Comments by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign West Shore Region MIS/EIS Scoping Hearings July 11, 2001

Bergen and Rockland Counties have waited a long time for increased rapid transit service and we are gratified that the MIS/EIS Scoping process is finally going forward. Bergen County is the most congested county in New Jersey and is also greatly underserved by mass-transit. Increased rail and transit options is necessary to reduce auto dependence and resulting traffic congestion and air pollution.

Both the West Shore and the Northern Branch have merits. When analyzed in terms of Federal Transit Administration criteria for funding awards, chief of which are ridership and cost, both the Northern Branch and the West Shore are competitive. However the West Shore RR line will emerge as the best choice from a regional perspective because of its regional connections and the ability to serve New York state, something the Northern Branch does not have. The Cross County has low ridership, low fare box recovery ratio and high cost, thus is much less competitive. We support construction of the West Shore first, followed by the Northern Branch.

The task of the EIS is to evaluate of each of the lines independently, rather than the perferred combination alternative, and asses each rail line’s potential for federal funding as well as potential environmental impacts. The alignments discussed here are the West Shore Commuter Rail line with Sports Complex Spur from Hoboken to West Nyack, NY via Secaucus transfer, the Northern Branch Light Rail Initial Operating Segment from Hoboken to Tenalfy via Vince Lombardi Park & Ride and the Susquehanna and Western Light Rail Alternative from Hoboken to Maywood via the Vince Lombardi Park and Ride.

Total Ridership New Starts criteria rely heavily on ridership estimates, both of total number of ridersna and the new transit riders captured, thus taken off the roads. Total ridership is over one third higher on the West Shore than the Northern and its triple the figures for Susquehanna, (15,300 riders vs. 11,350 on the Northern Branch and 4,500 on the Susquehanna). In terms of ridership, West Shore is way above the Susquehanna and substantially above the Northern Branch. This is significant.

New Transit Ridership and Auto Diversions The best mass transit projects in both environmental and economic terms are those that remove the greatest number of vehicle trips from our heavily congestion road network. Successful rail reduces the need to make trips by personal automobile thus reduces traffic congestion, the need for new road construction pollution. The West Shore reduces the most congestion on Bergen roads, having the highest new transit ridership projections of any of the three lines. West Shore attracts 5,400 new riders versus 4,550 new riders on the Northern and 850 on the Susquehanna. (West Shore Region MIS/EIS Alternative Matrix, CAC #5, Edwards & Kelcey 4/30/99)

If Bergen County is to continue its economic success, severe congestion issues must be addressed on the county’s road network. Each new transit rider represents a trip switched from another mode, most often car trips. Rail service that effectively reduces auto trips is the most economically sound choice. Traffic relief, especially in the peak period, reduces time and money lost to congestion and preserves available road capacity in the peak period, offsetting the need for expensive and destructive road widenings. Any auto trips diverted to transit also reduce roadway maintenance needs, emissions and resulting environmental and health impacts.

Has the trip generator effect of the new Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack, NY and potential Sports Complex expansion on the West Shore line been analyzed? Please include this data.

Peak Period Ridership Peak period ridership? (reduces peak period traffic congestion) High peak period ridership is important because reductions in peak period auto traffic create the greatest congestion relief benefits. By reducing the number of cars on the roads during the peak, the average speed of vehicles increases, resulting in lower emissions. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on auto emissions found that when auto emissions are reduced by 20%? local asthma rates drop by a whopping 40%.

The MIS assumes the Northern Branch will have double passenger tracks north of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Tenafly, allowing for frequent peak period and reverse commute service. Please study the impact on train frequency if only one passenger track is available since CSX resists shifting their freight service to allow the Northern Branch to use its track during the day. Please create new ridership projections based on new train schedules.

