NJT - Page 33 of 42 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on June 26, 2016June 25, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT OFFERS SUMMER SERVICE OPTIONS FOR BEACH GOERS

June 26,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Includes enhanced express weekend rail service to the shore; late-night weekday Bay Head rail shuttles and daily express buses from Philadelphia to Cape May County

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is making it convenient and affordable to get to summer shore destinations with express weekend rail service from Penn Station New York to shore communities along the North Jersey Coast Line, the return of weekday late-night Bay Head-Long Branch shuttles, and daily express bus service from Philadelphia to Wildwood and Cape May.
Saturday, June 25

The #316 express bus from Philadelphia to Wildwood and Cape May resumes for the summer. This year, the #316 will conveniently originate on JFK Boulevard just outside the Amtrak 30^th St. Station in Philadelphia providing access to Wildwood and Cape May from the University City section of Philadelphia. All trips will continue to serve the Greyhound Terminal in Philadelphia and then serve the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, eliminating the need for customers to travel to the Avandale Park and Ride to transfer to the #316. Also new this year, the #316 will stop at the Gloucester Premium Outlets in Blackwood, providing access to the new and popular shopping destination. Beach goers can enjoy service to North Wildwood, Wildwood, Rio Grande and Cape May. The complete timetable is available at njtransit.com.

Sunday, June 26

Enhanced Saturday, Sunday and holiday express rail service on the North Jersey Coast Line will operate from June 26 through September 10 and feature the agency’s dual-powered locomotives to provide a one-seat ride.

“Going ‘down the shore’ is a time honored summer tradition in New Jersey. So whether you’re traveling from North Jersey or South Jersey, New York or Philadelphia we are providing more options to get you to the fun in the sun,” said NJ TRANSIT Interim Executive Director Dennis J. Martin. “Everyone should experience New Jersey’s beautiful beaches and what better way to relax than a stress-free ride on a bus or train.”

Four round-trip weekend and holiday express trains will operate between Penn Station New York and Bay Head. This service also features hourly train service between Bay Head and Long Branch from approximately 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Two of the round-trip express trains will be geared to beach travelers, with an additional two round-trips providing service during the early morning and late night timeframes.

The express service will serve Penn Station New York, Secaucus Junction, Newark Penn Station, Elizabeth, Rahway, Aberdeen-Matawan, Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and then all station stops to Bay Head, and no need to transfer in Long Branch. A travel time savings of approximately 25 minutes is expected from the regular travel time between New York and towns such as Belmar, Manasquan and Point Pleasant.

Seating will be limited aboard the express service. Customers are strongly encouraged to purchase round-trip tickets or discounted beach packages to Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar (a savings of $5.00) prior to the start of their trip. NJ TRANSIT beach packages are available at all rail station ticket windows and ticket vending machines except on the Atlantic City rail line. More information on beach packages is available on njtransit.com.

Customers can also purchase NJ TRANSIT tickets using MyTix mobile ticketing. However, beach packages are not currently available on the NJ TRANSIT mobile app.

Express trains will supplement NJ TRANSIT’s regular weekend hourly rail shuttle service between Long Branch and Bay Head, and will operate using the ALP-45 dual-powered locomotives. These specialized trains operate in electric mode between New York and Long Branch and switch to diesel operation for travel between Long Branch and Bay Head – allowing for the one-seat ride.

Detailed schedules are available on njtransit.com.

Monday, June 27

Late-night weekday Bay Head-Long Branch rail shuttles return. This service was temporarily suspended in October for the winter season. Late-night shuttles will depart Long Branch at 11:19 p.m. and 2:42 a.m. heading to Bay Head. In addition, there will be a 9:43 p.m. departure from Bay Head to Long Branch. This service will run through September 9.

Posted on June 10, 2016June 9, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Lay train tracks in N.J. or new Hudson tunnels won’t add capacity, experts say

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on June 08, 2016 at 4:23 PM, updated June 08, 2016 at 4:33 PM

NJ Transit commuters won’t gain additional trains to and from New York after new Hudson River rail tunnels are built, unless two new tracks are also built on the New Jersey side, a transit advocate said.

