Amtrak taps firm to lead design of new Penn Station tracks. And a new report has some ideas
Amtrak announced it has chosen a firm to lead the design and engineering of new tracks and platforms to expand New York Penn Station.
London-based Arup Group, a firm that has worked on major transportation projects around the world, was tapped to lead the effort, according to a release from Amtrak on Thursday.
The design work is expected to take two years and cost $73 million, a bill that will be paid by Amtrak, which owns New York Penn Station. NJ Transit and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road are tenant railroads that use the station.
“The design will focus on development of new tracks and platforms, escalators and other vertical circulation elements, pedestrian concourses, and connections to existing and future facilities,” according to a press release announcing the firm.
The environmental review will be led by the MTA and could begin later this year.
This work is separate from the request for proposals announced two weeks ago by leaders from New York, New Jersey and the three transportation agencies. That RFP, for which proposals are due July 23, is for renovations of the current New York Penn Station.
Arup Group will be in charge of figuring out ways to increase the number of tracks that will have access to Penn. One proposal first highlighted in 2020 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo would expand the station south with at least eight new tracks, but requires condemning at least a block of buildings including a church and several residential and commercial buildings.
NJ Transit put together a new webpage While You’ve Been Away
https://www.njtransit.com/progress
March 2021 FYI Customer Newsletter
FYI is NJ TRANSIT’s popular customer publication. To read stories from the latest issue, click the headline. Sign up to receive an email when there is a new edition of FYI.
Introducing FlexPass NJ TRANSIT is offering a new pilot ticket option called FLEXPASS. Available only through the NJ TRANSIT Mobile App, FLEXPASS is a 20-trip ticket that is sold at a 20 percent discount off the one-way fare! FLEXPASS tickets are available for purchase on bus, rail and light rail service
Portal Bridge Project Advances NJ TRANSIT recently signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for construction of the new Portal North Bridge on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The new bridge will replace a century-old swing-span bridge with a fixed-span bridge across the Hackensack River, located on the NEC between Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction
WRTC Redevelopment Plans Announced Governor Phil Murphy recently announced plans for a $250 million redevelopment of the Walter Rand Transportation Center (WRTC) in Camden. The project would replace the existing facility to better serve and connect customers with NJ TRANSIT buses, the River LINE, PATCO service, intercity buses, and support future Transit-Oriented Development work
NJ TRANSIT to Purchase First Zero-Emissions Buses NJ TRANSIT continues to advance a zero-emissions bus program, recently releasing a Request for Proposals to purchase eight battery-electric buses that will be deployed in Camden. The limited deployment enables NJ TRANSIT to study the benefits and challenges of using zero-emissions vehicles in a real-world setting
Access Link Mobile App Access Link customers now have control of their trip from start to finish, right at their fingertips! The new Access Link mobile app allows Access Link customers to schedule and cancel trips, monitor their reservations, pre-pay their fares electronically, manage their EZ-Wallet contactless payment accounts and more.
NewBus Newark NJ TRANSIT is launching a new initiative that will revitalize bus service in the Greater Newark area. NewBus Newark will use a detailed performance analysis of the area’s 38 local bus routes, as well as community input, to design a new intrastate bus network for the Newark region. Recommendations will help to address the Newark area’s evolving regional mobility need
NJ TRANSIT Teams Up with Veterans Group NJ TRANSIT is teaming up with the Edge4Vets jobs preparation program to help connect New Jersey veterans, National Guard members, transitioning military service personnel and their spouses with careers in transportation. The program will be presented in a series of online workshops this spring. Veterans learn how to translate their military strengths into tools for success
COVID-19 Update NJ TRANSIT continues to work hard to make your travel experience a safe and enjoyable one. That includes redoubling our efforts to clean and sanitize our fleet and facilities in the battle against COVID-19. Among the more recent safety enhancements: installation of plexiglass partitions; upgrading and frequently replacing HVAC system filters; adding cleaning shifts to sanitize frequent customer touch points, and testing new technology.
Garden State Film Festival The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) will be held virtually this year from March 23-28, 2021. GSFF is a not-for-profit organization that offers independent filmmakers the chance to exhibit their work and gives New Jersey audiences a chance to experience new, cultural, and artistic endeavors through the medium of film. We’re partnering with GSFF to offer you a $5 discount on a Virtual Multi-Pass
NJ Transit to benefit from Penn Station expansion. Here are the details
NJ Transit is expected to be the primary operator at the proposed Empire Station complex that would add as many as nine new tracks by expanding train operations south of the current New York Penn Station.
Plan for new N.Y. Penn Station would allow for more trains from N.J.
A proposed addition south of Penn Station would have nine additional tracks and five new platforms to accommodate NJ Transit trains, and be in operation in 2028, the same time it predicts new Gateway Hudson River tunnels would be completed.
Chairman Bruce Bergen participates in NJ Transit Board Meeting
One hour into the video below
Newark Penn Station and improvements to the Newark Bus Lines Briefing
Briefing on 11:00 AM, Monday, 1.25.21 by the Newark Regional Business Partnership on the upgrades. Registration is at www.newarkrbp.org. Registration is $25
Governor Murphy announced today NJ TRANSIT with their consultant, Parsons, have completed the requirements for installation, testing and training of Positive Train Control
This is a significant milestone for NJ TRANSIT.
“Celebrate” the 110th anniversary of the North River Tunnel and Portal Bridge – lets hope they are replaced soon!
Happy 110th birthday to the Hudson Tunnel! Originally built during the Taft administration, it’s time to #buildgateway to aid in our recovery from the pandemic and build infrastructure to last another 110 years!
110 is a lot of candles, but we need that many to celebrate the birthday of the North River Tunnel. It’s past time for us to #buildgateway and modernize our region’s rail system!
It may require a sledgehammer to knock it back into place every once in a while, but we’d like to wish a happy 110th birthday to the Portal Bridge! Let’s #buildgateway to improve reliability and our quality of life.
Raritan Valley Rail Coalition to Hold Virtual Public Meeting on October 7
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC) will hold a public meeting – remotely via Zoom – on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. The featured speaker is Rep. Tom Malinowski and he is expected to discuss the Gateway Project and in particular the Portal Bridge Project. This virtual event is free to attend and pre-registration is required.
Those wishing to attend can pre-register at https://bit.ly/2HjuPPt. Participants with questions during the meeting, can use the chat function or the hand raising feature, located on the participant screen. Please try to enter about ten minutes before the start of the meeting.
“The progress that has been made by the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition has been beneficial to many Union County residents,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman, Alexander Mirabella. “We are grateful to the RVRC for their hard work over the past 20 years.”
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, which represents Union, Somerset, Middlesex and Hunterdon Counties, was created nearly two decades ago to campaign for a one-seat ride on the Raritan Valley Line, which has 23,500 passengers daily, making it NJ Transit’s third most-used rail line. While track connectivity existed into New York, Raritan Valley riders always had to get off in Newark and switch trains because their diesel engines were not allowed into the tunnels under the Hudson River.
