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  • New Jersey Transit is failing to expand

  • Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.
Discussion related to New Jersey Transit rail and light rail operations.

Moderators: lensovet, Kaback9, nick11a

 #1462533  by Defiant
 
I think other than the Gateway tunnels and other projects for which there is already a design, NJT really needs to concentrate on improving the reliability of it service. Chris Christie, previous Governor of this beautiful state really ran NJT to the ground. I take BC line every day and the service has really deteriorated in the last few years. Trains are cancelled on a weekly basis, there are daily delays, mechanical issues, etc. Here are just a few alerts I received today:

"MBPJ train service is suspended in both directions between Ridgewood and Glen Rock due to fallen trees across tracks.

Sent: 11:44 AM"

"1 of 2: MBPJ train service has now resumed with trains subject to up to 45 minute delays in both directions

Sent: 12:02 PM"

"2 of 2: between Ridgewood and Glen Rock following earlier fallen trees across tracks.

Sent: 12:03 PM"

"Bus Route No. 164, the 11:26 am departure from IKEA, Paramus to NY PABT is experiencing delays of up to 40 minutes due to an earlier mechanical problem.

Sent: 12:14 PM"

I think NJT should concentrate on the basics, such as removing grade crossing where possible, buying more bi level cars and newer buses. Electrifying exiting diesel lines would be great. At this point, this is not a system that is ready for any major expansion.
 #1462548  by mtuandrew
 
Defiant wrote:I think NJT should concentrate on the basics, such as removing grade crossing where possible, buying more bi level cars and newer buses. Electrifying exiting diesel lines would be great. At this point, this is not a system that is ready for any major expansion.
Agreed. I also have a potentially-unpopular opinion:

South Jersey needs commuter rail.

They don’t and never will contribute to the state revenue coffers like North or Central Jersey, but the greater PHL area is still massive. Buses, PATCO, the ACL, and the River Line are inadequate to support further growth, either in population or in NJ Senate & House cooperation. I suggest converting the River Line to FRA-compatible DMU or diesel-hauled coach when BBD’s contract runs out, and also running DMUs (or mini-Comet sets) from Camden or PHL to Glassboro, Swedesboro, and Mt. Holly.

The Northern Branch LRT project is a great step too, especially if they can work out a dedicated bus link across the GWB.
 #1462578  by EuroStar
 
Defiant wrote:I think NJT should concentrate on the basics, such as removing grade crossing where possible, buying more bi level cars and newer buses. Electrifying exiting diesel lines would be great. At this point, this is not a system that is ready for any major expansion.
When was the last time NJT eliminated a grade crossing? Trying to close streets tends to irk the local towns and grade separation runs on the order of $20M+ depending on what is around. All you will get is more fancy synchronized traffic lights like Midland Avenue crossing in Elmwood Park -- that was actually in an industrial area(so not many voters to complain about construction noise) and NJDOT still did not want to spend the money. Until the gates are down 30 minutes every hour during the rush hour no grade separation is coming to NJT.
 #1463287  by GooStats
 
When was the last time NJT eliminated a grade crossing?
NJT closed one in Asbury Park a few years ago. Why I don't know.
 #1499033  by pateljones
 
mtuandrew wrote:
Defiant wrote:I think NJT should concentrate on the basics, such as removing grade crossing where possible, buying more bi level cars and newer buses. Electrifying exiting diesel lines would be great. At this point, this is not a system that is ready for any major expansion.
Agreed. I also have a potentially-unpopular opinion:

South Jersey needs commuter rail.”

There is some new news about train service to Glassboro. the environmental report is coming out very very soon by March.
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 #1499059  by GSC
 
GooStats wrote:
When was the last time NJT eliminated a grade crossing?
NJT closed one in Asbury Park a few years ago. Why I don't know.
The Summerfield Ave. crossing was closed. Too many crossings too close together, those without traffic lights along Memorial Drive are a constant source of car crashes. Drivers don't want to get caught on the tracks waiting for an opening so they take their chances. Summerfield seemed to have more of these crashes and however it is done, NJT closed the crossing.

There are eleven grade crossings in Asbury Park in just a little over a mile, twelve before Summerfield was closed.
 #1499865  by amtrakowitz
 
EuroStar wrote:When was the last time NJT eliminated a grade crossing?
NJTR added a grade crossing in Montclair when they opened the Montclair Direct connector. The work on the Lackawanna Cutoff heading to Andover also added a (future) grade crossing due to the former road tunnel being closed and the road re-routed over the railbed.