During a May meeting about starting an environmental study of a project to buildthe tunnels, Federal Railroad Administration officials said the tunnel project won’t increase capacity to Penn Station.

NJ Transit officials could include building new tracks as part of that study, but the opportunity to do so ends soon, said Joe Clift, a former Long Island Rail Road planning director and transit advocate.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/06/lay_train_tracks_in_nj_or_new_hudson_tunnels_wont_add_capacity_experts_say.html

Posted on June 9, 2016January 21, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Fallen Tree Blocks Freight train Traffic in Ridgewood

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

June 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police Department Patrol Officer Peter Tuchol, Jr. and a New York Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W) Railroad employee who did not wish to be identified survey a downed tree in the rear of 334 Lakeview Drive, Ridgewood that stopped freight train traffic on the NYS&W’s main line between Ridgefield Park, NJ and Binghampton, NY. The tree fell at approximately 12 noon on Tuesday, 06/07, according to a nearby resident. A railroad crew was expected to clear the blockage late in the afternoon.

Posted on June 4, 2016June 4, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

National Association of Railroad Passengers calls on Federal Railroad Administration, NJ Transit to expedite Hudson River tunnel project

June 4,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Mathews on Tuesday urged federal leaders to fast-track necessary approvals to replace the Hudson River rail tunnels.

If the tunnels aren’t replaced in time, the New York City region could face a “transportation meltdown,” Mathews wrote in a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and New Jersey Transit.

Each day, the aging tunnels accommodate 100 trains carrying 24,000 Amtrak riders. Additionally, NJ Transit trains move 90,000 weekday passengers through the tunnels, which run between New York and New Jersey.

“Given the importance of these tunnels to the entire East Coast transportation system and to passenger rail, NARP strongly urges the government to proceed as expeditiously as possible, within the confines of applicable law, to begin desperately needed and long-overdue construction of new tunnels,” Mathews wrote.

He also advocated separating the Hudson tunnels project from Amtrak’s larger Gateway Program, which calls for a number of upgrades to improve capacity between New York City’s Penn Station and Newark, N.J. Separating the two projects would help ease the funding burden, simplify permitting and design, and “secure the widest possible agreement to proceed from elected and appointed officials throughout the region,” Mathews said.

Currently, Amtrak removes one of the tunnels from service each weekend for continuing maintenance, which results in slow, single-tracking operations. Until new ones are built, this will continue indefinitely, according to Mathews.

Additionally, the existing tubes will be removed from service for a full year for complete rehabilitation after the new ones are built.

“There is a real danger that if one of the current bores becomes permanently damaged or disabled, the throughput of trains would fall some 75 percent,” noted Mathews.

Posted on June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

NJT Starts Summer Savings Travel Packages

June 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, With Memorial Day marking the “unofficial” start of the summer recreational season, this weekend is a great time for customers to take advantage of NJ TRANSIT’s discounted travel packages to destinations including the Jersey Shore, Six Flags, Monmouth Park and Liberty Science Center:

Beach Packages: Save up to $5.00 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 discounted beach pass for one price at NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Beach Package”) or at ticket windows. Customers can purchase the package at all NJ TRANSIT rail stations, excluding stations on the Atlantic City Rail Line. Beach Packages go on sale on the following four Fridays: May 27, June 3, 10 and 17 at 7 a.m. and are valid throughout the weekend and on holidays. Beach Packages will be available daily starting Saturday, June 18 and continuing through Labor Day, Monday, September 5.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari or Hurricane Harbor: Save up to $30 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 and Newark Penn Station.

Monmouth Park: Board a train anywhere on NJ TRANSIT’s rail system, excluding Atlantic City Rail Line stations, and save $5.50 when you travel to Monmouth Park Racetrack. Simply purchase a package to Monmouth Park from NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Monmouth Park”) or at ticket windows, and receive round-trip transportation, Grandstand Admission and an official track program for $3.50 plus the regular cost of a round-trip rail ticket.