VMT Reductions in VMT

Reduce Auto Traffic from New York to Another unique benefit to the West Shore Rail is its ability to reduce peak period auto traffic from New York driving through Bergen County to Manhattan via the Palisades Parkway and the George Washington Bridge. Thirty percent of West Shore’s ridership or about 4,500 riders are expected to come from Rockland (ORBIT meeting notes 12/3/98). The ability to serve Rockland County, which is even more of a transit orphan, as well as Bergen County makes West Shore the clear choice regionally. A substantial % of Rockland county residents work in Bergen county as well.

Mode Split Mode split data shows that X percent of West Shore riders would be diverted from auto trips, y% from existing bus service and z% from the Pascack Valley Line. The Northern XXX the Susquehanna YYYY. Reductions in Transit Crowding reductions of bus use of XBL, (Zupan) Diversions off the Pasckak valley line,

Existing Ridership The West Shore corridor has one third more existing transit riders than the Northern Branch corridor and 75% more riders than the Susquehanna (16,991 to 12,709 and 9,654). Providing transit service where existing population levels are high and riders currently exist keeps development in more concentrated areas and preserves less built out regions. Alleviation of crowding on current bus and rail routes and parking problem at stations improves the quality of life for many more Bergen residents.

2. Cost to Construct: (1997$) Cost effectiveness The West Shore line is the most cost effective, having the lowest capital cost per passenger mile. The West Shore capital cost per passenger mile is 28 cents, followed closely by the Northern Branch with a cost of 31 cents. The Susquhanna and Western is more than double either line at 66 cents per passenger mile.

Cost per new rider The net annualized cost per new rider is cheaper on the Northern Branch at just under $20 than the $45 cost on the West Shore and a whopping $137 on the Susquehanna. While the greater reduction in vehicle miles traveled??? from on the West is worth the extra cost because the extra reduction in road milage reduces the need for expensive highway capacity expansion, road maintence, emissions, and time lost to congestion. The Susquehanna, at almost 7 times the net cost per new rider of the Northern Branch is clearly the least cost effective for new ridership.

Farebox Recovery Ratio Farebox recovery ratios for both the West Shore and the Northern Branch are excellent at 65% and 71% respectively. For comparision, the farebox recovery ratio of the Pascack is XXX. A 29% to 35% operating subsidy per rider is highly desirable. Conversely, the Susuqhanna and Western has a fare box recovery ratio of 35%, requiring a subsidy of 65% which is an unrealistic level to maintain for a railroad. Considering that New Jersey Transit just got a $XX million bailout to cover their operating deficit, taking on another route with such a high operating subsidy may not be feasible.

Capital Construction Capital construct costs vary widely defending on the length of the track. The Northern Branch is the shortest line, 16 miles, and would at $237 million to construct. It is followed by the slightly more expensive and equally short 17 mile Susquehanna & Western at $303 million. At almost double that length, the 31 mile long West Shore is the most expensive at $637 million.

Because part of West Shore is in New York State, part of the capital and operating costs will be offest by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This is an opportunity unique to the West Shore. Estimates have put New York’s portion of the West Shore at $XX 200?

Furthermore the West Shore has the highest increase in residential property values and will cause the greatest increase property tax revue. Increased tax revenue can offset the higher capital cost of the West Shore.

Any phased construction of the rail lines requires access to a yard where trains can be stored overnight. The West Shore has a convenient initial operating segment, the 9 mile stretch to the sports complex with a cost of $161 million. Initial operating segments for the other lines need to be determined.

Cost Adjustments However, Northern Branch cost estimates may be too low because they assume the light rail would run along the existing freight tracks. Due to Federal Rail Road safety regulations, freight rail must be temporally or spatially separated from light rail. CSX is reluctant to run their freight service, which amounts to one train a day, at night as is the assumption in the MIS, because night time loading and unloading would be difficult for some time sensitive goods and would increase customer costs due to lighting and staff needs. Therefore construction of a second track for light rail in the existing right of way may be necessary. Light rail would further need to be protected by construction of a crash barrier and intrusion device. This additional cost should be considered.