That changed in 2014, when NJ Transit began using dual-mode locomotives that could switch from diesel to electric power, making it possible to have a direct ride into New York City. A limited, one-seat ride was introduced during off-peak hours in January, 2015 by NJ Transit, and returned after a period of suspension last year. After another suspension earlier this year, the limited one-seat ride is back.
“The RVRC has been working diligently for years, and continued to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic, to improve service for over 23,000 daily riders,” said Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman, Bruce Bergen. “Many residents along the Raritan Valley Line continued to require regular transportation into New York City even with reduced workforces having been implemented during the shutdown.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public transportation services were heavily affected. The Raritan Valley Line was no exception. One-seat rides were cancelled when New Jersey Transit reduced its service to accommodate for plummeting ridership during the 2020 Spring and Summer shutdown months. One-seat rides on the Raritan Valley Line have since been reinstated but only back to their off-peak hours from Monday to Friday, meaning passengers still have to transfer trains daily if travelling to and from work during rush hour.
“Raritan Valley line riders deserve a more even distribution of one-seat rides to and from New York during rush hour, ” said Freeholder Liaison to the RVRC Bette Jane Kowalski, “We have been told that the Gateway Project, with its additional tunnels, could be necessary for that to happen. But we believe it should be possible to add a few more direct rides to New York, especially with ridership currently reduced by the pandemic.”
Please find links for the full report of NJ Transit’s One-Seat Ride report as mandated, as well as the summary presentation. Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Bruce Bergen commented on the reports during a private meeting with NJ Transit. Bergen noted that the report is a starting point for continued discussions on how to realistically implement an expanded one-seat ride. This report was mandated by state legislation championed by the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition in effort to improve service. The report was formally presented to the state legislature earlier today for review.
On January 13, 2020, Governor Murphy signed legislation enacted by the New Jersey State Legislature that directs NJ TRANSIT to “conduct a study on the feasibility of providing rail service on the Raritan Valley Line (RVL) that offers full-time direct rail service to New York City,” that is defined as “a one-seat ride to and from its termini and that operates on weekdays and weekends, during peak hours and non-peak hours.” The RVL schedule in effect prior to Covid-19 included direct rail service via the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to Penn Station New York (PSNY) during the weekday midday and weekday evening off-peak periods, but not during the weekday morning and evening peak periods and during weekends.
In compliance with this legislation, NJ TRANSIT reviewed RVL, NEC and PSNY operating conditions and alternatives for providing fulltime RVL one-seat ride service that would be feasible in the context of physical infrastructure investments and capital and operating funding circumstances. This study provides the methodology and results of the aforementioned review and analysis.
Several scenarios for implementing RVL one seat ride service in the peak hours were developed. Some scenarios include substitution of existing NEC and/or NJCL trains with RVL trains. The displaced NEC and/or NJCL trains would terminate at Newark Penn Station (NPS), requiring PSNY-bound passengers to transfer. The scenarios which re-allocate NEC / PSNY capacity to the RVL would have negative customer impacts, as they reduce both rail system ridership and carrying capacity to PSNY, are estimated to result in overcrowding at NPS and Secaucus Junction, and would potentially degrade on time performance. The proposed peak hour RVL PSNY trains would provide a one-seat ride but would not markedly reduce travel times for RVL riders since these one-seat ride trains would no longer operate with a skip stop pattern but would stop at all RVL stations due to the limited available train slots. Each of the scenarios would require increased annual funding for operation and maintenance and significant capital investment. The study determined that full-time direct rail service to Manhattan will be best achieved by expanding trans-Hudson and PSNY infrastructure capacity based on the overall Gateway Program, which would benefit riders on all of NJ TRANSIT’s northern New Jersey rail services, including the RVL.
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition reached out to NJ TRANSIT, and we are
happy to announce the Raritan Valley Line’s one seat ride will resume on July 6th as part of NJT’s plan to bring their rail and light rail weekday service back.
RVRC Chairman Bruce Bergen will continue to attend NJT board meetings to help advocate for more One Seat Ride service and improvements our residents deserve.
Beginning Monday, July 6th, NJ TRANSIT will operate full weekday service for rail and light rail providing added capacity to improve distancing on board vehicles, which aligns with “The Road Back”, New Jersey’s roadmap for restoring economic health through public health. Bus service has been operating on a regular weekday schedule since Monday, June 8. Read more.
Commuters and Friends of the Raritan Valley Line –
During the COVID 19 crisis affecting all of us, we would like to remind everyone that NJ Transit is urging riders to utilize their services ONLY for essential trips. NJ Transit has posted temporary reduced rail schedules on its website (which is subject to change) including a temporary suspension of the one-seat ride.
Please practice safe distancing at the stations and on the trains.
We look forward to the day when we resume our normal way of life.
Bruce Bergen
Chairman, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition
Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT were awarded $91.5 million by the Federal Railroad Administration recently to help the necessary replacement of the Portal North Bridge.
We thank Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., Congressman Albio Sires, Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. and Congressman Tom Malinowski for their efforts in helping us secure this funding.
NJ TRANSIT has begun its high-tech upgrade to fare collection on trains. Handheld mobile devices are being issued this week to train crews on the Raritan Valley Line
The mobile devices can scan and validate both paper tickets/passes and electronic tickets/passes displayed on the mobile app ultimately creating a more contactless customer experience and improved ridership data.
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition reached out to NJ TRANSIT, and we are happy to announce the Raritan Valley Line’s one seat ride will resume on July 6th as part of NJT’s plan to bring their rail and light rail weekday service back.
RVRC Chairman Bruce Bergen will continue to attend NJT board meetings to help advocate for more One Seat Ride service and improvements our residents deserve.
Full Service Restored Advances Governor Murphy’s “The Road Back” Initiative
Beginning Monday, July 6th, NJ TRANSIT will operate full weekday service for rail and light rail providing added capacity to improve distancing on board vehicles, which aligns with “The Road Back”, New Jersey’s roadmap for restoring economic health through public health. Bus service has been operating on a regular weekday schedule since Monday, June 8.
Executive Order 125 became effective in early April and requires NJ TRANSIT to limit occupancy by passengers at 50 percent of the stated maximum vehicle capacity on all buses, trains and light rail vehicles, in addition to the requirement for customers and personnel on board vehicles to wear a face covering. NJ TRANSIT is closely monitoring ridership on all vehicles regarding compliance with these capacity restrictions and will be working closely with the Administration to adjust those limits if necessary.
“We’re pleased to announce the full restoration of our rail and light service. We’re doing it proactively while ridership is still only at approximately twenty percent of pre-COVID-19 levels,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “It’s critical that we stay ahead of the demand to maximize the opportunity for social distancing while we ensure that we continue providing the cleanest and safest travel environment for our customers and employees.”
