Recent Posts

The grim toll continues. At this point, I'm reconsidering working the road this fall.

Thats a great idea...take a yard job.

Yipes!!!! It's getting increasingly difficult for me to get home from work at night. Everything is under construction. I might have to bite the bullet and start riding the train again. 

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/09/overnight_lane_closures_planne.html

Overnight lane closures planned for Pulaski Skyway
Published: Friday, September 03, 2010, 2:01 PM     Updated: Friday, September 03, 2010, 2:10 PM


While the state is giving drivers a break for the Labor Day weekend, come Tuesday overnight construction will mean eight weeks of lane closures on the Pulaski Skyway.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation will close one Route 1&9 travel lane for the full length of the Pulaski Skyway nightly, Monday thru Friday, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day, for approximately eight weeks, according to a news release issued today.

The lane closures are necessary for on-going interim repair operations and will occur in only one direction at a time beginning on the southbound lanes, the state said.

Occasional full closures of the Skyway, one direction at a time, will occur as needed during the overnight hours.

When necessary, traffic will be detoured as follows:

Route 1&9 southbound:

* The on-ramp from Tonnelle Avenue to the Pulaski Skyway will be closed and traffic will be detoured to Route 1&9 Truck and continue on back to Route 1&9 in Newark.

* Traffic from Route 139 westbound will also be detoured to the Tonnelle Circle and will follow the same detour as Route 1&9 traffic.

Route 1&9 northbound:

* Route 1&9 northbound Local crossover to the Pulaski Skyway will be closed and the traffic will be detoured onto Route 1&9 Truck northbound. The traffic will continue on Route 1&9 Truck north to the Tonnele Circle. The Route 1&9 northbound express lanes will be diverted to Route 1&9 local lanes before reaching the Skyway.

NJDOT said it is working closely with Newark, Jersey City, Kearny, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and NJ Transit to coordinate the successful completion of the Pulaski Skyway repairs.

Variable message signs have been installed throughout the work corridor to advise motorists of scheduled lane closures and other traffic information. Motorists can access real-time traffic information via the NJDOT website at 511nj.org

The grim toll continues. At this point, I'm reconsidering working the road this fall.


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/person_is_struck_by_nj_transit.html

Man is fatally struck by NJ Transit train in Bridgewater
Published: Saturday, September 04, 2010, 6:52 PM     Updated: Saturday, September 04, 2010, 9:42 PM


nj-transit-collision.JPGAmanda Brown/The Star-LedgerAuthorities investigate the scene near the westbound NJ Transit train tracks in Bridgewater after a person was struck there.


BRIDGEWATER — An unidentified man was killed yesterday after he walked into the path of an oncoming train in Bridgewater, temporarily shutting down part of the rail line, a spokesman for NJ Transit said.

Dan Stessel, an NJ Transit spokesman, said the man, who was believed to be in his 40s, walked onto the tracks at 4:20 p.m. just as a westbound train passed under Interstate 287. Stessel said the train engineer blew his horn and applied the train’s emergency brakes, but could not stop the train in time.

Authorities shut down a section of the rail line — which runs between Newark and Raritan — while they investigated the train accident. Stessel said train service in the area resumed service around 7:30 p.m.

The train was not at a station or crossing when the accident took place, added Stessel. He said the train left Newark at 3:38 p.m. and was expected in Raritan at 4:42 p.m..

Stessel said NJ Transit authorities shut down the Raritan Valley line between Bound Brook and Raritan, transferred customers onto another train and bused other customers between stations. When the rail line was shut down, he said customers were told to expect 30 to 60 minute delays.

Stessel said the crime scene in Bridgewater was cleared at 7 p.m. Rail service resumed shortly afterward.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/fatality_on_roselle_park_train.html

Man who stepped in front of NJ Transit train in Bridgewater is identified
Published: Sunday, September 05, 2010, 2:07 PM     Updated: Monday, September 06, 2010, 7:46 AM
The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk

BRIDGEWATER — The man who stepped in front of a train in Bridgewater on Saturday afternoon has been identified as John Kardos, 47, of Bound Brook, according to NJ Transit spokesperson Dan Stessel.

The train engineer blew his horn and applied the emergency brakes, but could not stop the Raritan-bound train in time, striking and killing the man around 4:20 p.m.

Rail service resumed shortly after 7:30 p.m.

 Anything that keeps people quiet is OK by me.   

http://www.app.com/article/20100901/NEWS03/9010373/NJ-Transit-mulls-Wi-Fi-on-trains

NJ Transit mulls Wi-Fi on trains
Proposals due by end of month

By LARRY HIGGS • STAFF WRITER • September 1, 2010

   
NEWARK — Surfing the Web on the train might become a reality for NJ Transit riders, depending on the outcome of proposals from potential wireless Internet providers, which the agency is seeking by Sept. 30.

