NJ Transit working on new route to MetLife

By: Colleen Wilson
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... NJ Transit officials are racing to get a new transit route up and running from Secaucas to MetLife Stadium ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the board unanimously voted to approve $35 million for HNTB Corporation to fully design the new corridor at Wednesday's [07/19/2023] board meeting.
..... However, no actual estimate of the construction and procurement costs to build the dedicated roadway, to construct a new terminal and to stock it with vehicles has been publicly provided, which is unusual for a project of this size, especially after completing the conceptual design and preliminary engineering phases.
..... At this time, it is too early in the process for those estimates," said Jim Smith, an NJ Transit spokesman.
..... This is an extension of a contract awarded to HNTB in August 2021 to complete the earlier phases of the project for $3.5 million that included 10% design, according to broad documents. Typically, a firm would complete about 30% design and then go out to bid again for the remainder of the design, or final design phase.
..... This project, however, is on a compressed schedule to be ready for the world's largest sports spectacle. New York and New Jersey are hosting World cup games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which is also in the running to host the Cup finals. To accelerate the HNTB is for 100% design and 30% of permit efforts to begin the federal environmental review process.
..... The risk of ding it this way is that when it comes time for construction, the cost could be exorbitant and possibly prohibitive to build and get the new transit route up and running. Plus, there is the cost to operate and maintain it after that - other estimated dollar figures that weren't available Wednesday. [07/19/2023]
..... The current plan is for NJ Transit to operate and maintain the initial system, according to Smith, and then solicit "concessionary services to own, operate and maintain the large, full system once that is complete."
..... The $35 million contract extension will be paid for with money from the New Jersey Department oft Transpiration. It's unclear what agency will pay for construction and procurement. If money is taken from NJ Transit capital program to pay for this project, it could jeopardize other projects and add to the backlog in the unconstrained list of projects like the electric bus program, rail infrastructure repairs and light rail expansions. No federal grants have been secured to help pay for this either, but it is "being set up" for potential future grant applications, according to Smith.
..... Despite these risks and unknown costs, NJ Transit's board members did not ask any questions about those issues. The only question came from board member bob Gordon, who asked whether this project is being planned so it can be sued after the larger network of nearby transit routes.
..... "We are looking at Phase 1, which will connect the Meadowlands sports and entertainment complex to our Secaucus transfer to meet the 2026 goal," said Rich Schaefer, NJ Transit;s chief engineer. "Beyond that, we are looking to cum back to the board at a future date to authorize the design ... for expansion of the system that would extend it and interconnect it to our other systems.

Innovative ideas for difficult terrin

..... From the earliest days of interest in this project, there were challenges.
..... Because of that NJ Transit, led by its board chair and state DOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, held an "Innovation Challenge" that asked engineers to devise a project to help the agency augment its current service to the Meadowlands complex that include MetLife Stadium.
..... Currently, a stub-and train line shuttles the masses by the tens of thousands to the Meadowlands complex for horse races, sports events and concerts. The American Dream mall also opened there in 2019.
..... Most recently, the agency touted the success of ferrying nearly 80,000 people over three days for the Taylor Swift concerts in May, [2023] a huge success compared to other past events, including the 2014 Super Bowl,a Wrestlemania event in 2019 and a Romeo Santos concert months after that, events that unexpectedly ran late. The current Meadowlands train line can carry about 10,000 people per hour, but NJ Transit needs the ability to move more than double that in an hour. the tricky part is the agency needed a project that would be cost-effective, able to traverse through wetlands, and be operational before the World Cup.
..... After several industry events and requests for ideas, HNTB won the contract to begin work on its concept, which is a 7-mile dedicated roadway that starts at Secaucus Junction, connects to County Road, then to the abandoned Boonton rail line before linking up with I-95.

HOME