Furthermore, the Susquehanna cost figures do not include?? Building a cantivler bridge over the Wetlands and a new Pecks Bridge in the Ridgewood little ferry area, which would increase the cost. Joe: Assumed not to build another Pecks bridge or cantiverler bridge over wetlands

The West Shore cost estimates do not include land acquisition??? for the parts where the right of way is too narrow for a third track. These sections and costs need to be identified. Joe: Assumed ROW is wide enough

3. STATION ACCESS Future Employment Density The highest growth in future employment, 29.8%, is along the West Shore corridor. The expected addition of 41,137 jobs along the West Shore is almost twice the number expected to be added along the Susquehanna (22,077) and close to 4 times increases along the Northern Branch 11,004. (Edwards & Kelecy 4/30/99, Section 4 charts) Therefore the West Shore corridor has the best potential for commuters to walk to work from the train stations. The ability to take the train directly to work, without needing to transfer to another mode after leaving the train, makes the West Shore the most effective commuter line.

Mode to station Please study for each line the riders expected to use other transit to get to the train station. Include percent of riders expected to take a transit link to the station, percent expected to walk to the station and the percent expected to drive to the station. Stations that have the lowest percent of riders driving to the station reduce more cold engine starts and thus reduce auto emissions considerably.

The MIS uses unconstrained access data however lack of suitable parking has been identified as a potential problem at several stations, including Tenafly. Examine in more detail the potential for using Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding to provide shuttles to stations, reducing both the need for parking and the number of cold engine starts.

4. Configuration and Connectivity The West Shore Rail offers easy connections to Manhattan and points throughout New Jersey’s existing rail network and Southern destinations once the upcoming Secaucus transfer is compete. Bergen County residents will be able to transfers to Trenton, Philadelphia or Washington D.C. The West Shore would also capture Rockland County residents, alleviating Manhattan bound traffic from the Tappan Zee Bridge. Finally the potential exists to extend passenger service along the West Shore right of way up to Albany.

The Northern Branch connects with the Hudson Bergen Light rail and allows transfers into Manhattan via the PATH, but does not provide access to New Jersey’s extensive commuter rail network. Also the Northern does not have the same potential for extension of service into Rockland County and up to Albany because of fierce local opposition to the line in New York.

The Susquehanna and Western has the potential for extension further west to the outskirts of the populous City of Paterson and then North to Hawthorne. The alignment of the freight rail skirts around center of the city and therefore may not properly serve the city. Paterson already has access to commuter rail via the Main line that passes through the center of the city. Further extension of the Susquehanna into environmentally sensitive areas past Butler is possible, but will face opposition. Secaucus The West Shore connection to Secaucus transfer presents a problem because of the capacity issues at the transfer station. Estimates expect the station to be at capacity shortly after it opens in 2002. However, passengers from the West Shore line would simply transfer onto existing service for passage into Manhattan. As the maximum passenger load during the peak hour is reduced just before entering Secaucus because a substantial number of commuters head for Newark and Jersey City, space is available on Manhattan bound trains for West Shore commuters.

Routing the West Shore around Secaucus and directly into Pennsylvannia station New York will not work due to the capacity constraint of the Tunnel. Furthermore this routing would reduce the regional connections that greatly enhance the attractiveness of the West Shore. Work is underway on the Access to the Region’s Core project to build another passenger rail tunnel. The MIS is complete (correct?) and Congressional representatives are seeking funding for construction.

5. Operating Complexity West Shore Freight One obsticle to overcome on the West Shore Line is the high level of freight traffic. CSX now uses the West Shore as their “primary line” for both North-South and East-West routes, running 18 to 40 trains per day compared to 20 trains when the MIS was done. Most are special high speed trains moving time sensitive goods such as produce and UPS packages from the south up to Selkirk and then west to Chicago. To accommodate this growth in business CSX intends to add a second dedicated freight track along the full length of the West Shore that cannot be shared. In fact relocation of the West Shore freight track would slow CSX service and cause business to be lost.

