Tag: NJT

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NJT Holds Public Hearings on Bergen Light Rail

Trolly Car HBLR

Northern Branch expansion will bring light rail into Bergen County

April 24, 2017

the Staff of the Ridgewood blog

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — NJ TRANSIT today continued to advance the expansion of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system into Bergen County by holding two public hearings as part of the environmental review process.

The hearings, held at the Englewood Crowne Plaza, are part of a 60-day public comment period on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS).   The Northern Branch SDEIS documents the social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with the construction of the proposed action.

This comment period began on March 24, 2017, when the SDEIS was published, and runs through May 23, 2017.  During this time, members of the public are invited to review the SDEIS document and submit their comments in writing or by attending one of the public hearings.  Today’s public hearings included a formal presentation, an open house with information and displays as well as the ability for members of the public to submit oral or written comments.

At the conclusion of the public comment period, NJ TRANSIT will collect and review all of the comments. Provided that the SDEIS comments do not present compelling arguments for substantial revision, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be prepared for review by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  The culmination of the process is that the FTA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) approving the project to advance to engineering.  Once the ROD is issued and funding is identified, the project could then advance to final engineering, as well as the negotiation of an agreement with the freight railroads (CSX and NYS&W), and into construction.

About Northern Branch project

The Northern Branch project will extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system by 10 miles and include seven new station stops in five municipalities.  The electric light rail service would operate on West Side Avenue in North Bergen, and then on existing railroad right-of-way owned by CSX Transportation (CSX) between 91st Street in North Bergen and the northern border of Englewood and would introduce new station stops in North Bergen, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, and Englewood.

The extension is projected to add 12,370 customers to the system making 24,740 trips on an average weekday.  The existing Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system transports approximately 26-thousand customers making 52-thousand trips on an average weekday (FY16).

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NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES SPRING RAIL SCHEDULE TIME CHANGES

ridgewoodtrainstation_theridgewoodblog1

April 27,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  NJ TRANSIT’s spring rail schedule change continues the effort to best match equipment and timetables to customers’ travel needs.  Highlights of the plan, to go into effect on May 7th, include adding additional seating capacity to ease overcrowding on heavily traveled trains and adjusting the schedules on certain trains to provide improved connections at Secaucus and Newark Penn Station in response to customer feedback.  An additional weekday evening stop at Newark Airport also will be available for North Jersey Coast Line customers.

The following is a summary of some of the improvements:

Easing weekday overcrowding:

Main Line train #1206, the 8:22 a.m. arrival in Hoboken from Waldwick, will add an additional car, making it a total of seven cars.

Extended connection times at Secaucus:

Eight Main/Bergen County (ML/BC) and Pascack Valley Line (PVL) trains in the late afternoon and early evening will depart Hoboken several minutes later to extend connection times at Secaucus from seven minutes to ten minutes.  This is in response to customer feedback received at a recent “We Are Listening” forum in Secaucus suggesting improved connection times.

#1271 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 2 minutes later at 6:02 p.m.
#1175 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 7:18 p.m.
#1277 – (BC) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 8:41 p.m.
#1127 – (ML) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 7:46 p.m.
#1129 – (ML) Departs Hoboken 1 minute later at 8:46 p.m.
#1641 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 7:29 p.m.
#1643 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 3 minutes later at 8:23 p.m.
#1645 – (PVL) Departs Hoboken 2 minutes later at 9:44 p.m. to Spring Valley

Adjustments to accommodate customer travel patterns

NEC train #3817, the 6:34 a.m. departure from PSNY to Trenton will depart PSNY 5 minutes later at 6:39 a.m.
NEC train #3897, the 12:14 a.m. departure from PSNY to Trenton will arrive in Trenton 6 minutes later at 1:55 a.m.
NJCL train #3269, the 5:34 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch will no longer stop at Secaucus to improve Raritan Valley Line connections at Newark Penn Station. Train #3267 will add a Secaucus stop at 5:35 p.m.
NJCL train #3271, the 5:52 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch will depart PSNY 3 minutes later at 5:55 p.m.

