Newport Station Questions

[Bill R.]

I was suprised to see the high level of patranage that was using this station at 9:30 AM on a Saturday Morning.

1) Wikipedia mentions a possible new entrance on the west side of Washington Boulevard. Is there any real plan / motivation for that?

2) Would it be feasible to build another access to/from the south end of the platforms toward the area south of the marina?

3) Is there any plan to address the support column deterioration, especially noticeable at the south end of the island platform?

4) Is it really necessary to place all three MetroCard machines @ Newport out of service at once, requiring PATH to provide free rides as a result?

[Allan]

I was suprised to see the high level of patranage that was using this station at 9:30 AM on a Saturday Morning.

1) Wikipedia mentions a possible new entrance on the west side of Washington Boulevard. Is there any real plan / motivation for that?

2) Would it be feasible to build another access to/from the south end of the platforms toward the area south of the marina?

3) Is there any plan to address the support column deterioration, especially noticeable at the south end of the island platform?

4) Is it really necessary to place all three MetroCard machines @ Newport out of service at once, requiring PATH to provide free rides as a result?

1) That entry in Wiki is old. I worked in that area for 4 years 6 years (2002-2008) and the possible new entrance was talked about but nothing has ever gone beyond the talking stage.

2) It may be feasible but the PA just doesn't have the money and the local residents (with big money) would probably raise a big fuss given what construction would do to their community area.

3) The columns were deteriorating for years before Newport became "the place to live". I went to the Newport Mall when it opened in 1987 and the station columns were in bad shape then. There is a serious water condition at that station (which may date back to when it was built in the early 1900's but there isn't a way to be sure). To fix it would require a major reconstruction of the station which is deep down underground and would probably cost more than the PA would even consider spending. In the meantime, unless the columns actually start to fall over or the ceiling comes crashing down on the platform, the PA will just sit and do nothing.

4) I don't think it is that way on purpose. Like many of the vending machines in the NYC Subway, the PATH machines are subject to vandalism. PATH just doesn't get them fixed quickly. They would rather just lose the fare revenue than spend the funds to hire more people to keep the machines in good working order.

[25Hz]

The station is built in landfill, basically surrounded by water. The attack of mold and rust is quite visually disturbing i must say.

What they could do is strip out all the "popcorn" plaster and expose the old concrete, which seems to actually be in good condition. They could then replace each column as needed using temporary supports (would probably cause partial platform closure), and possibly grouting from street level and out from the station shell to seal up some of the worse leaks. Replacing the pumps and re-working the drains could be a good idea as well.

They need to undo the remnants of the 50's renovation, new lights vs those tacky mid-century modern/art deco lights, you could put in LED lamps to save on energy and make the station a bit more evenly illuminated also.

A good power washing wouldn't hurt either...

[M&Eman]

The station is built in landfill, basically surrounded by water. The attack of mold and rust is quite visually disturbing i must say.

What they could do is strip out all the "popcorn" plaster and expose the old concrete, which seems to actually be in good condition. They could then replace each column as needed using temporary supports (would probably cause partial platform closure), and possibly grouting from street level and out from the station shell to seal up some of the worse leaks. Replacing the pumps and re-working the drains could be a good idea as well.

They need to undo the remnants of the 50's renovation, new lights vs those tacky mid-century modern/art deco lights, you could put in LED lamps to save on energy and make the station a bit more evenly illuminated also.

A good power washing wouldn't hurt either...

If they replace the columns, they should take the time to extend the platforms to accommodate 8 cars so 8 car trains could be run HOB-WTC. That line is second closest to capacity, after NWK-WTC.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I feel like the history buffs would have a beef with you if you removed the old columns with the Erie Es on it. Considering those traitors removed Pavonia- though, it wouldn't shock me if they did just to piss them, and I off.

[25Hz]

The part of the columns i'm concerned with are below the platform.

As far as 8 car trains,i dunno, the station needs to be renovated, so maybe pack a lengthening in with reno.

[Terry Kennedy]

As far as 8 car trains,i dunno, the station needs to be renovated, so maybe pack a lengthening in with reno.

The south end has an equipment / ejector room on the main platform and a large electronics bay on the side platform. They'd need to be relocated. I donn't know if it would be as big an expense as Exchange place was (extension only; not the additional crossovers). The PA decided that ordering the PA-4's with independent front/center/rear door controls, and refitting the rest of the fleet (none of which was ever used) was less expensive than lengthening Exchange Place. Exchange's extension was done in deep hard rock, while Newport is in shallow mud. Both are expensive, for different reasons.

Can Hoboken handle 8-car trains? I know that track 3 is a little longer than 1/2, but you run into the interlocking if you try to lengthen on the west end. And on the east end I think the bumper-to-exit area has landmark status. You could lengthen 3, since it has an additional piece of straight track past the interlocking that goes to the abandoned car elevator. But you'd still need to move the interlocking or add a second one, all to have only a single platform available. Look at Exchange Place - 8 new switches, and you still can't turn a train coming from Newport back to Newport there.

[Allan]

[quote="If they replace the columns, they should take the time to extend the platforms to accommodate 8 cars so 8 car trains could be run HOB-WTC. That line is second closest to capacity, after NWK-WTC.[/quote]

There is no room to extend the platform as there is a sharp curve just outside of either end of the station. Also there is no room at the Hoboken station to extend the platform. The switches are just outside the station and on the other end there is only about 10 feet or so before you get to the elevator and staircase.

[25Hz]

No one said infrastructure projects were easy.

I'll just be happy when they have the new signal system operational so we can get more trains through.

The H&M system needs an overhaul. It was fine for decades, but the stations need a cleaning and update and the track layout and platform lengths need to be changed to address modern capacity issues.