If a Hudson River rail tunnel has to be shut down for repairs, NJ Transit officials say they’d move commuters using a plan similar to the one enacted after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
In October, Amtrak officials warned the two trans-Hudson tunnels would have to beclosed for one year at a time to fix flood damage from Sandy.
“We have contingencies to service those customers who would be displaced, “said Jennifer M. Nelson, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.
If one of the 105-year-old tunnels is closed, the number of trains to and from New York would be squeezed from 24 to six per hour. Close to 90,000 riders a day commute to Penn Station in New York and, of those, 30 percent would likely work remotely from home or another location, she said.
ULY 9, 2015, 8:22 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, 8:23 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Transit engineers have voted to strike if their contract dispute is not resolved.
However, union members are hoping the federal government will create a panel to help bring about an agreement. Union officials say the creation of the board would be enough to forestall a strike for the immediate future.
Editors note : once again another editorial that failed to address :
1- what happened to the presidents stimulus money ?
2- where has the TTF money been spent?
3- why does road work cost so much in New Jersey
4- why haven’t we audited the TTF ?
5- we already have enormous revenues from tolls and taxes how is it being spent?
answer any of these questions and you may get some public support for “solutions”June 28, 2015We were disappointed to learn earlier this month that, despite overwhelming opposition from riders and public officials, NJ Transit will be proceeding with the planned fare hikes and service cuts it proposed earlier this year.The action is unavoidable, says NJ Transit, because the agency has a $56 million budget gap; to close it, fares will jump 9 percent, on average, and rail and bus routes will be cut back.This is bad news for commuters, no doubt about it, but it’s bad news for business owners, too. Earlier this month, NJ.com published a report on the median property values along NJ Transit rail lines, and unsurprisingly, people are willing to pay quite a price to live near access to employment hubs such as Newark, Morristown, New Brunswick, Princeton and others. That gives companies incentive to locate in these areas, which gives developers incentive to make investments in these towns, which in turn brings more businesses — especially smaller ones — and powers downtown revitalization. Towns such as Summit and Montclair would be a much tougher sell for commuters if they lacked reliable rail transportation.This is just another example of New Jersey’s poor transportation planning coming home to roost. The depleted Transportation Trust Fund, starved by an insufficient gas tax, has made major rail investment an afterthought. Raising fares is only going to push more cars on the road at rush hour, exacerbating what many consider to be the Garden State’s worst problem, and will harm investment in rail towns by developers and businesses. No one likes a tax hike, but a small increase in the gas tax is preferable to another big transit fare hike. It would be nice if legislators wised up and ensured this is the last increase for the foreseeable future.
Part of the reason we’re here is poor policy. No public transit agency is going to break even, much less turn a profit, but NJ Transit has often been a victim of not getting what it needs from the state, combined with its own share of dunderheaded decisions, such as rail car storage during Sandy. The state must take a hard look at the impact rail service has on municipalities when it thinks about funding infrastructure upgrades or new station construction. And that goes for bus and light rail projects, too — the tremendous impact of the Hudson-Bergen light rail line on property values was long ago demonstrated. Given that the only new jobs being talked about in New Jersey are at casinos or megamalls, professionals are likely to need reliable access to New York to find the work they want — and they’re paying for that privilege.
New projections show the New York region’s population should reach 20.5 million people by 2020, further taxing the region’s already overcrowded and cash-strapped subway, bus and train systems.
The projections — calculated by the mapping service ESRI for The Associated Press — estimate the region is growing at a clip of almost 100,000 people annually. Long Island, Westchester County and much of northern New Jersey are included in the metro area.
The importance of these systems can’t be overstated: 31% of metro area commuters use transit to get to work, the U.S. Census estimates.
As the region’s population booms, the strains on mass transit are increasingly evident.
Overcrowding was the single biggest cause of delays on the New York subway system during the last year, MTA stats show. Ridership has also grown on NJ Transit and the PATH trains.
Riders on NJ Transit are already hopping mad about a proposed 9 percent fare increase. Hundreds of them have bombarded the agency since April with angry emails, letters and in-person testimonials opposing the move, which will fill a $56 million budget gap if approved three weeks from now by NJ Transit’s board members.
But what if this fare increase is only the beginning? (Maag/The Record)
With New Jersey Transit commuters facing higher fares amid a $120 million budget deficit, the agency is paying more to workers as it deals with equipment repairs and service disruptions.