NJ TRANSIT: YOUR RIDE TO RECOVERY Last week, NJ TRANSIT released recovery guidelines detailing the critical steps being taken to protect customers and employees during the reopening of New Jersey and the region, as we prepare for customers to return to the transit system. These guidelines are also consistent with New Jersey’s “The Road Back” plan.
In addition to NJ TRANSIT taking any and all measures to continue to make the system as safe and possible, the agency is reinforcing a “shared responsibility” approach that relies on customers and employers doing their part as well. The plan focuses on NJ TRANSIT’s commitment to six areas: Service, Cleanliness, Distancing, Communication, Protective Equipment & Public Safety and Screening & Testing.
During the pandemic, NJ TRANSIT has been dedicated to maintaining a clean and safe transit system for all customers and employees. The guidelines include the extensive measures NJ TRANSIT has already taken, will continue to take, and is committed to implementing. In addition to NJ TRANSIT’s responsibilities, the guidelines also provide clear and simple actions that customers and employers should take to contribute to successful mitigation.
Service: NJ TRANSIT will continue to monitor ridership, aligning service to manage capacity in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 125. Throughout our recovery, NJ TRANSIT service levels will be guided by the latest health recommendations and policies. To inform our operational decisions as we prepare for our customers’ return, we have been actively leveraging data, tools and regional information sources to monitor and identify projected trends in ridership and customer behavior. This comprehensive trend analysis will continue throughout the recovery period to ensure our recovery plans will remain flexible, responsive and data-driven.
Changes in service will be announced using all available communications channels, including Twitter, Facebook, the NJ TRANSIT Mobile App and www.njtransit.com
Cleanliness: NJ TRANSIT continues enhanced cleaning efforts to include disinfecting vehicles every 24 hours. The enhanced cleaning and disinfecting regimen in stations will continue and includes additional disinfecting of frequent customer touchpoints such as ticket vending machines, handrails and door handles. Customers are being asked to minimize contact with surfaces and touchpoints and use touchless payment through the NJ TRANSIT Mobile App.
Distancing: Customers should remain cognizant of distancing throughout their entire journey whenever possible. In addition, customers should avoid loud talking or restrict phone conversations until after their trip, as these increase the expulsion range of droplets which may contain the virus.
Employers can also play a significant role by helping flatten the peak travel curves and spread ridership more evenly over the entire service day by encouraging employees to continue to work from home if they can, or stagger work hours and work days.
Personal Protective Equipment and Public Safety: NJ TRANSIT will maintain the requirement for all public-facing employees to wear face coverings at all times when performing their duties. Customers are required to do the same under Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 125, which states that customers must wear face coverings while on public transit vehicles (e.g. buses, trains, light rail vehicles and Access Link vehicles). NJ TRANSIT has extended this requirement to the entire journey to also include all NJ TRANSIT-owned public spaces (e.g. stairs, platforms and stations), regardless of physical distance.
Communication: NJ TRANSIT is launching a “SAFE NJ” signage and messaging campaign, which will include prominent, easy-to-understand graphics and signs throughout stations and vehicles, to provide easy-to-understand instructions to encourage customers to model ideal transit behaviors.
Testing: NJ TRANSIT has made COVID-19 testing available to all employees at several locations throughout north, central and south Jersey. Customers who are feeling symptomatic should seek medical care, including scheduling a COVID-19 test at one of the numerous testing sites throughout the state, and should avoid riding mass transit. New Jersey testing sites are available at covid19.nj.gov.
The complete list of “Your Ride to Recovery” guidelines can be found at www.njtransit.com/recovery.
NJ TRANSIT remains committed to the safety of our customers and employees and is working to ensure a safe environment by following the health standards set by the CDC through the sanitation of our facilities and vehicles and the cleanliness practices among our employees. Additionally, NJ TRANSIT remains committed to providing reliable and dependable service.
To that end, we are happy to report that NJ TRANSIT received authorization on Friday, June 19, 2020 to enter into Engineering for the Portal North Bridge.
Advancing the Portal North Bridge Project towards construction is critical to eliminating a source of major disruptions to train service on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Newark, New Jersey and New York Penn Station. The NEC is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States, and a long-term outage of the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River would result in catastrophic delays from Boston to the nation’s capital.
Between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, more than 450 trains a day cross the current Portal Bridge carrying passengers making almost 200,000 daily trips prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. NJ TRANSIT alone carries approximately 90,000 customers (180,000 passenger trips) between New Jersey and New York City on a normal average weekday. The bridge regularly opens to allow for marine traffic to pass, and each opening causes delays on both lines. When the 110-year-old bridge – built in 1910 – fails to properly close, the delays cascade to affect tens of thousands of commuters and their families.
The replacement Portal North Bridge is designed as a high-level, fixed span bridge that will allow marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic. The project is one hundred percent designed, fully permitted, and has seen early work completed on time and under budget. These successes make it especially well-positioned to begin construction to provide increased reliability and capacity to rail passengers throughout the region and nation in the near-term.
Once full construction begins, the remainder of the Portal North Bridge Project is estimated to take approximately five years. In addition, the project will greatly help boost New Jersey’s and the region’s economic recovery in the coming years.
Please see the following statements on this major development below:
NJ TRANSIT PRESIDENT & CEO KEVIN S. CORBETT “I was extremely pleased to receive the news today from FTA Administrator Jane Williams that Portal North Bridge is authorized to enter into engineering, which is the next step before the Full Funding Grant Agreement and getting shovels in the ground for this project of national significance. With the $1.8 billion Portal North Bridge now advancing, along with the approximately $2.3 billion in capital projects we’ve advanced in the last two years, that’s more than $4 billion in construction work that will not only improve reliability and the customer experience, but will also contribute significantly to New Jersey’s economic recovery following the pandemic. We look forward to working with our partners at USDOT and Amtrak as this critical project moves toward construction.”
GOV. PHIL MURPHY “The Federal Transit Administration has committed to authorizing entry into the engineering phase and accelerating federal funding in the amount of $766.5 million for the Portal North Bridge, a huge win for New Jersey, the region, and the national economy. Since taking office, one of my top priorities has been securing funding for critical infrastructure projects like these that will restore NJ TRANSIT to prominence, and I am honored to have been able to make the case for Portal North directly to President Trump. I thank the President and his Administration for committing to this project and helping us usher in a new era of safe, modern, and reliable infrastructure for our region.”
U.S. SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ “This is welcomed news, a great day for New Jersey commuters and a testament to the relentless efforts by the congressional delegation, stakeholders and governors to keep Gateway moving despite the obstacles thrown in our path. By moving into the engineering phase of the Capital Investment Grants program, we are one step closer to securing a federal full funding agreement to replace the oft-malfunctioning Portal Bridge. Portal has long outlived its usefulness and has become the bane of existence for transit riders mired in delays on the Northeast Corridor. Not only must we replace Portal without further delay, but I will not rest until we complete the entire Gateway Project and build a 21st century transportation system that ensures New Jersey’s and the region’s economic vitality for generations to come.”
