FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Newark – The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
has established the Transportation Disaster Response Task Force to address
the dramatic impacts of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the metropolitan
region’s transportation system.
This comprehensive panel includes officials from the NJTPA, Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), New Jersey Transit, New Jersey Department
of Transportation (NJDOT), New Jersey Highway Authority, New Jersey Turnpike
Authority, Office of State Planning, New Jersey Alliance for Action, New York
Waterway, Rutgers University’s Transportation Policy Institute, Transportation
Operations Coordinating Committee (TRANSCOM), New Jersey Institute of Technology
(NJIT), and New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC).
The Task Force, led by NJTPA Acting Chairman Theodore J. Narozanick, held
its first full meeting at the NJTPA offices on November 26. The task force
will meet regularly to establish and maintain communications among transportation
agencies and elected officials to help them address the new transportation
challenges. A particular focus will be on exploring options for financing
immediate, mid-term, and long-term improvements to transportation facilities
to accommodate new travel patterns and ease crowding on rail systems.
"The Task Force will be a catalyst for resetting our transportation priorities
and insuring the lines of communications are open on what must be accomplished,"
said Narozanick.
During the November 26 meeting, Task Force members heard presentations on
the transportation impacts of the terrorist attacks, which forced large numbers
of people to commute to new destinations using new modes of travel.
NJ Transit has seen rail commutes to midtown increase by 45 percent. According
to NJ Transit Executive Director Jeffrey Warsh, ridership "grew a decade
in a day and no one can prepare for that." Even with virtually all available
train cars and locomotives pressed into service, travelers have faced standing-room-only
conditions on many New York bound trains. The remaining leg of the PATH system
into Manhattan, which travels to 33rd Street, has been similarly inundated
during rush hours.
Ferry services, which previously played a supportive role, have become a primary
means of travel, particularly to lower Manhattan and for "reverse commutes"
to the Jersey City waterfront. Ferry ridership has double to 60,000 daily
riders since the attack.
In contrast, bus ridership is down overall, reflecting the loss of an estimated
80,000 or more jobs in Manhattan. Many of these losses are likely to be permanent.
Still, some bus routes, such as along Route 9 have attracted increased service.
Transportation agencies on both sides of the Hudson River, together with private
ferry operators, have worked closely to address the changing demands. According
to NJTPA Acting Chairman Narozanick, the Task Force will support their efforts.
"The Transportation Disaster Response Task Force will insure that our
investment agenda reflects new needs and priorities so that lasting solutions
to the dramatic changes we have seen can be realized."
A key priority is to expand and upgrade rail "rolling stock" to
relieve crowding and maintain needed backups of equipment. NJ Transit also
seeks to accelerate improvement projects, like opening a new concourse at
Penn Station New York. Ferry operators need support for new terminals, access
roads, feeder bus services and parking facilities.
Some of these needed investments will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management
Administration (FEMA) which has eased many funding regulations in an attempt
to expedite new project construction. In addition, New Jersey and New York
also have been declared federal disaster areas, making both states eligible
for special funding. FEMA has requested New Jersey and New York transportation
agencies to submit project proposals and cost estimates by December 15, 2001.
However, Task Force members agreed that major long term proposals like a new
rail tunnel across the Hudson River and upgrades to key transportation facilities
to improve safety and efficiency will likely require new funding sources or
shifting funds from other priorities. They also recognized the need to share
information and data on the nature of the shifts in travel patterns taking
place. The Task Force was seen as a body that will complement and support
other efforts underway in the region, including the Infrastructure Recovery
Work Group, sponsored by FEMA, which meets weekly in New York City.
The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern
New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum through
which local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives
can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current
and future transportation needs. It establishes the region’s eligibility
to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.
The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13
counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth,
Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren), and the cities
of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor’s Representative,
the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive
Directors of NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,
and a Citizen’s Representative appointed by the Governor.
Contact:
David Behrend, Public Affairs Manager
(973) 639-8423