NJ Transit officials announced Wednesday they are soliciting proposals for a wireless broadband provider to offer Internet service at rail stations and on trains.

In April, NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein said that a pilot test to offer Wi-Fi on trains was one of the agency's technology goals, when he testified to the state Senate Budget and Appropriations committee.

"It is not something that NJ Transit would pay for; we're looking for the firm to be responsible for the architecture, the materials needs and the functionality," said NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett-Hackett. "They (providers) need to come back to use on how they would make it work."

NJ Transit officials would like to offer Wi-Fi on its 12 rail lines and in stations, she said. It would be up to the provider to decide how a system would be funded, through advertising or charging users for airtime or another method.

NJ Transit would not be the first commuter rail line in the Northeast to offer on-board Wi-Fi. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority offers free Wi-Fi provided by WAAV Inc. on 258 coaches, a service used by 10,000 riders a day, according to the agency's website.

The MBTA is considering expanding Wi-Fi and could use it as a maintenance tool to provide train malfunction data in the event of a breakdown.

San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system is completing a two-year Wi-Fi trial in four stations. Once Wi-Fi is offered systemwide, riders there can get three-and-a-half minutes of free access for every 30 seconds that they watch an advertisement, a BART news release said. Riders also could pay for ad-free subscriptions for two hours, daily, monthly or annual-use plans, it said.

Some commuter advocates questioned if this is the time for NJ Transit to consider Wi-Fi on the heels of a summer that saw a record number of delays and mechanical issues.

"Wi-Fi is nice, but it's not part of the basic service NJ Transit would provide. It has no bearing on on-time performance," said New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers President Douglas Bowen. "We're not saying it's bad, but it's not germane to the primary mission to move people."

Bassett-Hackett said NJ Transit officials are looking for amenities to give to its customers.

NJ Transit officials will hold a pre-proposal meeting with providers on Sept. 9, and proposals are due Sept. 30, she said. A timeline for a decision or implementation depends on the information obtained at the meeting.

Several cable providers began offering Wi-Fi hot spots at train stations in New Jersey and New York earlier this year, according to published reports.

I will abstain from making any political statements. I will say, the song ALWAYS remains the same. 

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/pa_to_pay_1b_to_raise_bayonne.html

Port Authority to pay $1B to raise Bayonne Bridge height
Published: Friday, August 27, 2010, 9:22 AM     Updated: Friday, August 27, 2010, 9:31 AM


STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --  The Port Authority has reportedly committed to spending $1 billion to address the height limitations at the Bayonne Bridge, which will either be jacked up or replaced in coming years in anticipation of new, larger cargo ships too tall to pass underneath the existing span over the Kill van Kull.

Word of the deal comes after the authority's board of commissioners met yesterday to formally approve a final agreement allowing developer Larry Silverstein to redevelop the towers at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The agreement calls for the Port Authority to back Silverstein's bid for two office towers at the site with more than $1 billion.

The Port Authority, which owns the 16-acre Ground Zero site, reportedly made the bridge-funding promise in exchange for support from the New Jersey commissioners on the bistate agency, who were concerned that the focus on redevelopment was eclipsing other pressing needs in the region.
 
The $1.8 billion high-rise will be funded by about $1.4 billion of tax-exempt Liberty
Bonds and $450 million of insurance proceeds. The agency's $1 billion would only be used if the building doesn't repay its debt. The agency also will provide $600 million in backup financing for a 71-story tower, if Silverstein finds tenants to lease 400,000 square feet and raises $300 million in cash. Plans for a third Silverstein tower are on hold until market conditions improve.

The 1,776-foot, 1 World Trade Center -- formerly called the Freedom Tower -- is set to be completed in 2013.

Agency chairman Anthony Coscia called the action "a major milestone" for the trade center destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, and developer Larry Silverstein hailed it as "fantastic news for New York."

Port Authority officials did not return calls for comment about the Bayonne funding.

As for the bridge, the Port Authority's board of commissioners provided up to $10 million in funding last year to cover the cost of planning analyses required to determine how best to tackle the Bayonne height problem. The current span is 151 feet above the water, too low for increasingly large ships coming to call at local ports.

Considered were jacking the existing bridge structure to, or building a brand new bridge at, a height of 215 feet, up from the 151-foot clearance today. Raising the existing bridge could be done as early as 2019

Tunnels also were considered, but they would be much more costly, and would take until at least 2024 to be completed.

