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Strong federal support for Mass Transit tunnel


trainfan22

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May 7, 2009

NJT-09-047

 

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey hailed today’s news that President Barack Obama has designated the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel to receive $200 million in the administration’s Fiscal Year 2010 federal budget. This brings the total federal funding commitment to the Mass Transit Tunnel project so far to nearly $400 million.

 

 

 

“The President’s inclusion of this money for the Mass Transit Tunnel is a clear indication of the Administration’s strong support for what is the largest transit project getting under way in the nation,” Governor Jon S. Corzine said.

 

 

 

“I spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood this morning, and I am delighted the President’s budget includes language directing the U.S. Department of Transportation to move quickly to recommend the Tunnel for an ‘Early Systems Work Agreement.’ This agreement will formalize the federal government’s multi-year funding commitment to the project,” Corzine said.

 

 

 

“We appreciate the Governor’s leadership on this critical infrastructure project and applaud the hard work by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and the rest of the Congressional delegation with President Obama and Vice President Biden to obtain federal support for the Mass Transit Tunnel,” said NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner Stephen Dilts.

 

 

 

“This funding, along with Vice President Biden’s visit today, highlights the importance of infrastructure work, both for immediate economic stimulus and job creation, and to guarantee that our residents will have a multimodal transportation system that serves their needs in the future,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles.

 

 

“The budget announcement by the President is an enormous shot in the arm for this historic project of national significance, and one that will help us put shovels in the ground and help create much-needed jobs this spring,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman Anthony Coscia.

 

 

 

Port Authority Executive Director Christopher Ward noted the Mass Transit Tunnel will provide vital transportation benefits for the entire region. “By doubling train capacity between New Jersey and New York, we will assure the region remains competitive in the decades ahead.”

 

 

 

“We at the Port Authority are proud to partner with NJ TRANSIT and the federal government in this historic public work,” added Susan Bass Levin, the PA’s deputy executive director. “Along with creating jobs and improving mobility, the tunnel will improve our quality of life by removing 22,000 cars a day from our congested highways, and cleaning the air we breathe.”

 

 

 

Governor Corzine has made the Mass Transit Tunnel a top transit priority. The Governor’s efforts resulted in the commitment of $5.7 billion in regional funding for the MTT, including $3 billion from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and $2.7 billion from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, state congestion mitigation funds and the state Transportation Trust Fund.

 

 

 

The Mass Transit Tunnel will create 6,000 construction and related jobs a year over the life of the project, and generate 44,000 permanent jobs upon completion. The Tunnel will add $10 billion in gross regional product and $4 billion in additional real personal income.

 

 

 

Construction of the MTT will break a transportation bottleneck at the Hudson River, where the existing 100-year-old commuter rail tunnel under the river has only two tracks that are pushed to their functional limits each rush hour with NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak trains. The Mass Transit Tunnel will more than double peak capacity between New Jersey and Manhattan from 23 trains per hour to 48.

 

 

In addition to two new side-by-side single-track tunnels, the project will create a state-of-the-art expansion to Penn Station New York, with wider platforms and more escalators to ease commuters’ trips. The new tracks also will provide direct access to NYC subway lines, PATH trains and existing Penn Station services.

 

The project will also create one-seat (direct) commutes to New York for NJ TRANSIT customers on seven commuter rail lines – Main/Bergen County, Port Jervis, Pascack Valley, Montclair-Boonton west of Montclair State University, Morris & Essex west of Dover, Raritan Valley, and North Jersey Coast south of Long Branch, as well as future rail expansion lines and more frequent service and more express service on all lines.

 

http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=2510

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Yea, i saw that. I believe this project is about 80% funded at this point. Construction will formally begin 2nd week of june i've been told.

 

- A

 

Cool. Looks like all remaining NJ Transit (NJT) train lines not going to NYC direct ie Boonton, Port Jervis, Ratrian Valley(bergen county), etc will now go staright to Penn Station.

 

Population wise Orange County, NY is probably the fastest growing area in entire NY/NJ area (population wise)so it would be nice to extend the Port Jervis to NYP. It could even take a few riders off Metro North Hudson(Poughkeepsie) Line as well.

 

Again i dont understand why Metsfan is so opposed of Pt Jervis/Rartian Valley trains using the new Hudson River Tunnel?:)

Traffic from the Lincoln Tunnel, GWB and Tappan Zee Bridge are nightmares not just rush hours anymore.

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Cool. Looks like all remaining NJ Transit (NJT) train lines not going to NYC direct ie Boonton, Port Jervis, Ratrian Valley(bergen county), etc will now go staright to Penn Station.

 

Population wise Orange County, NY is probably the fastest growing area in entire NY/NJ area (population wise)so it would be nice to extend the Port Jervis to NYP. It could even take a few riders off Metro North Hudson(Poughkeepsie) Line as well.

 

Again i dont understand why Metsfan is so opposed of Pt Jervis/Rartian Valley trains using the new Hudson River Tunnel?:)

Traffic from the Lincoln Tunnel, GWB and Tappan Zee Bridge are nightmares not just rush hours anymore.

 

 

I'm not, but the TPH need to go to the higher density lines first, they really need them, even with the MLV.

