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NJ Commuter Survives Terrifying Stabbing Incident at Port Authority Bus Terminal

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, it was just another ordinary morning for Daniel Salvatore, a 66-year-old carpenter commuting from New Jersey to New York City, until his routine was shattered by a sudden and unprovoked attack at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning.

Continue reading NJ Commuter Survives Terrifying Stabbing Incident at Port Authority Bus Terminal

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NJ Transit ,“Know Your ABCs” Initiative Encourages Customers to be Familiar with Alternate Routes in Case of Disruption

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is launching a campaign entitled “Know Your ABCs,” which encourages customers to be familiar with their “alternates, backups and contingencies” should there be a disruption on their usual mode of travel. For example, if a customer normally takes the train from Penn Station New York to New Jersey, they are encouraged to also know which bus routes from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York could be an alternative to, or near, their home station.

Continue reading NJ Transit ,“Know Your ABCs” Initiative Encourages Customers to be Familiar with Alternate Routes in Case of Disruption

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NJ TRANSIT OFFERS SPECIAL SAVINGS TO SIX FLAGS!

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Jackson Twp NJ, NJ TRANSIT and Six Flags are teaming up to make it easy and affordable to get to the fun at Six Flags Great Adventure or Hurricane Harbor!  Thrill seekers planning a visit to the park this season can avoid driving by taking advantage of NJ TRANSIT’s discounted travel packages for express bus service. This year, for the first time, customers can purchase their packages, which include round trip bus travel and park admission, all in the NJ TRANSIT Mobile App, making it more convenient than ever!

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NJ TRANSIT RESUMES EXPRESS WEEKDAY BUS SERVICE TO AMERICAN DREAM

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

East Rutherford  NJ, NJ TRANSIT is making it easier to enjoy all that American Dream has to offer every day by resuming weekday express bus service from Midtown Manhattan to the entertainment/retail center.  Two weekday departures from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) provide direct one-seat ride to American Dream, with two return trips in the evenings.

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Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is moving forward with its plan to reimagine the world’s busiest bus terminal

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is moving forward with its plan to reimagine the world’s busiest bus terminal with the launch today of the federal environmental review process and announcement of a total of four public meetings to be held virtually on June 23 and 24.

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12 hurt after NJ Transit Buses Collide Heading into the Lincoln Tunnel

NJT

photo courtesy of  NBC NY

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Secaucus NJ, according to reports 12 people were injured this morning when one New Jersey Transit bus rear-ended another on a New Jersey Turnpike exit ramp on Monday morning.
The 7:15 a.m. crash occurred when a 139 bus hit the back of a 113 bus as both were traveling from Exit 16E to Route 495 east in Secaucus, according to State Police  and  New Jersey Transit .

Both drivers and about 10 passengers were brought to local hospitals with ‘non life-threatening injuries. NJ Transit Officials reported seven passengers on the 139 bus and six passengers on the 113 bus. Both buses were headed to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, the 139 from Lakewood and the 113 from Dunellen , New Jersey.The ramp from the Turnpike to Route 495 remains partially closed as of 9:20 a.m.

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Port Authority Airports, PATH System, Bus Terminal, Bus Station, and Oculus Will See Intensified Sanitization

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the staff of then Ridgewood blog

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced enhanced facility-wide cleaning and sanitizing protocols being implemented in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Port Authority will increase cleanings of restrooms and surfaces frequently touched by passengers at the region’s airports, at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, at the Oculus World Trade Center Transportation Hub, and in the PATH train system. All areas will be disinfected on a regular basis using EPA-approved and CDC-endorsed disinfectants. The Port Authority continues to consult with New York State Department of Health, New Jersey Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Wednesday Accident Shuts Down Port Authority Bus Terminal and Lincoln Tunnel

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, Wednesday’s crash in Union City on Route 495 out bound from the Lincoln Tunnel caused a commuting nightmare on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Lincoln Tunnel and 495 shut down for hours, causing the closure of the Port Authority bus terminal leaving commuters to look for alternate routes out of the city.