Depending on the chosen alternative, a fix is estimated to cost between $1.3 and $3.1 billion, and could take at least a decade to complete.

We haven't checked on this project in some time. Not much to add. It seems as if they are still debating the pros and cons
of which type of bridge to build.

At this rate, the old one will collapse before they finish debating! 

http://nyack.patch.com/articles/tappan-zee-bridge-replacement-out-with-the-old

Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement: Out With the Old

The project will also bring new bus and train transit options.
By Robert Berczuk | Email the author | July 30, 2010


A recent hearing on the proposed new Tappan Zee Bridge—held June 30 at the Palisades Center mall in West Nyack—focused on the bridge and other transit options for Rockland County.

The deteriorating bridge carries far more traffic than it was designed for, in part because it was constructed during the Korean War when steel and other building materials were being used for the war effort. The use of lesser-quality building materials meant the bridge was designed to last only about 50 years.

The proposed project includes building a new bridge to replace the aging Tappan
Zee Bridge, adding passenger train service on Metro-North's Hudson Line to and from Grand Central Terminal, adding bus service from Suffern to Port Chester along Interstate 287 and building two multimodal stations in Clarkstown for those train and bus lines.

The hearing had numerous visual aids for residents to examine, including the six bridge options. Each option has four lanes in each direction, two railroad tracks, two bus lanes and a shared-use pedestrian/bicycle path on one side of the span. There are three single-level options and three dual-level ones. The designs range in width from 185-280 feet, or two to three times the width of the current bridge.

The current cost estimates for the project is about $16 billion ($6.4 billion for the
bridge, $6.7 billion for the rail line and $2.9 billion for the bus lanes). That total could increase depending on which option is chosen and how long it takes to complete it.

That would be money well spent, according to Bruce Michaels, an area resident and
member of a task force put together in March by Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack to examine the project's impact on the town.

"I'm very excited for this opportunity for Clarkstown and Rockland County and Orange County," Michaels said. "This opens up a whole new world of people who can move to the area."

The project would provide better and easier access to the county, Michaels said. While some may be concerned about the cost, especially during a time of fiscal uncertainty at the state level, he noted people need to have a long-term view of the project's benefits to the region's residents now and for several generations to come.

"You have to spend money to generate money and to build your infrastructure," Michaels said. "I see it as being very successful if it does take place."

Wayne Ballard, the superintendent of highways for Clarkstown and another task force member, agrees the proposed project would benefit the area, especially the added train and bus service.

"Anytime you get people off the road and onto mass transit it's a good thing," Ballard said. "I'd love to see trains; that would be a great thing for our towns."

Ballard's primary concerns are to ensure the town's traffic and aesthetics are not
disturbed by the plan and don't create additional problems for local residents.
"If it's happening—and I think it will happen—I want my town to be protected so my residents are minimally impacted," he said.

One area of prime concern for Ballard is the proposed station at the Palisades Center. The plan includes too many difficult to navigate roads to get in and out of the station, located near one of the mall's parking lots.

"Maybe they need to rethink that so there's a smoother transition," said Ballard, who added he was told state officials in charge of the plan would address that concern.

State officials overseeing the project are hopeful of completing and submitting a draft environmental impact statement for federal review by the end of the year. Final approval could come as early as next year, they said.

If the money for the bridge and highway work is approved, construction on the project could begin as early as 2013.

The bridge project team also has an office at 203 Main St., Nyack, where the public can get the latest details on the project. The office is open from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The office phone number is (845) 348-7714. There's also a Web site with information on the project.

In the meantime, deck replacement work on the bridge continues. Since September
2007, the state has been replacing significant portions of the bridge's deck. When completed, approximately 96 percent of the original deck will have been replaced since the bridge opened in 1955. The project is slated for completion in the winter of 2012.

I let this one slip through my fingers somehow. 

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2010/08/officials_against_privatizatio.html

Officials against privatization plan for Scudder Falls bridge

The plan to privatize the proposed Scudder Falls bridge on Interstate 95 has drawn a range of mostly negative reactions from elected officials along the Delaware River.

Some question why the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania would bypass the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, already the owner of 20 bridges, as the developer and operator of the new structure in favor of a private operator.

Others say switching from the bridge's current nontoll status to a toll facility will further compound the traffic congestion at other nontoll bridges and on local roads.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell announced July 29 that he and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had agreed that the new nine-lane wide span would be designed, constructed and operated by an entity from the private sector, and they confirmed that the structure would be financed by tolls.

"No disrespect to the governors, but I'm not interested in any more tolls," Jack Ball, mayor of Ewing, where the new bridge will connect with I-95. "What they are doing is forgetting about the little guy.