Passenger service on the West Shore Line requires construction of a third track within the existing right of way and an extension of the “surplus” operating rights already owned by NJ Transit. Determining whether there is enough space for a third track is necessary. Two parallel freight tracks require about 21 or 30? feet, and an additional passenger track would widen the space to 45? feet. An 18 foot maintenance road is necessary to carry equipment. The drainage ditches on either side can be shared with passenger rail but vary widely in width depending on conditions. The current right of way is as narrow as 50 or 60 feet in some parts, creating pinch points where land, including some residential land, may need to be acquired. Points to examine carefully are in Teaneck, Bogota, Ridgefield Park, the Oradell resevoir and the Palisades cliffs.

CSX’s reliance on the West Shore is troubling. Disruptions to that line would cause major delays in the highly time dependent freight service, since the only back up line is the New York Susquehanna and Western line which provides a slow route on low maintained track up to Syracuse where it connects with the Chicago bound Water Line. Greater redundancy in the freight system makes good business sense. The West Shore now handles two thirds of CSX’s traffic in and out of NY to the country West of Atlanta.

Susquehanna and Western Freight On the NY Susquehanna and Western, the MIS incorrectly assumes that the light rail can switch at Ridgefield Park onto the CSX track. It is not possible to run light rail on the heavy rail tracks due to the Federal Rail Road safety regulations mentioned earlier, loading at the Little Ferry yard right there and grade issues. Instead new track will need to be built on the West side of the Yard as well as a new bridge over Pecks Creek. As this necessitates building over the wetlands with a cantiviler bridge, this cost must be factored in, along with the time required to obtain a wetlands permit.

Northern Branch Freight As mentioned earlier, the assumption that Northern Branch passenger service can be run on the existing freight track is incorrect. CSX would have to increase customer costs and possibly loose business to their freight at night. Due to FRR regulations, it is not possible to run light and heavy rail on the same track without time separation between the two. Therefore attention to this issue is necessary.

6. TIME TO CONSTRUCT Wetlands Permits Both the NYS&W and the initial operating segment of the West Shore Commuter Rail extending to the Meadowlands sports complex require permits from the Army Corps of Engineers for access to the Hackensack Meadowlands Development area (Question responses TAC #4 10/30/98, p. 2). Obtaining these permits can take an average of 2 years. However the permit acquisition process for the West Shore may have a jump on the NYS& W because rail access to the Meadowlands arena and development area is recognized as a priority by the Governor who has pledged to provide this service by 20XX. This commitment represents a major step toward construction of the West Shore Rail, the only one of the three alignments currently proposed to reach to Meadowlands. (although the Main or Pascack lines run near the complex and could possibly be extended)

Coordination with New York Passenger rail service to New York on the West Shore line requires coordination between NJ Transit and the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority. We are gratified that West Shore has the unanimous support of Rockland County as well as the support of Governor Pataki in New York. Politicians and residents are very eager to start construction of the West Shore. The previously reluctant Metropolitan Transit Authority may be more willing to do so now that a $3 billion passenger rail line across the Tappan Zee has been proposed. The MTA budget is significantly stained to meet its commitments to Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access and it has given no indication of where an additional major commitment of funds will fit into the capital program. Therefore, it is much more realistic to imagine the MTA serving its Rockland constituents via the West Shore, at a cost of several hundred million, then via Tappan Zee rail.

All three transit corridors will take time to construct. Frankly the Susquehanna and Western RR will not achieve federal funding and therefore will take the longest time to construct since NJ Transit must provide full funding. The Northern Branch still has freight issues to be resolved and will also require construction of track. Permits to build over the wetlands are necessary for the West Shore and most likely the Susquehanna and Western as well, although the West Shore may have some priority in this process. Issues surrounding construction of either the West Shore or the Northern Branch will both take considerable time and effort to resolve. However these are worthy projects and all efforts must be made to resolve them as quickly as possible. Federal funding for either the West Shore or the Northern Branch is equally possible, but not for both. Therefore it makes sense to prioritize the line that will benefit the region most. That line is clearly the West Shore.