The Lincoln Tunnel shut down backed up Midtown traffic for miles heading toward the Holland Tunnel. Those jams lasted well into the evening as commuters tried to escape the city for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

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Route 495 lane closures to begin Friday Expect severe congestion and delays for next two-and-a-half years

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Union City NJ, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti today strongly urged motorists who take Route 495 to the Lincoln Tunnel to adjust their travel plans to avoid severe traffic congestion expected for the next two-and-a-half years, as necessary lane closures begin to rehabilitate the Route 495 Bridge over Route 1&9 and Paterson Plank Road in North Bergen.

Continue reading Route 495 lane closures to begin Friday Expect severe congestion and delays for next two-and-a-half years

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Man allegedly planted bomb at Port Authority Bus Terminal

waiting _for-the _bus_theridgewoodblog

By Tina Moore, Rebecca Rosenberg, Daniel Prendergast and Elizabeth Rosner

March 16, 2017 | 11:03am

An “improvised explosive device” was found in an abandoned suitcase inside a busy Port Authority Bus Terminal eatery — and was later detonated by police, prosecutors said Thursday.

Police arrested Jersey City resident Arsenio Mason, 39, hours after he allegedly planted the device in the terminal Wednesday evening.

Port Authority officers first noticed the luggage around 5:15 p.m. on the first floor of the terminal’s south wing inside Deli Plus.

A PAPD K-9 unit inspected the suitcase and brought it to a police substation within the bus terminal, sources said.

When officers opened the bag, they saw what appeared to be an improvised explosive device along with a knife, bolt cutters and screwdrivers, police sources added.

The suitcase was turned over to the NYPD Bomb Squad, which took the device to Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx. Cops there detonated it by applying heat to the suitcase, prosecutors said in court Thursday.

https://nypost.com/2017/03/16/bomb-found-at-port-authority-bus-terminal/

 

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PORT AUTHORITY BOARD APPROVES LARGEST EVER $32.2 BILLION 10-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN

John Shaft

February 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Plan reflects agency’s return to its core transportation mission; Leverages private sector dollars to help rebuild region’s aging infrastructure; Creates 235,400 job years and $56 billion in overall economic activity

Ridgewood NJ, The Port Authority Board of Commissioners today approved the agency’s largest ever $32.2 billion 2017-2026 Capital Plan, which reflects the agency’s continuing return to its core transportation mission and is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in overall economic activity for the region.

The plan allows for $11.6 billion in major redevelopment projects to advance at the region’s major airports during the next decade, including the $4 billion LaGuardia Terminal B replacement, the largest transportation public-private partnership in the United States. It also provides for the advancement of work on Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport and the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport, under which Port Authority investments are expected to leverage billions of dollars of private sector investment.

At the agency’s tunnels, bridges and terminals, the plan provides $10 billion to greatly enhance trans-Hudson commuting, including the construction of new facilities and the upgrading of existing ones. Funds are included to complete the $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge Replacement, being done through the first true surface transportation PPP in the Northeast. It also provides funding to complete the rebuilding of the Bayonne Bridge, a $1.6 billion project that will effectively provide a brand new bridge for travelers and remove an existing navigational impediment to allow modern ships to pass underneath it and keep the ports competitive. The plan includes $3.5 billion to begin planning and construction of a new Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and nearly $2 billion to complete the largest overhaul and rehabilitation of the George Washington Bridge ever undertaken in the bridge’s 85-year history.

The Capital Plan also includes funding to rebuild some of PATH’s aging rail stations and to upgrade other critical rail system infrastructure to ensure safety and service reliability. Funds also are included to plan and build an extension of the PATH system from its current terminus at Newark Penn Station to the Newark Liberty International Airport Air Link Station, a project designed to improve airport access and enhance trans-Hudson commutation.

To further address the region’s critical trans-Hudson transportation needs, the plan also provides the largest contribution of any stakeholder to date — $2.7 billion — for the critical trans-Hudson rail tunnel link between New York and New Jersey and Portal Bridge North projects. The contribution will pay debt service on expected borrowing by the Gateway Program Development Corporation from low-interest federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loans.

The 10-year plan will accelerate the rebuilding of the region’s aging infrastructure by leveraging billions in private sector dollars including through public-private partnerships on major transportation and terminal projects, including those at the airports and bridges. The plan’s multibillion investment is expected to result in the creation of 235,400 job years, $20 billion in total wages and $56 billion in overall economic activity.