Overtime at the nation’s third-biggest rail and bus operator climbed to $135.3 million last year, a 12 percent increase from 2011. During the same period, the ranks of New Jersey Transit workers paid at least $100,000 a year grew 20 percent, according to data on the state’s website. The costs were driven by service needs and emergencies, plus wages in union contracts, the agency says.
“I don’t know how you justify” higher fares, said Stephanie Dunstan, a 30-year-old Hamilton resident, as she waited on June 17 for the 6:55 a.m. train to Manhattan, where she works in insurance. “I know people who are getting raises of 2 percent, 3 percent.”
JUNE 16, 2015, 1:05 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015, 1:09 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The latest round of talks between NJ Transit and its labor unions has broken down, signaling increased tensions between the two sides over pay and benefits. Union members have been working without a new contract for four years, union leaders said.
The next step in the process requires intervention from President Obama, who must create a three-member Presidential Emergency Board to keep the sides negotiating and prevent a strike or labor lockout that could cripple the region’s economy. Nearly 955,000 people ride NJ Transit buses, trains and light rail every workday.
NJ Transit and its unions started negotiating through the National Mediation Board in 2011, soon after the old contract expired. As the process dragged on, more unions joined in, eventually creating a coalition that includes all 17 of NJ Transit’s unions, together representing 4,263 workers, said Thomas Roth, a labor consultant hired to represent the unions in the next round of negotiations. The final union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, joined the coalition last week, Roth said.
“To have all the unions that represent all the workers on the property, it’s very rare,” said Roth, who has been involved in labor disputes for 40 years. “In fact this is the first time we’ve ever had a coalition like this.”
After years of negotiation went nowhere, the unions asked the National Mediation Board to release them from talks. On Monday the board agreed, an indication that the sides are so far apart on subjects including salary increases, benefits and work rules that an agreement now is impossible.
But near-insurmountable difficulties remain to be resolved — such as where the requisite $15 billion will come from
Two century-old tunnels that carry Amtrak and NJ Transit trains into New York City
The urgent need for new rail tunnels under the Hudson River is finally getting some serious attention after years of little activity.
At a closely watched summit of transportation leaders in New York last month, a top official from the Obama administration called Amtrak’s proposed Gateway tunnel between northern New Jersey and Manhattan “the most important rail project in the United States.” Peter Rogoff, the acting undersecretary of transportation, said the two states must act immediately to advance a plan, sparking attendees’ hopes that the highly complex, expensive, long-stalled project might finally get underway.
“It was like, ‘Whoa! We finally are hearing it from Washington,’” Martin Robins, the dean of New Jersey transportation experts and a conference participant, said after the meeting. “I wish it had come earlier.”
The sign of possible movement comes five years after Gov. Chris Christie canceledNJ Transit’s ARC (Access to the Region’s Core) tunnel project under the Hudson, citing the project’s potential high cost. It comes two and half years after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the existing, 105-year-old tunnels, raising the prospect of a long shutdown of at least one tunnel for repairs that could cripple rail travel in the near future.
“Closure of that tunnel, and the 50 percent to 75 percent reduction in capacity, would have a disastrous effect on the regional economy. That can’t be overestimated,” said Pat Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
New tunnels are needed to prevent such a crisis and to allow continued economic growth, the conferees said. Rail travel across the Hudson has increased 140 percent in the past 25 years, even as auto travel has declined, and is projected to double again by 2040, according to the Regional Plan Association, which organized the conference with the Port Authority.
“This conference isn’t about transportation. It’s about jobs,” Foye said during a panel discussion. “It’s about protecting and retaining the jobs the region already has and creating the platform for future job growth. It is not an overstatement to say the region’s economic prosperity is at stake.”
But even with that looming risk and the kick in the pants from Rogoff, fundamental questions remain unanswered. Most importantly, which agency will own and direct the project? And where will the required funding, which could reach $15 billion or more, come from?
How will Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who are both under pressure to pay for other transportation needs, somehow agree to support such a massive undertaking? And what role will be played by the powerful but politically vulnerablePort Authority, which needs to spend billions on other projects and remains under a cloud of Bridgegate-related scandals?
Enhanced North Jersey Coast Line express weekend service to beach towns launches Sunday, June 21
June 15, 2015NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is making it convenient and affordable to get to summer shore destinations with the return of express weekend rail service from Penn Station New York and northern New Jersey cities to shore communities along the North Jersey Coast Line this Sunday, June 21.
