FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Newark – The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
on January 15 hosted the second meeting of its Transportation Disaster Response
Task Force. The Task Force—led by NJTPA Chairman Theodore J. Narozanick—was
set up to address the dramatic impacts of the September 11 terrorist attacks
on the metropolitan region’s transportation system.
"It is vitally important to build on the progress that has been made
since the success of the initial Task Force meeting last November," Chairman
Narozanick stated, noting that the Task Force now meets monthly at the NJTPA’s
offices.
"The Task Force also plays an important role in updating commuter and
travel trends since the terrorist attacks," Narozanick said.
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).
At the January 15 meeting, the Task Force heard reports from each of the panel’s
member agencies. The main focus was the ongoing post-September 11 effort to
make transportation system upgrades and other adjustments, all aimed at addressing
new travel patterns while improving communications among transportation agencies
and elected officials.
Each member agency pointed to the significant steps that have been taken to
alleviate commuter pressures and traffic flows. "NJ Transit has just
added new service rail lines that are overburdened, including the Northeast
Corridor," said NJ Transit Executive Director Jeffrey Warsh. "Additionally,"
Warsh noted, "we have increased the number of buses bringing commuters
to the Port Authority bus terminal in New York via the Route 1 & 9 Corridor."
Officials also recognized that ferry service has been a crucial component
of the region’s transportation network since September 11, with a significant
increase in ferry ridership both ways between New York and New Jersey. Thousands
of people now commute to Jersey City by ferry.
Also at the January 15 meeting, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
provided an overview of the process for determining how it is receiving and
processing emergency relief funding for the state. The Federal Emergency Management
Administration discussed its continuing team effort with the NJTPA to coordinate
with all of New Jersey’s transportation agencies. While a key focus remains
on how the state’s transportation network has been affected, there is
now a particular focus on options for financing some mid-term to long-term
improvements to transportation facilities aimed at easing overcrowding and
meeting post-September 11 challenges.
In addition, representatives from transportation and other agencies in New
Jersey and New York continue to meet weekly in various bi-state working groups.
"The NJTPA has been working very closely with transportation agencies
in both states to coordinate system changes and upgrades," said Chairman
Narozanick. "Furthermore, it is imperative that there be coordination
between New Jersey and New York in order to maximize the flow of commuter
traffic, both on the transit lines and on the region’s roadways,"
Narozanick emphasized.
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:
Mark Solof
(973) 639-8415