 

Right now amtrak and (NJT) share the 2 tracks between NJ and NY. I can't tell you what a mess it becomes when there's a disabled train, or worse a wire problem in one of the tunnels.

 

The 2 new tracks will not JUST increase service, it will also take 5-10 trains a day out of those older tunnels, making amtrak not have such a tiny itty bottleneck to squeeze all its trains through. Remember, NYP serves many trains that terminate there, not just through NEC trains. I'm sure amtrak will find a spot at one of the new parking spaces from time to time.

 

In any case my point is that it will allow more service to and through NYP, not just for (NJT) but for amtk too. This plus the old trackage up the west side being electrified = possible MNRR service from NYP. That combined with a possible but stuck on an unrelated project (water tunnel 3 completion, tunnel 2 de-activation) connection to GCT (ESA through access to sunnyside) will be the final chapter in connecting the 2 great hubs & allowing real strides in service flexibility and more trains more often.

 

Running hoboken division trains out of GCT with the connection to west of hudson would make FAR more sense than combining newark & hoboken division operations in a still very crowded 4 track connection. Eventually the :pvl: and :rvl: trains will be too many in combo for the current layout, better off not letting people get used to it till the ESA connection is made. First open up some seats on :nec: and :njc:.

 

- A

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Quick question, is true that after the ARC is done that NJT would only use the new tunnels? As many had said, the 34th St station would not connect to the East River Tunnels and therefore Amtrak would most likely not want any NJT breakdowns in the old tunnels.

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Quick question, is true that after the ARC is done that NJT would only use the new tunnels? As many had said, the 34th St station would not connect to the East River Tunnels and therefore Amtrak would most likely not want any NJT breakdowns in the old tunnels.

I don't think so, I think half the trains would be sent through the new tunnels and half of them will go to the older Penn station. These tunnels should be seen as a set of relief tunnels, not necessarily replacement tunnels.

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The idea is to terminate/originate some :njc: and :nec: jersey ave trains in the new area, mainly EMU, since they are starting to become unreliable and 5 have been disabled in the north river tunnels over the last 2 years due to mechanical problem.... But there's more.

 

Since amtrak needs the north river tunnels for full length NEC trains, crescent, keystone, pennsylvanian, carolinian/pedimont and silver service, they would rather have more reliable trains there, so you may actually see the EMU use the new station if any are even still around by the time it opens.

 

I think they would have another set of single and multilevel cars delivered along with new EMU before 2017, the projected completion date, so it may be a moot point at the grand opening.

 

The trains per hour needed by that year will have far surpassed the capacity of the old NYP ladder and tunnel. (NJT), amtk and (MTA) all want the connection to GCT, but they cannot do it till water tunnel 2 is dry, or else half the city goes without water if there's a breach. That connection would take 4-5 years and cost probably in the 1-2 billion dollar range, but it would be complicated to have LIRR and (NJT) serving the same station, so there's a good chance the tie in would be for yard destined trains only, or trains coming into service at NYP.

 

I think you can see what i mean. Doing the whole thing right now would cost 13 billion dollars vs 8-9, because ESA is all ready underway and you'd need to change a few things in the yard access area in long island city near the tunnels, such as the overhead wiring.

 

- A

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Wait so what you're saying is that rather connecting the 34th St station to the East River Tunnels, both Amtrak and NJT are planning to have it connect to GCT instead to make it a through-station?

 

And regarding the rail fleet, I don't think that NJT would order any more single level car since they solved the problems with MLVs. I believe that NJT even wanted to retire the Comet IIIs with the remaining option of the MLVs. The Gladstone Branch direct trains would most likely use the Arrow IVs in the future since it can clear the MLVs and that the Arrow IVs would most likely come with transformer taps. Also a little off topic but according to http://www.hobokenterminal.com/, the MLVs are in fact destined as Comet VIs.

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Wait so what you're saying is that rather connecting the 34th St station to the East River Tunnels, both Amtrak and NJT are planning to have it connect to GCT instead to make it a through-station?

 

And regarding the rail fleet, I don't think that NJT would order any more single level car since they solved the problems with MLVs. I believe that NJT even wanted to retire the Comet IIIs with the remaining option of the MLVs. The Gladstone Branch direct trains would most likely use the Arrow IVs in the future since it can clear the MLVs and that the Arrow IVs would most likely come with transformer taps. Also a little off topic but according to http://www.hobokenterminal.com/, the MLVs are in fact destined as Comet VIs.

 

1.)The comet III's are staying.

 

2.) There is no such thing as a Comet VI. A comet is a single level commuter rail car. Per Bombardier and NJT rules they are called Multilevels. There is nothing listed as Comet VI. Get the notion of a Comet VI out of your head.

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Alright then, I give up. But are there provisions to make GCT a through terminal by connecting it with the 34th St station?

 

There are about 4 different ideas, 2 call for a stop at GCT, while the remaining plans leave an option for a stop, or leave it as a through connection respectively.

 

Nothing can be done between 33rd st and 42nd st till water tunnel 2 is dry as a bone after tunnel 3 is turned on. They need to see what condition the tunnel is in & if they can do the rail connection at that depth near the tunnel, then if they can, the plans will be looked at again, but nothing is going to be put in the way of the connection if it can be avoided either, they are trying to keep options open.

 

- A

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