Liberty Science Center: Beginning June 1, save $5 per person for up to four general admission, combo ticket and/or all-access passes when you travel on NJ TRANSIT and show your ticket, pass or fare receipt at Liberty Science Center. General admission passes include live science demonstrations, hands-on labs, and a variety of daily activities. Combo and all-access passes provide options for films and premium exhibits.

Posted on June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

NJT OBSERVES NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH WITH IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES

June 3, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJT is joining with the National Safety Council and numerous other organizations across the country in recognizing National Safety Month during the month of June. Safety is the utmost priority for the corporation and NJ TRANSIT recognizes that collaboration between the agency and the public is necessary to effectively promote safe choices around the public transportation system.

“The safety of our customers and employees remains our top priority,” said NJ TRANSIT Interim Executive Director Dennis Martin. “As we mark National Safety Month, we all should take a brief moment to review some simple ‘do’s and don’ts’ which will further promote a safe environment for our customers and our employees.”

“NJ TRANSIT is taking the message to the streets,’’ said Office of System Safety Chief Gardner Tabon. “The Office of System Safety is reminding employees of safety protocols in many ways; by visiting them at selected work sites, by printing messages on pay stubs and by hanging posters in visible locations. These reminders promote the notion that we all share in the responsibility of staying safe.’’

Rail and Light Rail Safety:

Never take a short cut along, around or across rail tracks.
Only cross railroad tracks in clearly-identified, designated areas where there are lights, signs and grade crossings.
Always stand behind the yellow safety line when waiting on the station platform. Trains can operate on any track, at any time.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Use extra caution when using headphones or using your cell phone near tracks, or while on the station platform. If you are not listening or paying attention, you may not hear a train approaching.
Listen to train personnel and watch your steps when boarding and exiting a train.

Bus Safety:
When waiting for and riding a bus:

Use designated crosswalks and sidewalks to reach the bus stop.
Never run after a bus; you may slip and fall, or may be struck by another vehicle.
Wait for the bus at designated stops and stand two to three feet from the curb.
Hold handrails while boarding the bus.
When exiting, do not cross in front of the bus. Wait for the bus to pull away, walk to the nearest crosswalk, and look both ways before crossing.

NJ TRANSIT will be hosting several employee safety day events at various work sites to remind employees of the importance of safety protocols. As part of the month-long program, there will also be an increase in safety advertising and handouts onboard bus, rail and light rail vehicles.

In April 2016, Tabon was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to serve on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Northeast Corridor Safety Committee. This committee serves as an advisory body to the Department and is responsible for evaluating proposed safety improvements on the NEC main line and providing information, advice and recommendations on policy initiatives.

Posted on May 22, 2016May 22, 2016 by James — 8 Comments

NJT fails to Maintain Ridge Road entrance to Ridgewood Train Station

photos by Boyd Loving

May 22,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood blog has received complaint from a commuter that NJ Transit is doing very little to maintain the area surrounding the Ridge Road train station access point. The dumpster is theirs, weeds are sky high, and there is garbage strewn everywhere.

Posted on May 16, 2016May 15, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Hudson Tunnel Project Environmental Impact Evaluation

May 15,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood commuters ,the Federal Railroad Administration and NJ TRANSIT are jointly preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the Hudson Tunnel Project. Two public meetings have been set up with will offer a presentation and take comments .

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 resilience of the NEC. The Project would consist of construction of a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, including railroad infrastructure in New Jersey and New York connecting the new rail tunnel to the existing NEC, and rehabilitation of the existing NEC tunnel beneath the Hudson River, referred to as the North River Tunnel.

The North River Tunnel is used by Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service and by NJ TRANSIT for commuter rail service. The approach to the tunnel begins east of NJ TRANSIT’s Frank R. Lautenberg Station in Secaucus, NJ (which is 5 miles east of Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT’s Newark Penn Station). East of the Secaucus station, the NEC has two tracks that approach the tunnel on a raised embankment through the towns of Secaucus and North Bergen, NJ. Tracks enter a tunnel portal in North Bergen, passing beneath Union City and Weehawken, NJ and the Hudson River before emerging within the Penn Station New York (PSNY) rail complex in New York City. The tunnel has two separate tubes, each accommodating a single track for electrically powered trains, and extends approximately 2.5 miles from the tunnel portal in North Bergen to PSNY. The existing North River Tunnel is a critical NEC asset and is the only intercity passenger rail crossing into New York City from New Jersey and areas west and south.

