Prospects for any NJT Capital projects

With the current climate in our State and Country, the emphasis on cutbacks and reducing Federal/State debts, and our crusading Governor's toxic relationship with Washington what if anything could we possibly expect with regards to Transit?.. NJ Transit's Director was touting Yesterday the $2.5 Billion in construction the State is currently undertaking, trying to soothe over bad feelings over the cancellation of ARC. However it was a dog and pony show, there was nothing to brag about:

High level platforms at Perth Amboy

Hoboken Terminal ferry slips

double decker trains

Newark Penn station improvements

All of these were begun years ago, under a different administration. And the Hoboken improvements are not even a NJ Transit project, the Port Authority is funding the entire Hoboken terminal restoration.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/1 ... ights.html

If they are not going to build ARC, why should we expect projects such as the Lackawanna cut-off, MOM, West Trenton etc.. to be built. While these trains were not going to use the new tunnels, they were going to be adding lots of new riders to already overcrowded NEC/NJCL/M&E trains to Manhattan.

It's not a good time for public transportation in this State, at this point should we be more concerned with preventing the elimination of some lines (Hackesttown service cut back to Dover, elimination of weekend service on the NJCL South of Long Branch, elimination of weekend service on PVL/Montclair lines etc..

There's still money out there, the funds leftover from ARC, however I don't see them going to rail. The $3 Billion from the Feds is gone, the $2.75 Billion the State was putting towards the project will go to the States Transportation fund and be spent highways, County Roads etc.. Maybe if were lucky another station or two will get high level platforms, however I don't see any of that $2.75 Billion going towards developing a new rail line (Lackawanna Cut-off, MOM, West Trenton, Northern Branch LRT etc..).

There's also the $3 Billion from the Port Authority, however I am almost certain between $1 Billion and $1.5 Billion will go towards the Bayonne bridge project. That leaves $1 Billion, however I wonder if that funding would go towards the new Terminal A at EWR the Port Authority has been planning. They recently put that project on the back burner due to the all the other projects the PA was undertaking (ARC, World Trade Center etc..). The new Terminal A at EWR was price tagged at $1 Billion.

Tom V wrote: There's also the $3 Billion from the Port Authority, however I am almost certain between $1 Billion and $1.5 Billion will go towards the Bayonne bridge project. That leaves $1 Billion, however I wonder if that funding would go towards the new Terminal A at EWR the Port Authority has been planning. They recently put that project on the back burner due to the all the other projects the PA was undertaking (ARC, World Trade Center etc..). The new Terminal A at EWR was price tagged at $1 Billion.

...and I think Terminal B Modernization program still isn't complete. They've only opened up the new arrivals area on the lower level last time I checked.

Why do we always keep forgetting that NJ's TTF funds the NJT Capital Projects too? With zero money in TTF there will be no NJT or any other Capital Projects for transportation. Also some Capital money in the past has got converted into expense money for use as operating subsidy, though that practice thankfully has been on the way out.

Elimination or reduction of existing service has to do with farebox collections and operating subsidies, and that is money from a different pot than the one that Capital Projects get funded from. The operating subsidy aspect is a real mess because there is no dedicated source for it, and each year the budget making process has a go at it. Also the feds have been cutting back on the subsidy that they provide too.

How is PANYNJ planning to spend the Passenger Tax collected for EWR? Why should they have to spend PANYNJ money for EWR improvements? Don't they have quite a pile of money collected in the form of the user fee?

As part of the Federal Debt commissions recommendations for balancing the Federal budget they are recommending raising the Federal Gas tax by .15 by 2013.

The proposal calls for the funds to be "dedicated toward fully funding the transportation trust funds and therefore eliminating the need for further general fund bailouts."

http://money.cnn.com/2010/11/11/autos/gas_tax_proposal/

The Governor refused to raise the State gas tax , one of the lowest in the Nation, to recapitalize the State Transportation funds. However the Federal Government may do just that, raise the Federal gas tax to recapitalize the Federal Transportation fund. This is where the Governor is wrong, the State transportation fund (like the Federal fund) should be recapitalized by raising the gas tax. Not by killing desperately needed infrastructure improvements, that's why we have a gas tax.

Raising the gas tax also has the benefits of encouraging people to buy more efficient vehicles and to use public transportation, thus reducing our dependency on foreign oil.

Tom V wrote: The Governor refused to raise the State gas tax , one of the lowest in the Nation, to recapitalize the State Transportation funds. However the Federal Government may do just that, raise the Federal gas tax to recapitalize the Federal Transportation fund. This is where the Governor is wrong, the State transportation fund (like the Federal fund) should be recapitalized by raising the gas tax. Not by killing desperately needed infrastructure improvements, that's why we have a gas tax.

I agree. The Governor of NJ is wrong in not dealing with the gas tax issue. He is being dogmatic, and that is not good. But gas tax or no gas tax this tunnel in it's current form needed to be killed anyway IMHO.

What the Governor is doing by killing ARC is basically just a one time bailout for the Transportation Trust fund, this does nothing for the funds long term viability. All he is doing is a short term recapitalization bailout to keep him from having to raise the tax during his term as Governor, that way he can go on to run for Federal office bragging to conservatives that he didn't raise taxes in NJ.