When the NJCL's Red Bank station got high platforms, there was at least one crossing removed IIRC. Also, when the Main/Bergen/PVL lines were rerouted in Secaucus, a grade crossing at County Road was removed.

On the light rail side, several new grade crossings appeared when HBLR and SNJLRT opened (plus new street running in Jersey City and Camden), and a former below-grade cut was turned into a grade crossing on the HBLR's West Side Avenue branch (MLK Drive); and the Newark Subway extension to the M&E Broad Street station (originally termed MOS-1 of the Newark-Elizabeth LRT) also added street running.
 #1499928  by Dcell
 
There is expansion. The rail line to Scranton is under construction and the light rail line extension to Englewood starts construction later this year. That’s pretty big stuff.
 #1499998  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Before NJT expands, they must get their issues resolved with the PTC and capacity situations(much of them are closer to NYC).

I think only a fraction of the Lackawanna Cutoff is under construction, only as far as Andover. While getting that portion of the cuttoff open up might help the traffic somewhat, traffic will continue to be very bad on 80. It would take a very long time on a NJT train from Scranton to NYC. I would have just gotten the first phase extended to E. Stroudsburg and stopped right there. Much of the right of way north of Stroudsburg is very twisty, causing train travel times to be uncompetitive with driving. The Steamtown Excursion trains, in fact, take over two hours to travel from Scranton to the Stroudsburg area, a distance of 48 miles. If a regularly scheduled passenger train were to run on the cutoff into PA, it would need to be a super express-not just between NWK and Summit, but skip multiple stops between Summit and Dover. Between Summit and Dover, maybe make Morristown, Denville, and Dover. Presently, local trains running between New York City and Dover take anywhere from an hour and a half to an hour and forty-five minutes, way too long to cover the mileage between those two stations.

I don't know yet if the HBLRT extension to Englewood got the approval but it's a very important project. After it's completed, it it ever is, HBLRT will live up to its name.
 #1500147  by Hawaiitiki
 
Dcell wrote:There is expansion. The rail line to Scranton is under construction and the light rail line extension to Englewood starts construction later this year. That’s pretty big stuff.
Perhaps I'm playing into a troll comment here but I'll bite...

Construction is halted on the Lackwanna Cutoff (eventually to Scranton). Funding issues, EPA issues, and a tunnel (Roseville) that keeps getting more expensive to repair have stopped this project from moving beyond the current storage track.

As per Light Rail to Englewood, I have seen no confirmation either here, in the media, or casual confirmations that suggest this project has any concrete timeline to start. This was "promised" by politicians to get fast tracked after the NJ gas tax hike, but here we are again...
 #1500220  by Backshophoss
 
NJT cannot expand,Christe hacked away at the capital budget and NJT operations budget to point that could not expand,now they are behind
on their ACSES installs on fleet and wayside gear needed.
There're other rail fleet maintenance needs that not been tended to,and are short on T&E crews,all thanks to Christe.
It will take years to reverse the damage and restore service levels.
Remember the cutoff construction is on a time,materials,and available labor basis.
For now,NEED to get back at least "good repair" basis system wide before attempting to expand!!
 #1500248  by njtmnrrbuff
 
In terms of new lines, on the light rail side, yes. I would also love to see the Westside spur of HBLRT extended not only to the 440 corridor near Hudson Mall but also to Newark Penn Station. This is because if you live on the west side of Jersey City and in Bayonne and work in NWK in Downtown or the Ironbound, then it would save people extra mileage of having to head out of the way a little bit before heading west again. Plus people who work in any of those warehouses or visiting any family and friends at the Hudson County Jail will be able to get to those places quickly, especially if they live on Jersey City’s Westside. The 1 bus which provides a link from Newark to Jersey City passed the Ironbound, the warehouses, and the jail takes a very long time.
 #1501415  by F40
 
All of the studies (environmental etc) and public hearings are done regarding the Northern Branch. Last I heard, the next step is funding for construction. The original plan was for the federal government to match the state's funds (50%) to officially green light the project but I've heard Trump's administration may have asked the state to pick up more of the tab, hence the project is at a standstill for now. :(
 #1501493  by R&DB
 
Getting back to the original topic of this thread:
Expand?
They can't even run what they've got. No funding. Poor administration. Low paid employees. Too many reasons to list.