U.S. SENATOR CORY BOOKER “The century-old Portal Bridge is a bottleneck for the entire Northeast Corridor, threatening the long-term economic health of our entire region. Replacing Portal Bridge will help provide much-needed relief to New Jersey commuters who depend on reliable, safe rail transit. Anything that speeds this project along is good news for New Jerseyans. Still, our work is far from over. We must remain focused on long-term solutions to replace our obsolete infrastructure by moving projects like Gateway forward in order to help strengthen our economic growth, boost job creation, and ensure commuter safety.”
REP. TOM MALINOWSKI “Delivering the Portal North Bridge for my constituents has been among my highest priorities since coming to Congress. Relentless pressure from Congress has produced this major win for New Jersey commuters and I look forward to seeing it over the finish line as we continue to fight for the Hudson River Tunnel as well.”
REP. BILL PASCRELL “When the Portal Bridge was first built, William Howard Taft was President and the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series. We need Portal North now to eliminate this bottleneck for our state commuters and to improve congestion along the entire eastern seaboard. New Jersey’s congressional delegation has fought alongside the State to unlock every dollar available for this transportation priority. While we are still fighting for more federal funding to be approved, today’s announcement is welcome news that progress continues. Our state, our region, and our national infrastructure need this positive step to ensure millions of Americans can cross the Hackensack River.”
REP. DONALD PAYNE, JR “I am pleased to hear that the Portal North Bridge project is moving along and look forward to the day when construction can begin on one of the nation’s vital infrastructure projects. A new bridge would create thousands of jobs for New Jersey families in a time of great need and ease congestion problems due to the existing bridge. It is long overdue for this bridge to be replaced and I hope to see progress on the other portions of the Gateway Program in the near future.”
REP. ALBIO SIRES “The Portal North Bridge project is now one step closer to getting done. Having the project advance to the engineering phase brings us one crucial step away from securing the federal financial commitment we need to get this century-old infrastructure upgraded. This is a huge win for New Jersey and for the entire region, and I will keep working in Congress to get this project across the finish line.”
REP. MIKIE SHERRILL “This is a milestone for the Portal Bridge project and the larger Gateway Tunnel project. I have been fighting for the Portal Bridge replacement since I entered Congress, and know just how much it means to our region — for our commuters, for job creation, and for economic recovery from the pandemic. I applaud Governor Murphy, our Congressional Delegation, and the Administration for working together to advance this infrastructure project of national significance. Next up — the Gateway Tunnel.”
MARK LONGO, DIRECTOR OF THE ENGINEERS LABOR -EMPLOYER COOPERATIVE “Replacing the Portal North Bridge is a huge step forward for the region’s transportation systems and for the entire Gateway project. Moving forward with this project will improve our outdated rail infrastructure, bring about more reliable commutes, and safely put thousands of New Jerseyans to work. These systems routinely cause delays that threaten the economic output of the entire Northeast Corridor, and replacing them is a critical phase in rebuilding our economy from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope this is the first step toward funding the entire Gateway project, which will replace the Northeast Corridor’s crumbling infrastructure, improve the region’s economy, and finally give our residents and businesses the modern transit systems they deserve. Our members stand ready to work to get these projects up and running. We urge the federal government to move forward with the rest of Gateway immediately.”
GREG LALEVEE, BUSINESS MANAGER OF IUOE LOCAL 825 “Today’s decision to move forward with the Portal Bridge project is long overdue. These funds will improve infrastructure systems that are essential for the entire Northeast Corridor and that sustain our economic vitality. Even better, they will create thousands of good-paying jobs. Our members are ready to get safely to work to build the new Portal Bridge, which will give us more reliable and efficient transit systems and provide the economic boost we need to recover from the Covid-19 recession. Now, we need to move forward with the entire Gateway program. We have waited far too long to begin with these urgently-needed projects, and we urge the federal government to recognize the importance of building new Hudson River tunnels and overhauling our rail system far beyond the Portal Bridge.”
We thank you in advance for sharing this important information with your constituents and respective communities as it boosts NJ TRANSIT’s efforts. Furthermore, we thank you for your continued support.
Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Bruce Bergen participated in NJ Transit’s June 18th Board Meeting
Full video of the meeting and his remarks he brought to NJ Transit’s attention:
Good afternoon Commissioner, Pres. Corbett and members of the Board.
As most of you know, I am chairman of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, and I am speaking today on behalf of the many commuters and other riders on our line, as well as the many thousands of residents who live within the service area. I was unable to speak in person during your last meeting, which lasted a rather long time, but I did submit comments at that time in writing.
First, we are very glad to see that the recently adopted Five-Year Capital Plan includes the long awaited Roselle Park Station Improvements, with a planned project start date of 2021. If I understand correctly, this project has previously been funded, so we look forward to it getting started next year.
I want to commend you for being proactive concerning COVID planning and urge you to continue to provide information to the riders and the public on your procedures and requirements.
I also want to acknowledge the positive news that the Portal North Bridge project has received a green light for funding and approval from the Federal government. This long delayed project is an important step forward in the critical Gateway Project.
Also, we are very glad to have submitted a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration in support of Transit’s grant application, which if awarded would be utilized for preliminary engineering for improvements to Newark Penn Station Platform A, improvements to Conrail’s Lehigh Line and for the Hunter Flyover. Each of these projects would directly benefit the Raritan Valley Line riders.
Finally, turning to our most important issue, one-seat-ride on the Raritan Valley Line —
- is there a planned release date for the report mandated by S- 3574?
- as concerns scheduling of the one-seat-ride on the RVL, belatedly reinstated earlier this year, which was once again suspended during the Covid schedule changes, could you please advise, sooner rather than later, when you plan to once again reinstate the limited direct service on the Raritan Line? I would suggest that the communication with our riders the last time we were waiting for reinstatement of this service left something to be desired.
- also, as I did in my written comments last month, I would wonder if the need for more efficient service due to the virus would not make reinstated and increased one-seat-ride a viable and useful option.
Thank you once again for your attention. I look forward to hearing further concerning these issues.
NJ TRANSIT LAUNCHES STRATEGIC AND CAPITAL PLANS THAT WILL GUIDE THE AGENCY THROUGH 2030
First Ever Ten-Year Strategic Plan and Five-Year Capital Plan Establish the Roadmap to Improved Reliability & Customer Experience and Will Drive Economic Growth in the State
Includes a proposed overhaul for the Roselle Park station, Lehigh Valley line portion and accessibility upgrades along the line.
COVID-19: How We’re Protecting You
NJ TRANSIT’s operating units have in place clear protocols and procedures for the cleaning and disinfection of rolling stock, vehicles and public facilities.
