njt/mnrrbuff wrote:There is really no need for the loop in North Brunswick since the NJT trains either run push pull or with mus. What is really needed is a new station in N. Brunswick which I believe is supposed to happen. With the new transit oriented development going up where Johnson and Johnson used to be, that will help fuel the ridership at the proposed station. Of course, the future site of the new station is very close to a lot of highways-1, 130, and the Turnpike isn't very far away. The North Brunswick station would be good for those people who not only live in N. and S. Brunswick and in Monroe Twp(no need to backtrack to Princeton Jct). The current layout of the platforms at Jersey Ave station bothers me because there is no eastbound platform. The westbound main line platform needs to be high level.
MOM isn't happening anytime soon. I know that traffic is bad on Rt 9, especially during rush hour, but the 139 bus as well as other bus routes will continue to run up and down 9 to NYC.
I was under the impression that the loop was less for looping per se, and more to facilitate train turning without having to cross the NEC at grade -- which delays all service on it.
I think before we get into Cutoff and MOM land, NJT really needs to address their existing services. Priority number one should be making Penn function -- so Gateway -- followed by flexibility improvements like a second Waterfront Connection, ME 3t, Passaic Draw 3t, Lehigh 3t, making Hunter a flying connection, N Brunswick loop, etc.
Also, aside from capital, they should be just running more trains on existing tracks. I'm sure most NJT lines could take more than hourly off peak service, and more reverse peak service than they have now. For better or worse, most (like 70+ percent) suburbanites work in the suburbs, and given that most Manhattan commuters already use public transit to get to work, the only way that NJT can significantly increase their ridership base is to cater to intrasuburban travel.