"People looking to avoid the tolls will significantly increase north and south traffic on Bear Tavern and Federal roads and clog up Route 29. More traffic means more accidents and more of a burden on police and our emergency services," Ball said.

He also questioned how a private operator of the bridge would respond to surrounding communities.

"The bridge commission has been good to Ewing and has been good to work with. I don't know what would happen with a private operator when it comes to raising tolls," he said.

Lambertville Mayor David DelVecchio is concerned the accommodations the bridge commission has made to communities along the river will be lost or depersonalized if a major corporation operates the bridge.

"The bridge commissioners and administration have always tried to work with the town where the bridges are located," said DelVecchio. "They bent over backward for us when they restored the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, even operating a bus service between the two towns and devising a schedule that would allow us to use the bridge during the winter festival even though construction was still going on."

DelVecchio said he was puzzled by the governors' assertion that the commission would not be able to handle the $310 million Scudder Falls bridge project in light of its successful completion of the $105 million reconstruction of the Route 1 Toll Bridge between Trenton and Morrisville.

"They have been financing a capital improvement program of nearly $1 billion. What happens if the private operator can't meet its obligations? Does it fall back on the states and on the backs of the toll payers?"

Michael Markulec, mayor of Hopewell Township, agrees with Ball.

"We want to see as much traffic as possible get off of the local roads and onto the interstates," said Markulec. "I'm afraid that if the bridge is privatized and has tolls, it will force traffic off of the interstate and onto the local roads.

"We already have a problem with afternoon traffic around the Washington Crossing Bridge because the roads were not designed to handle that kind of traffic."

New Hope Mayor Larry Keller sees the privatization and toll collections having an impact for a wide stretch along the river.

"I've never been in favor of privatization for the public sector, especially since the bridge commission has been such a wonderful neighbor to all of the communities where it has bridges along the river.

"It seems odd to me that the bridge commission, which operates and maintains 20 bridges, doesn't have the confidence of the governors to build a new bridge. Especially since they just did a beautiful job on the $105 million reconstruction of the Route 1 Toll Bridge."

Keller, too, predicted that if the new span has tolls it will steer traffic onto local roads.

"People will be taking alternate routes such as the Washington Crossing Bridge, where traffic is already tight and will be jammed. Hopefully, the governors will take a better look at their proposal. I'm stupefied to think of it," he said.

Conrad Baldwin, chairman of the Upper Makefield, Pa., supervisors, said he had no position on the privatization or tolling of the new bridge, but that his community has a good relationship with the bridge commission.

Ronald Smith, chairman of the Lower Makefield, Pa., board of supervisors, did not respond to requests for an interview for this article.

Gov. Rendell said the bridge must have tolls because the two states do not have money for a project this large.

Oh boy! This looks bad. I hope the fix all of this stuff prior to releasing them! 

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100830_Production_problems_delay_delivery_of_SEPTA_s_new_Silverliner_railcars.html

Production problems delay delivery of SEPTA's new Silverliner railcars

By Paul Nussbaum

Inquirer Staff Writer

Already eight months behind schedule, SEPTA's new Silverliner V railcars will be delayed further by production and labor difficulties at the manufacturer's South Philadelphia plant, according to an internal SEPTA report.

The first of the 120 new cars is now expected to be delivered in October, spokesman Richard Maloney said Friday. The first production car had originally been slated for delivery in January, and then for this month.

The last car is now expected to be delivered in June, rather the contract date of October.

"These are custom-made railcars," Maloney said. "When we eventually get them, we think our passengers will be very happy. But we have to get it right the first time."

SEPTA's Regional Rail passengers, packed into overcrowded cars during morning and evening rush hours, have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of new cars since the contract was first awarded in 2004, thrown out because of competitors' complaints, and awarded again in 2006.

A faulty communications system still plagues the new cars, and some of the vehicles being outfitted at a South Korean factory have been held up by rust damage.

And the new railcars are nearly 10,000 pounds overweight.

The additional weight "is not considered a problem in performance or maintenance," Maloney said.

The builder of the new cars, United Transit Systems, is a consortium of Hyundai-Rotem Co. of South Korea and Sojitz Corp. of America, a U.S. subsidiary of Sojitz Corp. of Japan.

The 120 new Silverliner V cars, for which SEPTA is paying $274 million, are being built in South Korea, and final assembly is being done at a plant on Weccacoe Avenue in South Philadelphia.

Both plants have encountered problems, according to an internal SEPTA report.

Inexperienced workers, late material shipments, and poor workmanship "continue to cause production car delays at the final assembly facility" in South Philadelphia, the report said.