Learn more about their adjusted schedules, policies and frequently asked questions
Raritan Valley Rail Chairman Bruce Bergen’s remarks during the Gateway Program recent May 2020 Board Meeting
I am the Chairman of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition. There are more than a million residents in 28 municipalities, across four counties along the Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit, and prior to the current crisis, there were more than 23,500 daily riders. Our goal, over the past two decades has been to seek direct service for our riders to Manhattan without the need to change trains in Newark Penn Station. Nonetheless, at this time, there are greater issues that must be dealt with before we can get back to our core mission.
Even as we deal with the public health crisis, we must realize that the economic impact must also be addressed. Public transportation systems will all face massive operating losses and will need a crucial influx of funding to continue to operate normally and help America eventually get back to work. Thereafter, proceeding with longer-term transportation capital projects can aid in the economic recovery. Certainly, the Gateway Program is one of the most important of those projects nationwide.
The Hudson Tunnel is the single point of connection in a rail system that connects places representing 20% of our nation’s GDP. As reported by the Regional Plan Association, if just one of the two tunnels fails, it will shift hundreds of thousands of commuters into cars and buses, adding stress to the roadways, and slowing the passage of freight with serious economic consequences. The RPA estimates that such a shutdown would cost the U.S. at least $16 billion in lost economic activity.
As I have said in the past, we cannot afford to continue to gamble our collective future by delaying this project any longer. The long-term recovery of the entire northeast is threatened by the failure to move forward with this project—even more so due to the current crisis. But, in order for this critical project to move ahead, the FRA must publish the Record of Decision for the EIS of the Hudson Tunnel project. Once again, we join in demanding that the Trump Administration and Transportation Secretary Chao to release the long overdue ROD, so as to allow the Gateway Project to move forward and put Americans back to work after COVID-19 has passed.
To do so is good policy in the short term, and good policy for the future.
Weekend service adjustment due to Positive Train Control work during late May, 2020
The RVL is suspended between Cranford and Newark and customers will have to switch to buses. It is important to note that bus boarding procedures have changed due to COVID-19 including rear boarding.
Letter from NJ Transit CEO and President Kevin S. Corbett
In these unsettling times, NJ TRANSIT recognizes more than ever how important a safe and clean transit system is to our customers and employees. To that end, we have taken proactive measures that often exceed federal and state guidelines to enhance cleaning and disinfecting vehicles, stations, terminals and employee work locations. We will continue to take these measures while maintaining the necessary services that essential personnel throughout the state rely on every day, including critical workers like first responders and hospital staff.
Commuters and Friends of the Raritan Valley Line
During the COVID 19 crisis affecting all of us, we would like to remind everyone that NJ Transit is urging riders to utilize their services only for essential trips. NJ Transit has posted temporary reduced rail schedules on its website (which is subject to change) including a temporary suspension of the one-seat ride.
Please practice safe distancing at the stations and on the trains.
We look forward to the day when we resume our normal way of life.
Bruce Bergen
Chairman, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition
Feds follow through on $1.4B COVID-19 rescue aid for cash-strapped NJ Transit
By: Daniel J. Munoz
The Trump administration formally awarded $1.4 billion in federal rescue aid to the ailing New Jersey Transit, which has seen its ridership and revenue clobbered by near triple digits due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That money is on top of another $1.2 billion that NJ Transit is vying for under the landmark federal spending bill, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, as well as future federal aid packages.
Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT were awarded $91.5 million by the Federal Railroad Administration recently to help the necessary replacement of the Portal North Bridge.
We thank Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., Congressman Albio Sires, Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. and Congressman Tom Malinowski for their efforts in helping us secure this funding.
We mourn the loss of NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line conductor Joe Hansen who lost his life from the coronavirus.
He worked for NJ TRANSIT with over twenty years of service for commuters up and down the Raritan Valley Line.
Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Bruce Bergen attended NJ Transit’s March board meeting to again be the voice of our commuters and residents
Among the many talking points, Bergen pushed NJ Transit for the completion of the state-mandated study of the RVL. The study is to examine how to achieve our ultimate goal of the long overdue and deserved rush hour one-seat-ride.
Bloomberg – N.J. Rail Bridge Funding Hits Snag Just as Project Seemed Closer
A span so old, sledgehammers are needed to keep it in line
NJ Transit’s plan for Amtrak payments violates law, U.S. says
Railroad, Pipeline & Hazmat Subcommittee of the Congressional Transportation Committee – Pending Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill
Congressman Peter DeFazio, Oregon, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, questioning recent statements by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao concerning repairs of the existing Hudson Tunnels (based upon his inspection of the tunnels with Committee members, last year, at the invitation of Committee Member Cong. Tom Malinowski) Link
Congressman Tom Malinowski, NJD7, statement and questions Link
Congressman Donald Payne, Jr., NJD10, statement and questions Link
Opening statement of Stephen Gardner, Chief Operating Officer, Amtrak Link
Opening statement of Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO Link
Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Bruce Bergen and other Coalition Trustees, met with NJ TRANSIT executive level staff to discuss open issues plaguing our commuters on the RVL. Main points of the discussion included:
→ The return to service of the escalator at Track 5 at Newark Penn Station that has been out of service for months, and better future maintenance of all escalators and elevators.
→ The adding of more same-platform transfers at Newark Penn Station. NJ Transit plans to add 3 more same-platform transfers for trains to New York on the RVL before the end of this year. We continued to press for even more expansion.
→ Our continued push to expand our recently restored off-peak weekday one-seat ride into New York City.
Please continue to contact us and comment on our social media with any issues you encounter so we can bring those complaints directly to NJ Transit to ensure your voices are heard!
Fox 5 New York – Transportation advocates rally to highlight lack of action on Gateway Tunnel Project
The Federal Railroad Administration’s alleged lack of action on the proposed Gateway Tunnel Project was the focus of a rally Friday by transportation activists.
The FRA missed a self-imposed deadline for an environmental impact study on the effects of the project 18 months ago, and supporters of the project say time is of the essence.
The existing North River Tunnel is over 100 years old and was badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Major repairs are now needed to avoid significant service disruptions for the transit agencies that utilize it.
“What I’m concerned about is if one of the current tunnels has to be taken out of service, whether it’s a disaster or it just can’t wait any longer to be repaired the result will be absolutely devastating,” said Bruce Bergen, Chairman of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition.
Many at the rally called out the Trump Administration for not doing more to move the Gateway Project forward.
“The scuttlebutt in Washington was that Trump was holding the tunnel hostage until Senator Schumer necessitated and managed to go ahead and get enough money for his southern border wall,” said Albert Papp, Jr., Vice-President of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
About 200,000 commuters travel along the northeast corridor daily, a number that is likely to increase as the region continues to grow.