Service reliability throughout the tunnel has been compromised because of the damage to tunnel components caused by Superstorm Sandy, which inundated both tubes in the North River Tunnel with seawater in October 2012, resulting in the cancellation of all Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT service into New York City for five days. While the tunnel was restored to service and is now safe for travel, chlorides from the seawater remain in the tunnel’s concrete liner and bench walls, causing ongoing damage to the bench walls, imbedded steel, track, and signaling and electrical components.

The damage caused by Superstorm Sandy is compounded by the tunnel’s age and the intensity of its current use (operating at capacity to meet current demands), resulting in frequent delays due to component failures within the tunnel.

Public Scoping Meetings

FRA and NJ TRANSIT will hold two public scoping meetings on the following dates:

May 17, 2016
Hotel Pennsylvania
Gold Ballroom, 3rd Floor
401 Seventh Avenue at West 33rd Street
New York, NY

May 19, 2016
Union City High School
2500 Kennedy Boulevard
Union City, NJ

Both days will include an afternoon session from 3 to 5 PM with a brief presentation about the Project at 4 PM, and an evening session from 6 to 8 PM with a brief presentation about the Project at 7 PM. The public will be able to review Project information, talk informally with members of the study staff, and formally submit comments to the FRA (to a stenographer or in writing). The meeting facilities will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Spanish language translators will be present. If special translation or signing services or other special accommodations are needed, please contact the Project team five days prior to the meeting at 973-261-8115, or email [email protected].

Posted on May 6, 2016May 5, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

Now Two NJ Transit rail unions have rejected the contract that avoided strike

May 5,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, now two unions representing New Jersey Transit’s conductors and locomotive engineers have voted against ratifying recently negotiated labor agreements.The United Transportation Union’s C&T division and the NJ Transit Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are the two unions that rejected the contracts.

The new contract reached March 13th ,averted a strike that would have shut down the agency’s commuter-rail system.The tentative agreements have both failed ratifications by narrow margins. Despite two rejections, 14 other unions ratified their contracts by significant majorities,and the 14 contracts have been approved by the board of NJ Transit and are now in effect

The two dissenting unions have the right, under the Federal Railway Labor Act, to request the resumption of negotiations, earlier agreements, have instituted an additional 60-day “cooling off” period currently in effect now that precludes strikes or lockouts. So it looks like for the time being that Ridgewood rail commuters are safe to assume trains will still be ariving at the station for the time being.

Posted on April 18, 2016January 20, 2019 by James — 5 Comments

Ridgewood Bound NJT Train Passes Over Man Lying Between Tracks

April 18,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJT Authorities say a man lying between the railroad tracks was not injured after a New Jersey Transit Main Line train passed over him.

The Suffern bond train departed from Hoboken on Saturday. There were no reported injuries , but the train was delayed for nearly an hour while the incident was investigated in Elmwood Parked .

The man who’s name has not been released is now facing a charge of interfering with transportation following the incident .

It’s not clear why the man was lying between the tracks or how long he had been there before the train went over him. But authorities say he appeared to be drunk and he was taken to a hospital for an evaluation.

Posted on April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

NJ Transit defends use of audio surveillance on some trains

New Jersey Transit’s director defended the use of audio surveillance systems on some of its trains Tuesday, as some questioned the monitoring’s legal and ethical underpinnings. Associated Press, Read more

Posted on April 11, 2016April 10, 2016 by James — 1 Comment

Careful what you say Ridgewood Customers NJT is listening to your every breath

Security_Ridgewood train_station_NJT_theridgewoodblog

April 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ.COM is reporting that casual commuter conversations on light rail trains are being recorded by NJ Transit.
NJT has long held the belief that video and audio surveillance systems are designed to make riders more secure and that
the on-board cameras and audio surveillance systems are needed to fight crime and maintain security.