The manufacturer has hired additional workers locally and brought more employees in from its plant in Changwon, South Korea, to try to speed production.

"UTS continues to struggle with labor expertise and experience levels of the workers at the local plant," the report said. Inspectors at the plant "have noted some improvements in material availability, though there are shortage issues that continue to impact production activities from time to time."

United Transit has not solved problems with the system by which train engineers will communicate with SEPTA's control center. "Unfortunately, the equipment continued to fail the testing, although some progress has been reported," the SEPTA report said. The system will require further redesign, the report said.

At the South Korea plant, where the car shells are built and partially equipped, work has been slowed by the need to repair rust damage on 10 cars.

"It was originally anticipated that all car shells would be completed at the end of August, but this additional work effort is expected to add a number of weeks to the process," the report said.

Each finished car is expected to weigh about 146,600 pounds, instead of 137,000 pounds.

The new Silverliners will replace 73 railcars built for SEPTA in the 1960s. With the retirement of the old cars and the addition of the 120 new ones, SEPTA is to have about 400 railcars by mid-2011.


Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100830_Production_problems_delay_delivery_of_SEPTA_s_new_Silverliner_railcars.html#ixzz0yIqkCdXB
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

Just because they are buying the cars doesn't mean they will use them

I guess we'll find out soon enough!

http://pressrepublican.com/breaking2/x1901574508/Bombardier-Transportation-awarded-267-million-railcar-contract

Transportation awarded $267 million railcar contract

By DAN HEATH Staff Writer

PLATTSBURGH — New Jersey Transit Corporation has awarded Bombardier Transportation a $267 million contract for 100 MultiLevel commuter railcars to be assembled in Plattsburgh.

It is the second contract with NJ TRANSIT for that type of railcar. Under a 2003 contract, the company provided 329 MultiLevel units now in operation.

"We are proud to be a partner with NJ Transit in offering rail transportation as a solution for increasing mobility, reducing congestion and benefitting the environment and the regional economy," said Bombardier Transportation North America President Raymond Bachant in a press release. "This new order for our reliable, safe and comfortable equipment illustrates the confidence NJ TRANSIT places in Bombardier and our products."

The contract contains an option for up to 79 additional railcars.

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said the chamber has been working actively with Bombardier in support of this order.

"In every one of our frequent meetings in Washington over the past year, we have stressed the need to help Bombardier and Nova Bus secure more work, and our Washington partners really went to bat on this, including Senator (Charles) Schumer, Senator (Kirsten) Gillibrand and Congressman (Bill) Owens. This should help stabilize the Bombardier operation here while we all continue to support them in ongoing efforts to secure orders," Douglas said. "The same is true for Nova Bus. In fact, we'll be back in Washington in a couple of weeks to continue the quest."

I want to see the actual alignment. I thought I knew which two freight lines were going to get upgrades, until they threw South Brunswick, Eatontown and Red Bank into the same route. 

Behold:



it would be extremely difficult to connect all three areas with the current alignment. Unless they're planning to build some sort of zigzagging spur, you'd have to create two terminals for the service.

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-09-01/Front_Page/Federal_dollars_to_fund_rail_study.html

Federal dollars to fund rail study

U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the NJ Transit Corporation $534,375 for the development of an Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) for the Monmouth-Ocean- Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail project.

According to a press release from the senators, this funding will help finance the development of research to rebuild the railroad infrastructure along existing freight lines in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties and construct improved connections to the Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line.

Through the AA/DEIS for the MOM project, NJ Transit will investigate ridership forecasts, service plans and conceptual stations to create the most efficient ride plans.

Researchers will analyze traffic patterns in areas where new MOM service would cause crossing changes.

Towns that could gain rail service include Lakehurst, Jackson, Lakewood, Howell, Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Marlboro, Englishtown, Manalapan, Monroe Township, Jamesburg, South Brunswick, Eatontown, Red Bank, and proximate communities in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex counties, according to the press release.

“Mass transit helps save commuters time and money, and it can be a key component to rebuilding our economy,” said Menendez. “This investment will help NJ Transit lay the groundwork for expanded, more efficient and safer rail service in these counties.”

“Improving mass transportation in New Jersey will create jobs and provide an environmentally friendly option for thousands of commuters in New Jersey,” said Lautenberg. “Modernizing our transportation infrastructure in these communities will provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation options that will attract new ridership and reduce congestion on our roads.”

The possibility of bringing passenger rail service to northern Ocean County, western Monmouth County and southern Middlesex County has been discussed by passenger rail advocates, municipal and county officials, and representatives of NJ Transit for more than 20 years.

Various reports and studies have been conducted, but no construction has ever been started that would bring passenger rail service to the targeted region.