NJ.com – Feds blew deadline on $9.5B Hudson River rail tunnel. This clock is meant to embarrass them.
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Bruce Bergen, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition chairman, spoke at Penn Station New York Friday, and urged federal officials to stop delaying a decision to let the Gateway Tunnel project proceed.
New York has an infamous deficit clock, counting up a sad tally of how much the country and taxpayers owe in borrowed money. Now, supporters of building a new Hudson River rail tunnel are calling out federal officials with a similar embarrassing “count up clock.”
Supporters of the $9.5 billion Gateway Tunnel project, which would build two additional rail tunnels under the Hudson River, unveiled their version of the deficit clock on Friday in Penn Station New York. Advocates said 18 months have passed since the Federal Railroad Administration missed a “self-imposed” deadline to approve an environmental impact statement that would let the tunnel proceed.
The FRA is 545 days off a March 30, 2018, deadline the U.S. Department of Transportation imposed to issue a record of decision after reviewing the Environmental Impact Statement for the Gateway Tunnel, said Brian Fritsch, Regional Plan Association’s manager of advocacy campaigns. The EIS was submitted in February 2018.
Advocates said the clock is running, because the document needs to be approved by the end of 2019 so the Gateway Tunnel can stay on schedule.
“The failure of the FRA to act on the EIS is unconscionable,” said Bruce Bergen, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition chairman. “Commuters will be dramatically impacted if a tunnel has to be shut down.”
A physical countdown clock won’t be displayed in Penn Station New York in eyeshot of commuters waiting for delayed trains. It will be online on the buildgateway.org website. But Fritsch they’re open to the idea of putting the count up clock on a billboard in the station.
The project is up against a more critical and unknown deadline and that is how much longer the existing tunnels will last until one has to be closed for repair.
“The economy will suffer, the environment will suffer and people’s health suffers from the stress of being packed in overcrowded trains, said Kate Slevin, RPA Vice President, State Programs & Advocacy. “We have to move Gateway now.”
The “guts” of the almost 109-year-old tunnels, electrical and signal lines, track and the rock roadbed that supports it, were damaged by salt-laden floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy. Amtrak warned in 2014 that each of the existing tunnels would have to be closed for a year to rehabilitated.
That closure could cut Amtrak and NJ Transit train capacity by 75%. Amtrak and the federal government own the tunnels, but the USDOT has argued building new tunnels is a local and not a national responsibility.
FRA officials said the agency will be in a position to finalize the document and submit it to the Environmental Protection Agency for publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register “after resolving all concerns, including those raised in interagency reviews.” FRA officials said the average EIS completion time from start to issuing a decision is four years.
Gateway officials disputed that timeline, noting the Obama administration fast-tracked the Gateway environmental work and had an EIS completed in 22 months.
“There has been a lot of back and forth. The latest rational is it takes a long time. It should not have taken this long,” said Stephen Sigmund, Gateway Program Development Corporation spokesman. “The more time that passes, the greater risk for hundreds of thousands of commuters.”
If a tunnel fails, it will severely impact Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Line between Washington D.C. and Boston, said Albert Papp, a New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers director, who’s followed the various tunnel projects since the mid-1990s.
“You can’t run a regional or inter-regional rail system with six trains an hour,” he said.
Papp fears that nothing will be done to move Gateway until a tunnel has to be closed.
“In the U.S., we are crisis-driven. Infrastructure is only addressed after there is some disruption,” he said. “If something happens to the tunnels, then it will go to the head of the list. Until then, it has become a political football.”
Building new tunnels, which seemed to be a slam dunk under the Obama administration, stalled under the Trump administration. Federal officials downgraded the ranking for the tunnels from high to low medium, decreasing the chance for federal grants.
Congress has worked around Trump’s opposition by including funding in several accounts with the understanding that the money would be spent on Gateway. The House version of the new transportation spending bill does the same thing. Congress is drafting the spending bills for the federal fiscal year that begins next month.
Other transit advocates have suggested another solution by using a “rack system” to install new electrical and signal cables on racks attached to tunnel walls, similar to what is being done to rehabilitate the L subway line tunnels under the East River. Using that plan, proposed by engineering professors, avoided a 19-month shutdown of the subway tunnels.
That wouldn’t solve all of the problems with the existing tunnels have, Sigmund said. The tunnels also differ because the Hudson River tunnels carry 12,000-volt electrical cables that power trains, a higher voltage than lines in the subway tunnel handle, he said.
“They have a myriad of problems beyond the power cables,” he said.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Tunnel closures could have massive effect on North Jersey rail riders
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition has long advocated for a one-seat rail ride into New York Penn Station for the roughly 23,500 commuters on the Raritan Valley line. At a coalition meeting this week, chairman Bruce Bergen stressed the importance of the Gateway Project in giving riders the commute they deserve.
“Gateway tunnel is the long-term solution not only to our problems, but to the major issues in North Jersey of getting into Manhattan,” said Bergen.
The Regional Plan Association presented a report at the meeting that looked at the possible outcomes if repairs have to be made to existing Hudson tunnels before the new tunnels under the Gateway Project can be completed, and it could mean bad news for commuters.
The report predicts 38,000 NJ Transit riders would have to find other ways to commute in such a situation, thereby resulting in an increase of congestion on roads and a surge in airline ticket prices. Those two factors would play into the $16 billion cost the report predicts a partial shutdown would have on the US over the four years it would take to repair the tunnels.
“If you take away one thing from this evening’s presentation it’s that the impacts of a tunnel closure are not just to the people who are riding rails to work,” said Nat Bottigheimer, New Jersey Director at the RPA.
NJ Transit Summer Improvements on the Raritan Valley Line
NJ Transit went station to station doing improvements to platform conditions, safery stipping and general cosmieitc improvments along the RVL.
We must build Gateway—and we will — A clear case for federal infrastructure funding
Article by Peter DeFazio of the RPA
Across our country, in communities large and small, our outdated and oversubscribed infrastructure is at a breaking point, the result of years of federal underinvestment in transportation and a lack of political courage in Washington, D.C. Nowhere is that more apparent than in New York and New Jersey, where I recently got a firsthand look at the largest infrastructure project in our nation, the Gateway Program.
I was joined not only by members of Congress from New York and New Jersey who have been fierce advocates of this project for years, but also by members from other parts of the country who had heard about the project and wanted to see it up close. What we saw confirmed so much of what we had heard about the urgency of this project: A tunnel built at the turn of the 20th century is slowly failing before our eyes, putting the entire one-track-in, one-track-out system at risk. And a century-old Portal Bridge must literally stop traffic in both directions whenever it swings open to let maritime traffic through. That’s akin to putting a drawbridge in the middle of Interstate 5 in my home state of Oregon.
As someone who has been fighting for years to address the deteriorating state of our nation’s infrastructure and closely tracking projects around the country, I found the series of rail improvements needed along the Northeast Corridor and across New York City to be one of the most compelling examples yet of how infrastructure can make or break our nation’s economic competitiveness.