NJCL train #3283, the 8:22 p.m. departure from PSNY to Long Branch, will make a stop at Newark Airport at 8:46 p.m.

IMPORTANT CUSTOMER NOTE:  Customers are advised to carefully check the new timetables, which are available at major stations and online at www.njtransit.com, for changes that may affect their itinerary.  Customers with questions may call NJ TRANSIT at 973-275-5555

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NJT: Expect 15-30 Minutes Delays for the Foreseeable Future

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file photo

April 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, ,Due to ongoing Amtrak track maintenance work and track inspections leading to speed restrictions, effective immediately and continuing until further notice, NJT customers traveling to and from New York Penn Station will experience estimated delays of 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends.

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Reader says Another Horrible Commute to Penn Monday Morning

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Another horrible commute to Penn this morning. Train conductor said over the weekend service was even worse. The frequency with which these incidents and slow downs in service are happening tells me there’s something fishy. I wouldn’t bet against conspiracies that NJT and Amtrak and others are trying to justify another fare increase for “capital improvements”. As long as people do not display their anger for not getting the service they paid for this situation will continue.

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Amtrak at a Junction: Invest in Improvements, or Risk Worsening Problems

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By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONSAPRIL 24, 2017

When Amtrak’s new chief executive took responsibility for two recent train derailments at Pennsylvania Station in New York, it was a low point for a railroad already confronting a series of urgent challenges.

Commuters have long complained that the station is overcrowded and dreary, but now Amtrak had acknowledged that its tracks were in poor shape and not being properly maintained.

The derailments have set off alarms over Amtrak’s management of the station, its safety record and the railroad’s perennial funding problems. The days of commuting turmoil prompted by the accidents also offered an ominous preview of the future if the railroad’s aging infrastructure is not soon overhauled.

Today, Amtrak finds itself at a crossroad: Is the 46-year-old national railroad at the cusp of a new era of investment as it pushes to build a train tunnel between New York and New Jersey — one of the country’s largest infrastructure proposals — or will service deteriorate to levels that could damage the economy in the corridor between Washington and Boston?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/nyregion/amtrak-infrastructure-crisis.html?_r=0

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Ridgewood Train Station Station: Stairs Serving Pedestrian Tunnel Closed Temporarily for Roof Replacement Work

train station

April 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Train Station Station: Stairs Serving Pedestrian Tunnel Closed Temporarily for Roof Replacement Work – Beginning Monday, April, 24, 2017

Beginning on or about Monday, April 24 and continuing for approximately six weeks, the stair kiosks to/from the pedestrian underpass at Ridgewood Station between East Ridgewood Avenue and Wilsey Square will be closed temporarily for repair work.

The underpass and ramps to the south that serve the pedestrian underpass will remain open during this time.This closure is necessary to accommodate roof replacement work on the two endpoint roof structures over the staircases that serve the pedestrian underpass.For your safety, please follow directional signs and do not travel through barricaded areas.

The Ridgewood Police and New Jersey Transit  apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

For further information, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.

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N.J. warns of ‘traffic Armageddon’ without tunnel funding

Ridgewood Crash Creates Traffic Havoc

file photo by Boyd Loving

Nicholas Pugliese , State House Bureau, @nickpugzPublished 5:27 p.m. ET April 19, 2017

Several of New Jersey’s high-ranking elected officials gathered in Newark Penn Station Wednesday to present the federal government with a dire warning: either follow through on a commitment to fund a portion of the $24 billion trans-Hudson rail project known as Gateway or, in the words of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, prepare for “traffic Armageddon.”

“We are in a state of crisis,” said Booker, a Democrat. “In fact, we are long past a state of crisis and New Jersey residents are feeling it just about every single day.”

Gateway, perceived as one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country, would double rail capacity between Newark and New York City by digging a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and upgrading aging bridges, among other improvements.

