to complete new cross-Hudson tunnels. Meanwhile, the 104-year-oldtunnels that carry 160,000 commuters every day will fail completely within 20 years, Joe Boardman, CEO of Amtrak, announced in April.“All this planning will take years, and that’s part of the problem,” said Richard E. Barone, transportation director at Regional Plan Association, a non-profit planning group. “The system is bursting at the seams. We have no choice but to figure this out.”
Commuters simply cant take the Bridgegate Scandal Serious
September 9th 2014
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
So its been one year since the so called GWB Scandal and mean while commuters continue to suffer the daily delays with hardly a peep from the press .Its funny how 50 years on non stop traffic delays only get noticed the one time a third rate politician gets inconvenienced .
The George Washington Bridge, recently associated with a political scandal, has been a symbol of frustration and gridlock for daily commuters for years .
As a reminder on Thursday June 11th traffic stalled in New Jersey and New York following an early-morning fatal crash on the GWB . Two tractor-trailers heading east crashed shortly after 2 a.m. on the bi-level bridge’s upper deck. Port Authority Police reported that the driver in the rear truck died when the vehicle became wedged under the other truck’s trailer. Port Authority Police Capt. Ron Shindel went on to say the driver in the lead truck was emotionally shaken and was taken to a hospital .
While September 11 will be the anniversary of the 9/11 Islamic terrorist murder of 3000 American citizens , it will also be the 2 month anniversary of the death of one truck driver killed on the GWB resulting in a 7 hour back up .
Governor Chris Christie meanwhile wrote off Democrats’ Bridgegate anniversary calling it “nakedly partisan” and commuters had stronger language for it ,namely self-serving , stupid ,out of touch and offensive.
New NJ Transit data shows buses even later than suspected
AUGUST 21, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014, 1:21 AM BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
For years, commuters have complained that NJ Transit buses run late. The evidence was flimsy, however, because data released by the agency tracked only buses departing major terminals. At the Port Authority Bus Terminal, for example, the vast majority of buses — 86 percent — leave on time, according to NJ Transit’s figures from June.
On Wednesday, NJ Transit released far more detailed data, looking not just at when buses start their routes, but also when they arrive at their scheduled stops.
Just as many commuters suspected, the system’s on-time performance is much worse than previously reported. NJ Transit buses arrive on time for their scheduled stops just 68 percent of the time, according to data released at a meeting on NJ Transit customer service. By the agency’s definition, an “on-time” arrival falls within a seven-minute window, starting one minute before the scheduled arrival time and arriving up to six minutes late.
Port Authority Bus Terminal, beset by delays and decrepitude, set for $260M overhaul
AUGUST 2, 2014, 11:28 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014, 10:32 AM BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
Richard Simon keeps a tally of every injustice inflicted upon him by the Port Authority Bus Terminal. At 5:02 p.m., Bus 77 left for Toms River. Simon recorded its departure on a small notepad using a scratchy blue pen.
Further insults occurred at 5:03, when buses departed for Freehold and Morristown and another for Toms River, leaving Simon behind on the platform waiting for his own bus, the 196, scheduled to depart at 5 p.m. for West Milford. After a lull, four buses left at 5:11, which Simon found especially galling.
“It just kills me,” said Simon, 66, shaking with anger. “They’re charging us top-dollar fares and giving us Third World service.”
Simon isn’t the only person who’s angry. Conditions at the Port Authority Bus Terminal are worse than ever, said Mark Schaff, the man in charge of the facility. Long lines are growing longer. Critical pathways for buses and pedestrians are clogged, deteriorated and dangerous. The heating and cooling systems are inadequate, the bathrooms are horrors, and the ceiling leaks rain and melted snow onto commuters’ heads.
After decades of deferred overhauls, however, a rare alignment of commuter outrage and shifting politics may force the building’s owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to make repairs. The agency plans to spend up to $260 million on maintenance in the coming years, a small down payment on what commuters, some elected officials and the agency’s leaders agree is truly needed: an all-new terminal that could cost more than $1 billion.