We, the residents of New Jersey, are being played by the Governor. Yet no one seems to mind.

Unfortunately, that's par for the course for almost all NJ Govvernors. What can I say? We live in sad times

What the Governor is doing by killing ARC is basically just a one time bailout for the Transportation Trust fund, this does nothing for the funds long term viability. All he is doing is a short term recapitalization bailout to keep him from having to raise the tax during his term as Governor, that way he can go on to run for Federal office bragging to conservatives that he didn't raise taxes in NJ.

We, the residents of New Jersey, are being played by the Governor. Yet no one seems to mind.

My guess is the reason why 51% of Jerseyans recently polled approve of the job Christie is doing so far is that for the first time in a long time NJ has a Gov unwilling to write checks on accounts with no money in it....something the Feds should learn.

Raise a gas tax ? Sure, why not....it's easy. John Q. Public can again foot the bill, eh ? And that's a very catchy sales point there about NJ being one of the lowest on such. Heck, almost makes me feel guilty sorta. Nah....

About time someone had the guts to eliminate special deals/breaks for some in the populus, trim/cut spending - particularly on open-ended, enormously epensive and ill conceived projects like ARC....BEFORE writing more OVERDRAFT PROOF CHECKS that further bloat the state deficit with no feasible/equitable plan for repayment nor anything close to a balanced budget.

Raise a gas tax ? Sure, why not....it's easy. John Q. Public can again foot the bill, eh ? And that's a very catchy sales point there about NJ being one of the lowest on such. Heck, almost makes me feel guilty sorta. Nah

Yeah there's only three States with a lower Gas tax than NJ. Alaska, Georgia and Wyoming.

http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp

Even solid Red States like Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Montana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas etc.. have higher gas taxes than NJ yet don't deal with the aging infrastructure issues that compounds NJ.

46 out of 50 States have a higher gas tax than NJ, would it kill commerce in this State if say only 36 States had a higher gasoline tax?.. If it's not killing Mississippi it's not going to kill NJ.

Tri-State Tom wrote:

What the Governor is doing by killing ARC is basically just a one time bailout for the Transportation Trust fund, this does nothing for the funds long term viability. All he is doing is a short term recapitalization bailout to keep him from having to raise the tax during his term as Governor, that way he can go on to run for Federal office bragging to conservatives that he didn't raise taxes in NJ.

We, the residents of New Jersey, are being played by the Governor. Yet no one seems to mind.

My guess is the reason why 51% of Jerseyans recently polled approve of the job Christie is doing so far is that for the first time in a long time NJ has a Gov unwilling to write checks on accounts with no money in it....something the Feds should learn.
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How about a poll for his wife, since apparently she's responsible for killing the project.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/chri ... xanRlGSAeO

I would love to see the response when pollers ask, how do you feel about the Governor's wife killing ARC?..

Well, I'm sorry, but she is right on Tom V!
How many times do we have to mention in here that ARC in its current form is and was flawed!! I guess you wouldn't mind getting off in a deep cavern tunnel everyday(well if you are a commuter) and go up an enormous amount of escalators just to get anywhere! Not only that, but since it isn't sharing any tracks with Amtrak how does one vacationer carry all their luggage up to Penn Station if they want to go to Albany or any points north and east, without much of a hassle?? Oh yeah, what about the subway connections????

You know, in the end, for Main/Bergen/Pascack passengers, it will probably end up being quicker changing at Secaucus and going to Penn Station than going around the loop, into the cavern and trying to get anywhere else in Manhattan...

I can't even imagine what a disaster it would be, and how much longer it would take if they put M&E Midtown Direct in there too....

SecaucusJunction wrote:You know, in the end, for Main/Bergen/Pascack passengers, it will probably end up being quicker changing at Secaucus and going to Penn Station than going around the loop, into the cavern and trying to get anywhere else in Manhattan...

I can't even imagine what a disaster it would be, and how much longer it would take if they put M&E Midtown Direct in there too....

Not at all, there is a 10 minute wait for another train to go to NYP. So you get on another overcrowded train that then crawls on to NYP. ARC should've not required any of these and would've increased capacity and allowed for increases in train's frequency.

How about a poll for his wife, since apparently she's responsible for killing the project.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/chri ... xanRlGSAeO

I would love to see the response when pollers ask, how do you feel about the Governor's wife killing ARC?..

Well, as a regular train commuter, her cred is as good as any other

But a recent Quinnipiac University poll showed New Jersey voters agreed, 53 to 37 percent, with Christie's controversial call.

I stand corrected....51% approval is now 53% approval.

In "When life gives you lemons..." kind of mentality, does anyone honestly think the killing of the current ARC will spur any other cheaper NJT Capital Projects? I feel like added capacity and flexibility on the Waterfront Connection would be a natural consolation prize, as Hoboken's relevance has certainly got another lease on life with the killing of ARC. Maybe the Port Authority will speed up the Bayonne Bridge Project or extending PATH to EWR, since they won't have to spend their money on ARC.