Consider this: Experts estimate that if the Northeast Corridor were shut down for even just one day, it would cost our country $100 million in lost economic activity.
So this bottleneck is more than a New York or New Jersey problem. Investing in Gateway is also key to congestion mitigation along the entire Eastern Seaboard and to the nation as a whole, given the Northeast Corridor’s impact on our gross domestic product. As a country, we cannot allow this vital artery of the American economy to be choked off at its busiest point.
And we won’t.
As we push forward in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on legislation to make real investments in our nation’s infrastructure, Gateway is precisely the kind of project for which Congress can and should provide federal support, along with other critically important infrastructure projects, from the Columbia River Crossing between Oregon and Washington to the Brent Spence Bridge project in Kentucky.
These projects and many more are of national significance. They’re also smart investments, each of them creating jobs, spurring economic activity and providing the reliability, resiliency and redundancy that passengers and businesses need to function in a modern economy. Congress should be a good partner to state and local agencies by playing its role to deliver world-class projects of great benefit to the entire country.
I represent a district in Oregon that’s nearly 3,000 miles from Penn Station, but I am a strong advocate for Gateway because, simply put, it’s a critical project that we can’t ignore. The cost of inaction is too great.
It’s time to put politics aside and bury hopes that some magical, last-minute solution will appear, making this easier or less expensive. Instead, let’s start digging and pay it forward for the next generation by investing in our nation’s infrastructure and building crucial projects such as the Gateway tunnels and Portal Bridge.
Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Regional Plan Association Presents “A Preventable Crisis, The Economic and Human Costs of a Hudson River Rail Tunnel Shutdown,” Report to the Freeholder Board
Union County Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski and Bruce Bergen, the Chair of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, welcomed Nat Bottigheimer of the Regional Plan Association, a non-profit public policy agency that examines various issues, as he presented its report: “A Preventable Crisis, The Economic and Human Costs of a Hudson River Rail Tunnel Shutdown,” to the Freeholder Board.
Regional Plan Association to present Gateway Tunnel Report to Union County Freeholder Board, May 23rd 7pm – Raritan Valley Rail Coalition co-sponsors presentation, open to the public at County Freeholder Chambers in Elizabeth
The Regional Plan Association, a non-profit public policy agency that examines various issues, will present its report: “A Preventable Crisis, The Economic and Human Costs of a Hudson River Rail Tunnel Shutdown,” on Thursday, May 23rd at 7 p.m. to the Freeholder Board prior to its public meeting.
All residents are invited to the free presentation, which will be held on the 6th floor in the Freeholder chambers at the Union County Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. Residents are also allowed the opportunity to comment on the plan during the general comments portion of the regular meeting that night. Parking is available nearby at the J. Christian Bollwage parking deck.
“Union County is a rail hub, and the stakes of not investing in train service improvements are high: if the tunnels fail, Union County could suffer as much as a $1.8 billion revenue loss,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski, citing the Regional Plan Association’s report. “As elected officials, it is urgent that we make our voices heard for supporting the Gateway Tunnels Project and continue to work with organizations such as the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition and the Regional Plan Association toward that end.”
The Regional Plan Association’s report details the devastating impact that any extended closures of the rapidly, deteriorating 108-year-old Hudson River train tunnels would have on the regional economy, including Union County.
From reduced home values to gridlocked roads, the report portrays a grim picture of what New Jersey and the region could look like if the proposed Gateway Hudson River rail-tunnel project remains unfunded.
Bruce Bergen, the Chair of the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, will also be on hand to introduce the Regional Plan Association.
“The Gateway Tunnels project is a regional emergency that demands the immediate attention of the White House, and the proper funding to move forward,” said Bergen, a former Union County Freeholder. “We are thankful to partner with an agency such as the Regional Plan Association that is able to present such a concise picture of the project and the impact of the failure to act.”
As part of her initiatives entitled “Empowering Union County” on behalf of the Freeholder Board for 2019, Chair Kowalski announced the County would take the lead on the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, a group of concerned citizens which represents 1.7 million residents along the Raritan Valley Rail line in four counties— Union, Somerset, Middlesex and Hunterdon Counties.
The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition was created more than two decades ago to campaign for a one-seat ride on the Raritan Valley Rail line. It also strongly lobbies for the creation of the Gateway Tunnels Project, a $13 billion proposal that would rebuild the Hudson Tunnels, the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River, and add other significant improvements along the rails leading into New York.
For more information on the Regional Plan Association, please go to: http://www.rpa.org/
For more information on the Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, please go to www.raritanvalleyrail.com
Or Social media— Facebook: www.facebook.com/raritanvalleyrail/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rvrailcoalition
Letter from NJ Transit’s Executive Director to Freeholder and Chairman of the NJTPA Angel Estrada
Getting up off the mat
A conversation with New Jersey Transit executive director Kevin Corbett
By: David Hutter of NJBIZ
April 22, 2019 6:00 am
New Jersey Transit’s problems are well-known. It is one of the nation’s busiest public transportation systems, yet is chronically underfunded and understaffed. Commuters deal with the results of those shortfalls everyday. And special events can sometimes highlight the problems for the wider public, as happened recently when thousands of wrestling fans waited hours in the rain for trains to take them home from the WrestleMania event at MetLife Stadium.
Gov. Phil Murphy has vowed that he will fix NJ Transit “if it kills me.” The man charged with preventing Murphy’s untimely demise by getting the trains and buses to run more reliably is NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett. He recently sat down with NJBIZ reporter David Hutter and talked about what the agency is doing to improve service after years of decline.
NJBIZ: WrestleMania took place at MetLife Stadium on April 6, attracting more than 82,000 people. The event ran late. A lot of people are saying New Jersey Transit was not able to provide enough trains and buses to the crowd. What precautions did you have in place before the event?
Kevin Corbett: We have a very good working relationship with our friends at MetLife. We handle all the football games and they go smoothly. We consider what are expectations and what changes to scheduling are necessary. We have buses there, but to move three thousand people per hour by bus is not optimal for a number of reasons.
We have [Federal Railroad Administration] regulations that train crews can only go 12 hours. In 99 percent of cases we coordinate with MetLife and that 12-hour window is adequate and that is why you never hear of problems. They also let the fans generally know that if you go to a game, the train takes you to Secaucus. And then you take a train to Port Jervis, Princeton, or the city. But you know where your connecting train is. Even if the game is going to end at midnight, but you know 12:20 is the last train to Port Jervis, “I will leave the game early because I do not want to miss the connecting train.”
