Better Mass Transit
New York’s and New Jersey’s public transit systems
face fiscal challenges on almost annual bases due to inadequate
state and local funding, while Connecticut’s suffers
from years of underinvestment and arrested development. The
Tri-State Campaign is working to ensure that states provide
enough funding for transit expansion projects that are vital
to the economic future of our region, and that our existing
transit system is maintained in a state of good repair.
Booming mass transit use during the 1990s and early part of this
decade has put mass transit expansion squarely on the region’s
agenda. However, limited funding, and in some cases, local
opposition makes every project a challenge. The following is
a guide to the region’s major proposals.
Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a combination of service improvements that can drastically improve bus transit. BRT implementations range from what are essentially upgraded express buses to major transit systems capable of carrying 15,000 passengers or more per direction per hour, but all combine dedicated rights-of-way and measures to speed boarding to provide faster, more frequent, more reliable bus service. In the tri-state area, BRT is being studied or implemented for the Hudson Valley; Central Avenue in Westchester County; New York City; Newark; Route 1 in New Jersey; and the Hartford-New Britain corridor in Connecticut. Visit TSTC's Bus Rapid Transit Clearinghouse for more information on this exciting transit mode.
New York
Long Island Rail Road East Side Access
The project
will connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal through an unused
level of the existing 63rd Street transit tunnel, with new tunneling
under the East Side to Park Avenue and a new track through Sunnyside
Yard to the East River. Originally
expected to be completed in 2012, the project does not have
the funds it needs in the MTA’s 2005-2009 capital program,
meaning completion may take longer than anticipated. Cost
escalation for the project has also led some to question the design
the MTA has settled on. The Campaign, via the Empire State
Transportation Alliance, has backed funding for the project.
Third Track on LIRR Main Line
This project would add another track to the LIRR Main Line, roughly from Bellerose station to Hicksville. It would offer “reverse commuters,” an increasingly vital force in Long Island’s economy, more frequent service. Part of the project includes eliminating several grade crossings along the LIRR line, reducing local traffic congestion. The project began its environmental review in 2005. The Tri-State Campaign has started a coalition of over a dozen business, transit, and environmental groups that support the project. Please contact Ryan Lynch of the Campaign at 212-268-7474 or rlynch@tstc.org if you are interested in joining the coalition.
Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor Mass Transit
The New York State Department of Transportation is studying ways to fix or replace the Tappan Zee Bridge, and looking at a variety of transit services for the I-287 corridor, including bus rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, or a combination of these options. The Campaign is working to ensure that all transit options are giving an equal chance, and Metro-North Rail Road’s participation in the study does not bias it towards choosing commuter rail. We are conducting outreach in towns and villages along the corridor, providing an independent assessment of the alternatives in plain English. If you are interested in receiving a presentation or would like more information, please contact the Campaign at 212-268-7474.
Second Avenue Subway
This project dates back to the 1920s and 30s, before
the elevated trains on the East Side were torn down to make
way for development. The first segment of the new subway
would run between 96th and 63rd Streets, linking to the existing Broadway
line. It is planned to eventually reach Lower Manhattan,
and some advocates and politicians would like to see it reach Brooklyn
and The Bronx. Some
tunnel segments were built during the middle of the 20th century,
but construction stopped during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s. Significant
funds have been allocated to the project in 2000-2004 and in the
current 2005-2009 MTA capital program. Anticipated completion
of the first segment is 2013, but not all funding is in
hand. The Campaign, via the Empire State Transportation Alliance,
has backed funding for the project.
New Jersey
New Jersey Transit has added significant capacity in
recent years with its new Hudson-Bergen and South Jersey River
light rail lines, and with smart track connections within the commuter
rail network that have created the highly successful “Midtown
Direct” services.
New Jersey continues to extend the Hudson-Bergen line northward,
and is now developing a network of rail lines in Bergen County to
link to Hudson-Bergen and take advantage of the new Trans-Hudson
Express Tunnel. Additional light rail capacity is also under
development in Newark, and a commuter rail stop is planned at the
Meadowlands sports complex (funded by the Port Authority under a
deal struck by state leaders).
On the commuter rail system, Middlesex-Ocean-Monmouth and several
other potential projects are in planning stages, not all without
controversy over routing or general utility.
NJ Transit is considering a bus rapid transit project in Middlesex
County.
Links to NJ Transit construction projects can be found at http://www.njtransit.com/an_cp.shtml
Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel/Access to the Region’s Core
Mass transit across the Hudson River is at capacity. Both the Lincoln Tunnel exclusive bus lane and NJ Transit/Amtrak tracks between New Jersey and Manhattan are full. New Jersey is therefore prioritizing one major capital improvement to accommodate growth in trips between New Jersey and New York City, and thus resolve a major bottleneck to adding commuter train capacity across the northern half of the state – a new rail tunnel and track capacity between NYC and Secaucus, with a new station area under 34th Street in Manhattan. The project is currently in the environmental review phase, with full project completion anticipated for 2015. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign has supported state and federal funding for the project, and adoption of the current configuration by NJ Transit and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
NJ Transit Fare Hike
In February 2007, NJ Transit announced its third fare hike since 2002, a period in which it has raised no revenue from any other source and which will disproportionately impact low-income New Jerseyans and bus riders.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s recent focus has been on finding
funds for the increasingly decrepit New Haven commuter rail line
(managed jointly by Metro-North Railroad and Connecticut DOT). The
state launched Shore Line East in the 1990s to connect New
Haven and points east by rail, and some SLE trains now run
between Stamford and New London. The
state has also developed a plan for a rapid busway between Hartford
and New Britain, which is now in the final design stage. The
state is studying options for a commuter rail line between
New Haven and Springfield, Mass., via Hartford.
Access to Transit Service
The Campaign works to ease access to transit stations through safe
bike and pedestrian corridors and jitney service.