But it’s a race against time. The current two-track tunnel under the Hudson River was badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy and will need to be repaired in the next 20 years, reducing train service by 75 percent.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/04/19/nj-warns-traffic-armageddon-without-tunnel-funding/100667508/

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Christie, Amtrak Fault Each Other in Latest New Jersey Meltdown

Ridgewood Train Station

file photo by ArtChick

by  Elise Young
April 17, 2017, 4:39 PM EDT

Power loss follows two derailments, taxing regional railroads
Despite governor’s comment, cause of weekend incident unclear

Governor Chris Christie blamed Amtrak for a holiday-weekend travel meltdown on New Jersey’s commuter train line, though the federal passenger railroad said it was the state’s fault this time.

As many as 1,200 New Jersey Transit passengers were stranded on April 14 in a tunnel beneath the Hudson River aboard a train that had lost power. A statement emailed by Christie’s office on Monday attributed the incident to Amtrak, which owns the tracks, calling it an example of the railroad’s “failure to adequately maintain its facilities.’’

The investigation so far, though, was “inconclusive’’ about a cause, according to Steve Santoro, New Jersey Transit’s executive director, who spoke to reporters in Hoboken on Monday. Santoro was there to show lawmakers damage caused by a fatal New Jersey Transit crash in September.

Mike Tolbert, an Amtrak spokesman, said its infrastructure wasn’t at fault and “the preliminary cause appears to be a NJ Transit mechanical problem involving the train’s pantograph,” or power collector.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-17/christie-amtrak-fault-each-other-in-latest-new-jersey-meltdown

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Panicked mob flees a packed Penn Station after Amtrak cops jolt man with stun gun amid long NJ Transit delays

NY_penn_station_theridgewoodblog

Pandemonium erupted at Penn Station Friday after Amtrak police used a stun gun on an unruly man — sending scared riders scrambling for safety.

The transit hub was unusually crowded at rush hour thanks to an NJ Transit train that stalled in a tunnel earlier, causing massive delays to kick off the holiday weekend.

Cops confronted a man and subdued him with a stun gun around 6:30 p.m., sparking a stampede of frightened travelers who feared that a shooting had taken place.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/stampeding-mob-flees-penn-station-amtrak-cops-taser-man-article-1.3056434

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New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Request Comprehensive Review of Penn Station

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New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today issued a joint letter to the CEO of Amtrak and Executive Director of the Federal Railroad Administration calling for a complete review of Amtrak’s infrastructure and maintenance protocols at Penn Station.

The text of the letter is below:

“Following recent train derailments and severe service disruptions at New York’s Pennsylvania Station, the need for a complete review of Amtrak’s infrastructure and maintenance protocols has become clear. While Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration are undertaking these badly needed assessments, the states of New York and New Jersey have not been invited to participate in the assessment and in the development of the needed response.

“As the primary users of Penn Station via the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit, New York and New Jersey are requesting independent verification of track safety at Penn Station. Specifically, this comprehensive review should take into account the causes of recent failures at Penn Station and any needed changes to the processes by which routine maintenance and emergency repairs are performed.

“As you know, Penn Station is more than just a rail hub – it is a regional economic engine. The Long Island Rail Road carries 230,000 passengers through Penn Station every day. NJ Transit brings nearly 200,000 commuters to and from Manhattan every day. These riders, residents of our states, deserve safe and reliable rail service.

“Severe service disruptions at Penn Station not only impact and inconvenience riders, but also create a ripple effect across the region.

“Our passengers and our residents deserve better. “

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Ridgewood Bus Station Move is Lunacy

Ridgewood Bus Station Move is Lunacy

April 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Chris’ idea to move the bus station to the train station is lunacy.

300 NJT buses every weekday at the tiny and already overcrowded Garber Square intersection.
Up to 20 NJT buses an hour in rush hours.
900 new pedestrians in the morning rush and 900 new pedestrians in the afternoon rush.
Buses acting as 40 foot long walls obstructing line of sight for drivers and hundreds of pedestrians alike.
Each bus = 3 car lengths so traffic that already backs up Franklin and down to Monroe will back up more. Fewer cars will get through each light cycle.
Listen here to the ill-advised and not thought out plan: https://youtu.be/z5AdA2XVZoU#t=01h05m55s
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Reader says Ridgewood is better served by having the bus and train stations physically separated

Ridgewood -bus-station-theridgewoodblog

A centralized “transit hub” might work for Hoboken, but Ridgewood is better served by having the bus and train stations physically separated because it helps distribute the traffic better.