We had a similar issue with the Jay-Z-Beyoncé concert. When they go unanticipatedly long at WrestleMania, we could have handled that load but we would have needed another hour. Which means we should have started the trains an hour later. If we had done that, there would have been no issue. We started with buses and then switched to rail. …
Six years ago MetLife hosted WrestleMania and the last train out carried 38 people at 12:20 at night. What we did not know is that WrestleMania has set up its own television network like the Yankees did with YES Network and they were broadcasting internationally.
They wanted it to run longer, which we would be delighted to support. It was not as though we were angry. We did not know that condition may give them an incentive to run longer. If we had known that, we would have said “Wait a minute. If there’s a chance you are going to run longer, we will build in an extra hour cushion.” It ran beyond our extra one-hour cushion.
NJBIZ: You ride New Jersey Transit on the Morris and Essex train line. What do you observe of your fellow Transit employees?
Corbett: I talk with conductors, engineers, and bus drivers. As they get to know me, they will talk to me off the record. You pick up Intel you would not get sitting in the corner office.
NJBIZ: You want to know what is actually happening so you can take action to fix problems.
Corbett: We need people to be advocating for NJ Transit. I ride on the system every day. I see the flaws and I see the good things. When I go to the “we are listening” forums, I hear people saying something and I respond “that’s not accurate” and I try to be as polite as I can. I have a pretty good sense of what is happening in their service.
A New Jersey Transit train rolls into Trenton Transit Center.
NJBIZ: What are you observing of your New Jersey Transit employees, especially when they do not know you are the executive director? Are they meeting your expectations in terms of being courteous, professional and communicative?
Corbett: A great majority of them are professional, courteous and like their jobs. Like anywhere with 11,000-plus employees [including] 10,000-plus unionized employees, you have some who really should not be in the customer service business. It’s one thing if you’re an engineer, as long as you are a good engineer and you do not interact much with the customer. We are looking to build training on the rail and bus side. But a great majority are good employees and those who are not, we need to call out on the carpet. And that means more supervision.
NJBIZ: Gov. Phil Murphy ordered an independent audit of New Jersey Transit. After getting the results of the audit in October 2018, Gov. Murphy vowed to improve the reliability of New Jersey Transit’s train and bus schedules. What progress have you made to date?
Corbett: I stress that we are going to live or die by our operations. That means we need bus operators and engineers. Unfortunately, on the rail side, engineers take 20 months of training. We started six classes that are currently in session for locomotive engineer training. We have one class of conductors that we can do in 12 months. By the end of this year, we will be in good shape on the engineers. On the bus drivers side, where you need a commercial driver license, we get them in our own training. That is a shorter time frame. We are approaching 500 new bus drivers. They are out on the road now. For our rail riders, it is going to be tough through this fall.
In the previous administration of [Gov. Chris Christie], they stopped training.
There is a myth that all our engineers are leaving for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. They pay 25 percent more than we do. But in fact we pay comparable salaries or in the ballpark of Conrail and [Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.] …
This summer should not be as bad as the past two summers. We are adding a dozen engineers next month. We are watching the [Family Medical Leave Act.] A great majority of engineers are not trying to game the system but there are a few bad apples who want to play games and use FMLA and other kinds of unexcused absences.
NJBIZ: For what purpose?
Corbett: To take off work.
NJBIZ: Is that not fraud?
Corbett: Certainly in my book it is not honest but to the degree that it is fraudulent, they have to document it. And I think the grievance process takes months. But I think this year we’ve really tightened up in identifying all the metrics, who is using all their vacation time, who is using every possible thing in the system to make sure there are no abuses. We will be much better prepared than last summer to make sure that people who are working are not working somewhere else, moonlighting somewhere else, and collecting sick days here. We are watching out for that. We are better prepared on where we can use yard foremen.
NJBIZ: What are some other important aspects of your job that are not discussed during board meetings?
Corbett: We are the nation’s third largest transit system and we are in the nation’s [11th] largest state. I appreciate everything Gov. Murphy has been doing advocating for Transit but within the state budget, in a state that has a billion-plus dollar deficit, it is tough to give us the resources we need as the third largest transit agency.
I think one of the things I really look for is where is the advocacy and the dedicated funding? Our funding has been very unsustainable, ad hoc sort of band aid funding over the last decade; slashed capital funds between $5 billion and $6 billion were raided to go to our operations. That meant we were eating our seed corn. Not only were we not making the capital investments we needed, that ate up our operating expenses. We were in a bad cycle and we needed to break that.
My real concern longer term is we are putting together a five-year capital plan. We are in the process of accessing our facilities so that by this time next year we will have a detailed capital plan and know what our needs are as a first-class transit agency.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Legislation would require NJ Transit study on restoring Raritan Valley/NYC rail service
By: David Hutter NJ BIZ
March 12, 2019 6:30 am
Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-22nd District, is proposing legislation that would require New Jersey Transit to conduct a feasibility study on restoring the one-seat ride from the Raritan Valley Line to New York City.
The legislation, if passed, would require New Jersey Transit to issue a report to the Legislature detailing findings of the study.
“The loss of the one-seat ride to Manhattan has been felt throughout my district and surrounding counties,” Scutari, who represents Middlesex, Somerset and Union, said in a statement. “The Raritan Valley Line is a large rail operation with strong ridership numbers and it is perplexing to me, and to those in the area, why NJ Transit would view this passage to New York City as expendable.”
“Our businesses, our residents and our economy are feeling the effects of this loss every day. The continued temporary loss of revenue, the loss of time and the loss of tax dollars cannot continue to persist without incurring permanent losses,” he added.
The Regional Plan Association conducted a study on the impact of the one-seat ride service into Manhattan in relation to the effect on the towns surrounding the rail line. The study revealed that towns are more desirable and see increases in their residential property values.
These towns greatly benefit from workers traveling through as well, Scutari said. Salaries for jobs in Manhattan are 60 percent higher than the same jobs in New Jersey, he said.
This consumer spending correlates to strong local economies with healthy business districts, and attract new
Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Tom Malinowski announced millions of dollars to keep the Gateway Tunnel project on track is included in the new Federal spending bill. #gateway
Want One-Seat Rides Back in Westfield? Your Chance to Voice Concerns
“We certainly advise residents to make their voice heard at this meeting,” said Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman and former Union County Freeholder Bruce H. Bergen. “The restoration of the limited one-seat ride is only the first step toward our goal of having permanent, full-time one-seat service. We have received only vague answers and must continue to keep the pressure on.”
Raritan Valley Rail Coalition Chairman Bruce Bergen was interviewed this evening on FOX 5 / Fox5NY.com calling on NJ TRANSIT to restore the one-seat ride.
A few days after the Senate committee passed a similar measure, an Assembly Committee approved an agency that will supply funding–issue bonds and accept grants—for the construction of the Gateway tunnel. Thanks @SpeakerCoughlin and Assemblyman Benson.
https://t.co/hwIB7ZRMAG
Governor Murphy today announced upgrades at NYC Penn Station designed to reduce overcrowding, and expand amenities for passengers…