In recent years NJT has installed video surveillance on transit buses and video and audio devices have already been installed on River Line light rail vehicles and are currently being installed on the Hudson-Bergen and Newark Light Rail.

According to the Port Authority ,PATH trains also have on-board cameras to monitor riders, which was a built in feature of the new PA-5 cars that replaced older trains.

While NJT claims commuter rail trains are not equipped with surveillance devices.We could not get a confirmation to the extent of which bus riders were under surveillance.

According to Transit all light rail vehicles that are equipped with surveillance have signs informing customers of their presence.So the question arises does on-board surveillance go too far when the agency records everything passengers are saying, without telling customers how long they keep or who has access to the recordings?

We are not sure , what do you think?

Posted on April 8, 2016April 7, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT BOARD SELECTS WILLIAM “BILL” CROSBIE AS AGENCY’S NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

April 6, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In a unanimous vote, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors appointed William (“Bill”) Crosbie as the new Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT during a special meeting today. The appointment is effective on or about April 25, 2016.

Mr. Crosbie succeeds Dennis J. Martin, who has served as the agency’s interim Executive Director since December, 2015. Mr. Martin will resume his previous position as VP/GM of NJ TRANSIT’s Bus Operations Division.

“I would like to thank Governor Christie and the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors for this tremendous opportunity to serve the more than 900,000 people who utilize the New Jersey Transit system each year,” said incoming Executive Director Crosbie. “I am anxious to roll up my sleeves and stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of NJ TRANSIT to address the service, safety, equipment and facility needs of our customers and our infrastructure.”

Prior to Executive Director Crosbie’s appointment, he served as President & CEO as well as Regional Director for North America for SYSTRA USA, an international transportation engineering consulting firm. During his tenure, he was responsible for leading day-to-day operations as well as the strategic development of the firm.

In addition to serving as Vice President of Railroad Programs for the Parsons Corporation, Executive Director Crosbie spent more than seven years as the Chief Operating Officer of Amtrak where he directed the transportation, engineering (infrastructure), mechanical (rolling stock), police and security, environmental, health, and safety functions.

“Bill Crosbie brings a depth of background in operations, transportation, engineering, finance, and security to New Jersey Transit that is perfectly suited to address the needs facing the agency at this important time,” said Acting Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman Richard T. Hammer.

Executive Director Crosbie is a transportation security expert and Professional Engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the transportation field. He is a regular guest lecturer at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School on intelligence analysis, cyber security, and infrastructure protection. He has served on numerous Boards including the Boards of Directors for Washington Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Chicago Union Station.

Executive Director Crosbie holds a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Posted on April 7, 2016April 6, 2016 by James — Leave a comment

This N.J. Transit Expansion Costs $474,000 Per Commuter

Elise Young EliseOnDeadline

Seven months after New Jersey Transit raised fares and cut routes to close a budget gap, the railroad is laying track to link dairy-country commuters with Manhattan, at a cost of about $474,000 per rider.

The seven-mile (11.3-kilometer) line between Port Morris and Andover in northwest New Jersey will add but a ridership blip to the nation’s second-busiest commuter railroad. By 2030, just 130 daily passengers are expected to board. One multilevel rail car could haul the whole crowd, with a dozen seats to spare.

Meanwhile, closer to Manhattan, commuters in the nation’s most densely populated suburbs endure crowding and train breakdowns at a rate four times higher than the U.S. average. The transit agency says the Sussex County line is a first step to expand rail service to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a haven for ex-New Jerseyans seeking lower living costs. That $500 million proposal has been on the drawing board for decades without federal funding.

“I moved here in 1983 and the first thing we heard was the train is coming,” said John Moyer, 69, chairman of the governing body for Monroe County, Pennsylvania, where a high percentage of residents have one of the nation’s longest mega-commutes to New York City. “I’m not sure that I’m going to live long enough for it to get here.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-06/n-j-transit-math-rural-rail-expansion-at-474-000-per-commuter

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