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  • Meadowlands Daily Service?

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

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 #1498576  by jamesinclair
 
While it may seem too good to be true, it appears that the American Dream mega-mall (ex-Meadowlands Xanadu) will actually open this year, possibly as soon as April. Like you, I will need to see it to believe it, but let's assume the PR is true.

Media example:
American Dream, the entertainment and shopping extravaganza that North Jersey has anticipated for close to 17 years, is finally taking shape ahead of its projected spring opening.

Over the past months, as the pace of construction has moved faster, companies, including officials of American Dream,have turned to social media to share glimpses of their progress. Companies have also given updates of their own for industry insiders eager to keep up.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 598509002/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Over the past decade of construction, one of the big touted features was the nearby NJ Transit rail station built next to the stadium, and connected to the mall via a pedestrian overpass.

All media claim that when the mall opens, NJT will service it with regular daily scheduled service.

However, I have never heard the folks at NJT actually confirm this.

Presumably, NJT needs to budget this service, create a schedule, and bid out shifts to run it.

Has there been any movement on this front?
 #1498598  by EuroStar
 
This is exactly what we need. Another money losing service that clogs Hoboken and Secaucus at peak hour. Unless American Dream pays the subsidy, this should not happen. If they, pay it should be only on weekends when equipment, crews and tracks at Hoboken are much easier to come by. The weekday ridership to a mall will never justify the expense of running trains. Also Secaucus was not designed with the Meadowlands Line in mind and it is a mess any weekday when there is service to the Stadium.
 #1499339  by JoeG
 
NJT presumably built the Meadowlands spur in anticipation of the mall. If it actually opens, NJT should run trains to it. They may not be able to do that immediately because of crew and equipment shortages, but they should do it when they can.
 #1499372  by jamesinclair
 
EuroStar wrote:This is exactly what we need. Another money losing service that clogs Hoboken and Secaucus at peak hour. Unless American Dream pays the subsidy, this should not happen. If they, pay it should be only on weekends when equipment, crews and tracks at Hoboken are much easier to come by. The weekday ridership to a mall will never justify the expense of running trains. Also Secaucus was not designed with the Meadowlands Line in mind and it is a mess any weekday when there is service to the Stadium.
Im of two minds on this. On one hand, NJTs job is to move people, and service to American Dream will move a lot more people than dozens of other stations in the system.

On the other hand, I do agree that the mall people should chip in since nobody else will benefit from service to that station, unless NJT plans on using the parking as a park-and ride of some kind.
 #1499434  by Hawaiitiki
 
jamesinclair wrote: On the other hand, I do agree that the mall people should chip in since nobody else will benefit from service to that station, unless NJT plans on using the parking as a park-and ride of some kind.
I would consider getting all of the people off the highway who will have no choice but to drive to American Dream/Xanadu a public benefit, in terms of limiting the increased congestion and emmissions that affect all of us.
 #1499478  by kilroy
 
Let's see, I can take the train (HOW MUCH for three [or more] tickets?!?!?!?!?), wait how long for a connection at Secaucus while the kids run wild on the platform (and don't forget the change in levels or platforms), hike to the mall, shop and then hike back to the train station with 4, 5, 6 or so shopping bags. Board the train so I can wait for another connection (with all those bags AND kids in hand) to get home (and paying for parking at the train station) or I drive at a cost of one or two gallons of gas, park for free within 100 yards of the mall door, and yes, wait in traffic (with the kids strapped into a car seat with their faces glued to an electronic devise) with 4, 5,6 or so shopping bags in the trunk.

Yeah, I'll take the train.

Trains are good for commuting and long distance trips where you want to see the country. They're not so good for shopping trips. We would all like more trains to photograph/look at but as a tax payer, I don't need another huge money loser for NJT. Spend the cash on equipment that works and how about a raise for the salaried staff. Last I knew, they hadn't had a raise in a whole lot of years.
 #1499500  by jamesinclair
 
kilroy wrote: Trains are good for commuting and long distance trips where you want to see the country. They're not so good for shopping trips. We would all like more trains to photograph/look at but as a tax payer, I don't need another huge money loser for NJT. Spend the cash on equipment that works and how about a raise for the salaried staff. Last I knew, they hadn't had a raise in a whole lot of years.
Ridiculous post. Many of us depend on transit for everything, including shopping and leisure. Tell me again how NJT doesn't work for shopping, considering I personally use it to reach the supermarket, Menlo Park Mall, and other shopping destinations? I agree that driving is many times cheaper. Thats something we should address with lower train fares and higher gas taxes.

As a taxpayer, all of NJT is a "money loser." Just like our school system, police, library, etc. Peak rush hour service is a huge money loser because youre expending enormous capital costs for infrastructure and train sets that are only needed for 1 hour a day in each direction. IE - look at all the Jersey Ave trains - they make 2 round trips a day and thats it, they waste away 20 hours a day. A mall has constant activity for 14 hours a day.

And none of this is even relevant to the question at hand, which is if NJT will provide the service that has been promised.
 #1499595  by CentralValleyRail
 
My guess is definitely weekend service, and possibly Friday's.... They already run it for Jets-Giants game on Sundays and or Mondays/Thursdays. So the equipment crew bids for 2 days a week is somewhat feasible...

The mall is opening in phases with the last phase to be opened in September. The PTC situation SHOULD (but its NJT so don't hold your breath) be rectified by then, so I would anticipate service starting sometime around then to also coincide with the football season...

Politics aside Murphy's BIG promise was that he was going to fix NJT, and all that has happened has been service cuts (for PTC) his chance at winning a re-election doesn't solely depend on but will be influenced by how he handles NJT. It will play a pretty BIG factor..
 #1499638  by Roadgeek Adam
 
The theory that shopping doesn't sell for stations is defeated by the fact that Woodbury Commons wants their own stop on the Port Jervis Line.

That said, Xanadu is not just for the shopping experience. There is going to be reasons for thousands of people to be there at times from kids to seniors. People will ride it.

Whether or not they get a daily service, no idea, doubtful, but I agree with the previous poster that a weekend service would do well. (With some lines not running full service, some equipment you'd figure would be available.)
 #1499651  by CarterB
 
I thought Murphy was against rail transit and favors busses to replace NJT rail wherever possible??
 #1499652  by Roadgeek Adam
 
CarterB wrote:I thought Murphy was against rail transit and favors busses to replace NJT rail wherever possible??
I don't know where he's said that. He's trying to reform NJT.
 #1499675  by SecaucusJunction
 
He's been caught in so many lies about NJT, I don't know what to believe anymore.
 #1499733  by jamesinclair
 
Weekend only service to start makes sense because theres plenty of free equipment for that.

I can also see daily NJT bus service from Port Authority starting at like 10am when all the buses are available and need to go somewhere anyway.