“There’s no question that the region’s transportation needs are growing at a far greater rate than the resources that are available to address them,” said Port Authority Chairman John Degnan. “For that reason, this Board has spent tireless hours coming to a consensus on how our resources will be spent to benefit the region and the customers we serve. We have developed a plan that invests in the most critical projects including critical improvements to trans-Hudson capacity, while providing the flexibility to make future changes should new, more vital needs emerge.”

“This region needs state-of-the-art airports, new mass transit infrastructure, and bridges designed to handle 21st Century traffic levels if we are to meet growth projections,” said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. “This 10-year plan provides a record level of investment in all of these areas that will meet and support the region’s growth and serve as a major job creator for the next decade.”

“This plan provides significant benefits for the millions of travelers who use the region’s airports, tunnels, bridges, terminals and mass transit system, and it’s also a lifeline for thousands of our members given the tens of thousands of good paying jobs these projects will create. We strongly support the Port Authority’s continuing plans to invest in public sector transportation projects that are good for the region and good for those who live and work here,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

“The Port Authority’s proposed 10-year, $32 billion capital plan provides the strategic investments necessary to support the modernization of critical transportation infrastructure, including JFK and LaGuardia Airports, Port Authority Bus Terminal and Bayonne and Goethals Bridges, as well as funding for the Gateway Program, possibly the most important set of projects in the country. The Port Authority’s plan, along with Governor Cuomo’s pledge to invest in aging infrastructure, provide the extensive commitments necessary to support the sustained growth of the metropolitan region. We look forward to working with the Port Authority to build, repair, and renew all of these vital assets,” said New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura.The approval followed a month-long public comment period – including two first-ever public meetings in each state that were attended by commissioners and agency leadership. Prior to the Board’s vote to move the proposed plan forward on January 5 for public comment, there was robust debate and discussion by Board members over how to parcel out limited resources to the agency’s growing list of capital investment needs.

Since the Board’s January 5 meeting, the agency received 429 comments on its plan from 365 individuals. Fifty-five speakers attended the public meetings in both states to comment on specific items in the document and 9 people Tweeted comments about it. An additional 327 comments were emailed and 12 comments were received by mail. The Board of Commissioners received periodic summaries of the public comments prior to today’s Board meeting.

The 10-year plan approved today includes $29.5 billion in direct spending on Port Authority projects and the $2.7 billion commitment to support debt service on the Gateway passenger rail tunnel project.

The plan outlines specific funding commitments for major capital projects the agency will invest in over the next 10 years. All projects remain subject to Board authorization processes, and, before they proceed, are subject to a rigorous “gates” review process before they proceed that look at agency revenue and the ability to finance them.

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NJ Politics Digest: Bus Terminal Battles Demonstrates Political Dysfunction at PA

Ridgewood bus terminal theridgewoodblog.net

By Steve Cronin • 12/07/16 9:05pm

It’s Thursday, and the political battle over building a new Port Authority Bus Terminal is calling harsh public scrutiny over the dysfunctional operations of the scandal-plagued bi-state agency.
The harsh spotlight is also continuing to shine on Gov. Chris Christie’s tenure in New Jersey, with Vanity Fair now weighing in on his dwindling political fortunes. With cabinet positions closing and his bid to head the Republican National Committee still in doubt, the governor is giving some indication of how he’d like to spend his time after leaving Trenton if he must leave the national stage. In Atlantic City, where the administration has stepped in because it contends the city can’t control spending, critics are complaining about the hundreds of thousands of dollars the state is paying out to the departing head of the Casino Redevelopment Investment Authority.

https://observer.com/2016/12/nj-politics-digest-bus-terminal-battles-demonstrates-political-dysfunction-at-pa/?utm_campaign=Observer_NJ_Politics&utm_content=New%20Campaign&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

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Opinion: Degnan’s terminal

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog

New Jersey commuters passing through the Port Authority Bus Terminal have a champion: John Degnan. The Port Authority chairman has become a powerful and effective ally for the most ignored commuter in the metropolitan region. Last week, Degnan restated his unabashed support for a new bus terminal in midtown Manhattan. The Record Read more

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Port Authority Bus Terminal New Gate Assignments Starts September 8th

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog

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

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NJ Transit to test WiFi in Port Authority bus terminal

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog.net_

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.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/11/nj_transits_to_add_this_centurys_communications_in.html