Northern Branch HBLR (was DMU proposal)

sullivan1985 wrote:As for the Hackensack to Hawthorne DMU project, I think the pet project was killed off.

Please don't bring that up. You might remind someone of that stupid project and next thing we know, NJT will be full steam ahead on it.

HBLR wrote:There are 3 types of light rail. There is the tram type, which follows the trolly/streetcar model, there's the kind that runs like rapid transit (HBLR), and the kind that runs on heavy rail spec tracks but is built to a lighter specification. The layout of each type of system can resemble a rapid transit subway all the way to a commuter line. The definition is quite broad, but generally it means equipment lighter than traditional intercity heavy rail.

Oh man, thanks for clearing that up. Because before you did, I totally thought that light rail implied the cars were heavier than heavy rail.

cruiser939 wrote:

HBLR wrote:There are 3 types of light rail. There is the tram type, which follows the trolly/streetcar model, there's the kind that runs like rapid transit (HBLR), and the kind that runs on heavy rail spec tracks but is built to a lighter specification. The layout of each type of system can resemble a rapid transit subway all the way to a commuter line. The definition is quite broad, but generally it means equipment lighter than traditional intercity heavy rail.

Oh man, thanks for clearing that up. Because before you did, I totally thought that light rail implied the cars were heavier than heavy rail.

I know, i was so worried about that.

I apologize if this has been covered already but I haven't easily found the answer in the 63 pages of posts.

Driving up and down the Northern Branch towns lately, I find myself wondering why Tenafly is the terminus of all the proposals. Is it just viability based on length of trip and/or catchment density, or cost, or lack of receptiveness north of Tenafly?

Closter, with its large but consistently languishing business district, is situated on a major east-west road axis of Northern Bergen County and would presumably have a decent draw as a terminus. But this is, of course, idle speculation.

Yes I also have wondered why Tenafly was chosen to be the "end of the line" so to speak, and to exclude the northern valley towns. I have said in the past if your gonna do it, run it straight to the end, as you can also have 1 NY stop as the line officially terminates in New York State. And the small portion of the line that runs into NYS could be known as the Rockland extension. (As in the the rockland ext. of the hudson/bergen light rail.)

Anyway, who decided that tenafly was the end? I assume Cruiser would know that, and also why it was decided that way.

agreed closter would make more sense..unfortunately nothing is happening with this project. no news in years and njt has not updated its website on this project

Population density drops off north of Tenafly. However it does seem that Englewood would be a more likely terminus if the project ever gets off the ground.

I did get to thinking about something regarding the Northern Branch. Some of you may have heard the news that F1 racing is coming to NJ in 2013. Weehawken and West New York to be precise. The main set up area will be at Port Imperial. This location is cool and has a backdrop of NYC, but it has NO parking. These events are very well financed and can bring 100,000+ attendees. To accommodate the demand, a demonstration project could be run, with diesel hauled Comets, from Vince Lombardi to Tonnele Ave for connection to the HBLRT which of course would bring you right in.

alewifebp, Nobody'll ride your demonstrator since they can't get a one seat ride

Patrick Boylan wrote:alewifebp, Nobody'll ride your demonstrator since they can't get a one seat ride

True. Although it will make the electric LRT even more attractive, since it would give you a one seat ride at some future point that may never occur.

Why don't they make plain old diesel commuter service up to Congers, NY?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but this project has been caught in "Administrative Purgatory" for the past ten years. With proposals being tweaked. Endless Environmental Assesments. Towns supporting it, then not supporting. Then the little money there was ran out. "Non-mass Transit friendly" administration took over in New Jersey, but the project lies still dug deep into NJT's capital projects page. I believe it originally "done-deal" thrid phase to Vince Lombardi, then that died, then to Tenafly with Light-Rail, then changed to Tonnelle to Tenafly with a DMU that would someday be hooked up to ARC, then back to Light-Rail, then Tenafly said they dont want it, and here we are. But yes, no news on this project in a longgg time.

NJT4115 wrote:Why don't they make plain old diesel commuter service up to Congers, NY?

Because Congers isn't on the Northern Branch and never was. Congers is on the CSX River Subdivision, the former New York Central West Shore Line. The issues with reintroducing commuter service on that line are numerous. There's a thread around here somewhere about it. The examination of service of some variety on the Northern Branch was in part because of the difficulties surrounding the West Shore. Now that seems to have ground to a halt.

Additionally, the web site dealing with this project was last updated in July of 2009.
http://www.northernbranchcorridor.com/

airman00 wrote:Anyway, who decided that tenafly was the end? I assume Cruiser would know that, and also why it was decided that way.

The northern terminus was decided upon by ridership projections and operational constraints well before my involvement with transit.

Hawaiitiki wrote:Someone correct me if I'm wrong but this project has been caught in "Administrative Purgatory" for the past ten years. With proposals being tweaked. Endless Environmental Assesments. Towns supporting it, then not supporting. Then the little money there was ran out. "Non-mass Transit friendly" administration took over in New Jersey, but the project lies still dug deep into NJT's capital projects page. I believe it originally "done-deal" thrid phase to Vince Lombardi, then that died, then to Tenafly with Light-Rail, then changed to Tonnelle to Tenafly with a DMU that would someday be hooked up to ARC, then back to Light-Rail, then Tenafly said they dont want it, and here we are. But yes, no news on this project in a longgg time.

You're mostly correct here, although there was some serious movement on it about 2 years ago just before a certain someone became governor. Draw your own conclusions.