Enhanced Saturday, Sunday and holiday rail service on the North Jersey Coast Line will operate from June 21 through September 12 and utilize the agency’s dual-powered locomotives to provide a one-seat ride.
“This one-seat ride rail service from New York is a sound investment that not only gives visitors and residents easier access to some of our most popular beaches and boardwalks, it also helps take cars off the roadway and boosts tourism and the economy in our shore communities,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Chairman Jamie Fox.
“Our Shore service provides a safe and reliable way to get people where they need to be to enjoy time in the sun and expands transit options for travelers along the state’s costal region,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim. “NJ TRANSIT is grateful for the continued support of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) without whom funding for this service would not be possible.”
Four round-trip 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 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Two of the round-trips 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, without the need of a transfer in Long Branch. A travel time savings of approximately 25 minutes is expected from the normal travel time between New York and trains 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 $6.50) prior to the start of their trip. NJ TRANSIT beach packages are available at some ticket windows and ticket vending machines. More information on beach packages is available on njtransit.com/summer.
Customers can also purchase NJ TRANSIT tickets using MyTix mobile ticketing.
Express trains will supplement NJ TRANSIT’s regular hourly rail shuttle service between Long Branch and Bay Head, and will operate using the statewide transportation agency’s new ALP-45 dual-powered locomotives. These specialized trains will operate in electric mode between New York and Long Branch and will switch to diesel operation for travel between Long Branch and Bay Head – allowing for the one-seat ride.
The announcement follows the May 11, 2015 endorsement of the service by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), which authorized a $273,000 allocation through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) to fund the new service.
Detailed schedules are available on njtransit.com.
JUNE 12, 2015, 6:47 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015, 9:43 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
NJ Transit is moving forward with its plan to close a $56 million budget gap by increasing fares and cutting service, the agency said Friday.
The decision runs counter to the sentiments of the overwhelming majority of elected officials, union representatives and commuters who spoke against the changes at a series of nine public hearings throughout the state.
NJ Transit’s proposal remains virtually unchanged from when it was first announced in April. The average rider will see fares increase by 9 percent, with the highest fare hike at 9.4 percent. Service cuts will include eliminating the last evening trains on the Pascack Valley and the Montclair-Boonton lines, and cuts to bus routes in South Jersey.
A report issued Friday by the agency included a resolution that would impose the fare hikes and service cuts. That resolution is scheduled to be discussed Tuesday at a public meeting of NJ Transit’s customer service and administration committees. The meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. at NJ Transit headquarters in Newark, will be the last time members of the public can comment on the proposal before it is presented to the full board on July 15.
Board members will likely vote on the final package then, said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit.
In economics, experiments are rare. There is seldom a control group. But sometimes crude experiments can be done. Both the passenger and freight rail system in the US were nationalized after “common carrier” price neutrality regulation bankrupted the industries. But then freight rail was privatized, while passenger rail was kept public. Now, the US has the world’s BEST freight and WORST passenger rail.
Freight rail’s renaissance is powering the U.S. economy even without Uncle Sam’s help
By Michael Grunwald @MikeGrunwaldJuly 09, 2012
Congress is gridlocked over infrastructure. On one side, Democrats want to invest in America. On the other side, Republicans want to tighten government’s belt. But there’s one more side to this story. U.S. freight railroads will get $23 billion worth of upgrades this year, and taxpayers won’t pick up the tab. That’s because the railroads build, maintain and improve their own infrastructure and even pay property taxes on their tracks. Also, freight trains are about three times as fuel-efficient as long-haul trucks, which means they help cut smog and reduce the U.S.’s carbon emissions and oil dependence. And forget those accident-prone trains your kids watch on Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. In reality, shifting freight from roads to rails sharply reduces crashes and congestion.
We don’t think much about freight trains except when they make us wait at intersections or blow their horns while chugging through our towns. The industry evokes images of ruthless Gilded Age monopolies and hapless 1970s bankruptcies. But railroads are one of my favorite special interests–not because they’re less greedy or aggressive than other Washington lobbies but because what’s good for them really does tend to be good for us.
It’s not just that they are self-sufficient and fuel-efficient, employ 175,000 workers and have poured $500 billion into their trains, tracks and terminals since 1980. They are also quite literally the engines of our economy. America’s passenger rail is a global joke, but our freight rail is the envy of the world, carrying over 40% of our intercity cargo. Trains carry much less of Europe’s freight, which is why trucks clog Europe’s highways. And America’s rail-shipping rates are the world’s lowest, reducing the cost of doing business in the U.S.; they’ve fallen 45% in real dollars since the industry was deregulated three decades ago.