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Reader says Christopher ” Bike Lane” Rutishauser will just add another lane for buses.

bus lane

” Bike Lane” Rutishauser will just add another lane for buses. What color will he pick for the bus lane. The Mayor should have a contest for the best color.

A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, often on certain days and times, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. Bus lanes are a key component of a high-quality bus rapid transit (BRT) network, improving bus travel speeds and reliability by reducing delay caused by other traffic.

A dedicated bus lane may occupy only part of a roadway which also has lanes serving general automotive traffic; the related term busway describes a roadway completely dedicated for use by buses.

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Hudson Tunnel Project Continues to Move Forward

Hudson Tunnel Project

April 8,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  the resent derailment at Penn Station New York has suggested new urgency to the Hudson Tunnel Project.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and NJ TRANSIT are jointly preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the Hudson Tunnel Project. The Project is intended to preserve the current functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s (NEC) Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York and strengthen the resiliency of the NEC. The EIS is being prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).  As appropriate, FRA and NJ TRANSIT will coordinate with Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) on the EIS.

The FRA and NJ TRANSIT have identified a Preferred Alternative for examination in the EIS. The Preferred Alternative would include two new tracks extending from the NEC in Secaucus, NJ, continuing in a tunnel beneath the Palisades (North Bergen and Union City) and the Hoboken waterfront area, and beneath the Hudson River to connect to the existing approach tracks that lead into Penn Station New York, as well as rehabilitation of the existing tunnel once the new tunnel is complete. For more information, see the Preferred Alternatives Summary (also available on the Library page.)

The Hudson Tunnel Project has completed an Alternatives Development Report (also available on the Library page) describing how the Preferred Alternative was developed.

The FRA and NJ TRANSIT invite you to learn about the proposed Project and the environmental review process. We have also added a document to our Library for your review.

https://www.hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/reports/Hudson_Tunnel_Alternatives_Development_Report_April_2017.pdf

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NJ TRANSIT BACK ON TRACK…ALMOST

waiting _for-the _bus_theridgewoodblog

TIPS FOR COMMUTERS

April 7,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  At 6:55 a.m., Amtrak advised NJ TRANSIT that all but one track is back in service at Penn Station New York (PSNY). NJ TRANSIT’s MidTOWN Direct Service has been operating to PSNY this morning, and the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line train service is operating on their regular weekday schedules.

Trains are running with 15-20 delays !

As a precaution, NJ TRANSIT is advising customers that they may experience some delays and should give themselves some extra time to get to their destinations.  We also urge customers to check njtransit.com before traveling.

At approximately 9 a.m. Monday morning, NJ TRANSIT’s Northeast Corridor line train #3926 experienced a slow-speed derailment while pulling in to Track 9 at New York’s Penn Station.  Three cars in the middle of the ten car train derailed.  These were cars 5, 6, and 7.  Amtrak, which owns and maintains the tracks near Penn Station New York, has determined that a track problem was the cause of the derailment.

As long term commuters many on the staff of the Ridgewood blog would like to offer the following advise : Always have a backup plan  or a plan B . Long term commuters often have a plan C as well .

If you take the Train everyday be familiar with the NJT bus schedule (163,164 ) as well as the Short line bus schedule and the NJT 165 express buses that leave the park and ride at Garden State Parkway off Ridgewood ave. Also be familiar with the 752 buses ,they link Ridgewood to Hackensack bus station. And don’t forget the 175 goes to the GWB bus station linking to the A express subway line.
Midtown direct passengers should be familiar with the Hoboken PATH trains  as well as trains from Newark Penn to Ridgewood .Main line Bergen Line passengers should also be familiar with Pascack Valley line .
Complaining about commuting does not get you home to your family but good planning does.