The right should love railroads because they’re proof that deregulation can work and the private sector can upgrade infrastructure. The left should love railroads because they fight global warming and provide union jobs. We all should love railroads because they bring us our stuff and keep prices down.
By Carla Astudillo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 08, 2015 at 11:31 AM, updated June 08, 2015 at 11:52 AM
Near what NJ Transit stops can you afford (and not afford) to buy a home?
The map below shows how much a home is worth surrounding every NJ Transit stop in New Jersey.
We found the median home values using Census data for the immediate area surrounding the train stops. For the stops in non-residential areas, like Newark Airport, we used the closest Census block to the stop.
Note: The bigger the circle stations are, the higher the home value.
Keep in mind is that home values around New Jersey train station stops are generally higher than areas further away.
JUNE 7, 2015, 10:59 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015, 12:03 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
NJ Transit has a strong institutional culture of protecting the lives of its customers and workers from the dangers of trains, but a newly released study found that employees say the agency’s top leaders value on-time performance over safety and that overall, more can be done to keep workers out of harm’s way while on the job.
The findings of the $467,000 report commissioned by NJ Transit and conducted by Rail Safety Consultants of Pittsfield, N.Y., were confidential until now. And rather than an analysis of statistics on quantifiable mishaps, such as accidents, fires or switch failures, the report attempts to gauge NJ Transit’s attitudes, policies and procedures through a combination of employee surveys and inspector observations in the field.
The Record obtained the report through an Open Public Records Act request.
Survey results and firsthand observations found that train dispatchers and engineers take few risks, maintenance crews perform train and track inspections as required, supervisors speedily investigate accidents and injuries, repair shops are kept clean, and cellphone use is rare among workers on the rails.
A bill that would add two members to NJ Transit’s Board of Directors advanced to the state senate for a future vote.
(Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 11, 2015 at 12:52 PM, updated May 11, 2015 at 12:54 PM
A bill that would add two commuters to NJ Transit’s board is rolling down the tracks toward a vote.
The bill, proposed by state Senators Nicholas Sacco, D-Bergen, and Raymond Lesnaik, D-Union, was unanimously cleared by the five members of the senate Transportation Committee Monday morning and will go to the full senate for a vote.
The bill would add two non-voting commuter members to NJ Transit’s eight member board of directors.
“It’s difficult to get public input into decisions that affect people’s lives by people who take public transportation to get to work,” Lesniak said. “By having two public members, who will be able to make a motion, to have it voted on, we will be doing better by giving (the board) more public input.”
Lesniak used the upcoming NJ Transit fare increase public hearings as an example of why riders need representation on the board. Some of them are at inconvenient locations or times for commuters to attend and voice their opinion.
The idea was supported by founders of the state’s newest commuter commuter group, the New Jersey Commuter Action Coalition. They questioned why the proposed members wouldn’t have a vote.
“If these individuals are allowed to attend meetings in their entirety and engage with the rest of the group to truly exchange ideas, I think it is a great start,” said Michael Phelan, NJCAN co-founder. “If they will sit there and observe and be asked to leave so that the adults can talk for real after the meeting, then it’s not good. Why wouldn’t these members of the public be as capable of absorbing facts and voting as those who are on the board?”
Phelan suggested that bill should require that the two commuter board members take the next two available voting seats, as they become available, and that those seats continue to be held by commuters going forward.
NJ Transit chief: Will try to hold hikes to single digits
MARCH 11, 2015, 11:03 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 4:38 PM
BY DAVID PORTER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWARK — Rail and bus commuters facing potential fare hikes likely won’t see increases as high as they did in 2010 when fares rose an average of more than 20 percent, the head of the North Jersey Transportation Authority said Wednesday.
Executive Director Ronnie Hakim told board members that a looming $80 million budget gap is forcing her to look at all options, including fare increases. She said that if increases become necessary, her goal is to make them less burdensome for commuters.
The last fare hikes averaged 22 percent across the system and were accompanied by service cuts and the elimination of off-peak discounts.
What happened in 2010 “was very harsh for our customers and we’re doing everything to significantly avoid any recommendation remotely like that,” she said. “So I would like to stay in the single digits.”
In an accident of timing, Hakim’s comments came on a day when four of NJ Transit’s rail lines were suspended temporarily, with two of the suspensions occurring during the morning commute — one due to police and fire activity and another due to a trespasser fatality on the tracks.
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