14Th National Light Rail & Streetcar Conference
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Presentations Are Linked to Session Titles 14th National Light Rail & Streetcar Conference “Resurgence and Renewal” elcome to the 14th National Light Rail and Streetcar Conference. This conference is sponsored jointly by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the W Transportation Research Board (TRB) and hosted by NJ TRANSIT (NJT). Since the 1980s. light rail and streetcars have led a renaissance in the transit industry, which is now experiencing its highest ridership in six decades. This conference will show decision-makers how investments in light rail and streetcars can strengthen the entire transit network, contribute to regional mobility, and integrate successfully into the built environment. Exploring ways to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain light rail and streetcar systems, these sessions will showcase the positive results seen in metropolitan areas that have embraced light rail and streetcars. Newark Light Rail Hudson Bergen Light Rail River LINE Light Rail NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system, providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 commuter rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops, linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. New Jersey’s three light rail systems are Newark Light Rail (operated by NJ TRANSIT), Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (Operated for NJ TRANSIT by 21st Century Rail Corporation), and River LINE (Operated for NJ TRANSIT by Southern New Jersey Rail Group). The first segment of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail opened with three stations in Jersey City in April 2000 and has since grown to a 15.9-mile, double-track, electrified light rail line (catenary power) with 52 low-floor light rail vehicles, serving 24 stations primarily along the Hudson River waterfront between Bayonne, NJ, and North Bergen, NJ. Average weekday ridership on Hudson- Bergen Light Rail was 54,000 trips in FY2018. Two system extensions are being advanced that would extend service between North Bergen and the community of Englewood in Bergen County, and between West Side Avenue and a development project on the west side of Route 440 in Jersey City. The initial segment of Newark Light Rail opened as the Newark City Subway in 1935 by Public Service Coordinated Transport, gradually becoming part of a large trolley network. NJ TRANSIT took over the Newark City Subway in 1980 and changed the name to Newark Light Rail in 2000 after a major modernization project. The electrified system (catenary power) now serves 17 stations along five route miles (double track) between Newark Penn Station and Grove Street in Bloomfield (Main Line), and between Newark Penn Station and Newark Broad Street Station (Broad Street Extension, opened in 2006) with 21 low-floor light rail vehicles. Average weekday ridership on Newark Light Rail was 19,150 trips in FY2018. River LINE is a 34.5-mile diesel light rail system (single track with passing sidings) that opened in March 2004, operating along the Delaware River waterfront between Trenton and Camden. Thirty-three miles of track is shared with freight service; an additional 1.5 miles of street-running track in Camden is used exclusively by River LINE light rail trains. Twenty diesel-powered, low-floor light rail vehicles serve 21 stations in 13 communities. Average weekday ridership on River LINE was 9,500 trips in FY2018. Thank you to our sponsors: Dear Attendee, Welcome to the 14th National Light Rail and Streetcar Conference. We are thrilled to be hosting this conference in New Jersey in the corridor of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line and near the heart of our Hoboken commuter rail and bus operations. NJ TRANSIT is the largest statewide transportation provider, third largest overall, in the United States. Our light rail origins go back to 1935 when the Newark City Subway opened, some 44 years before NJ TRANSIT was founded. Together our three light rail systems – the Newark Light Rail, the River LINE, and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) – move over 83,000 customers daily. Established in 2000, the HBLR continues to represent one of the industry’s most innovative expansion delivery projects. It was the first modern U.S. transit system to be developed as a Design Build Operate Maintain (DBOM) model through a public private partnership with the 21st Century Rail Corporation. In September 2000, NJ TRANSIT was awarded the American Public Transportation Association's prestigious "Innovation Award" for use of the DBOM methodology. The HBLR has been a vital part of the economic development of the Hudson Waterfront. NJ TRANSIT continues to advance the expansion of the HBLR with the Northern Branch project, which will extend the system by ten miles and include seven new station stops in five municipalities. This conference is an opportunity to share best practices. We look forward to robust technical and policy discussions in the days ahead, and I hope they’ll continue throughout the year as we work together to drive innovation in our industry. You are also invited to try our transportation services with the NJ TRANSIT Flash Passes we are providing each conference attendee. These special passes give you free and unlimited access to ride our light rail, rail and bus services anywhere in the state of New Jersey until April 13, 2019. You can see the different types of vehicles, environments, and communities in which we operate while exploring the great Garden State. I look forward to collaborating with you in delivering best practices in light rail travel. We certainly hope you’ll help us shape the future of NJ TRANSIT’s light rail service. Sincerely, Kevin S. Corbett Executive Director, NJ TRANSIT Hyatt Regency Hotel Plan 14th National Light Rail & Streetcar Conference co-sponsored by APTA is a nonprofit organization of TRB is a unit of the National over 1,500-member organizations Academies of Sciences, Engineering, including transit systems, product and and Medicine, a private nonprofit service providers, planning, design, institution. Under a congressional construction and financing firms, charter the National Academies of academic institutions, and state transit Sciences, Engineering and Medicine associations and departments of provides scientific and technical advice transportation. APTA’s mission is to to the government, the public, and the serve and lead its diverse membership scientific and engineering communities. through advocacy, innovation, and information sharing to strengthen and expand public transportation. APTA’s vision is to be the leading force in advancing public transportation. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System • Owned by NJ TRANSIT • Operated by 21st Century Rail Corporation (AECOM and Kinkisharyo). • 1996 NJ TRANSIT awarded a Design, Build, Operate, and Maintain (DBOM) contract to 21st Century Rail Corp., where they would deliver a fleet of vehicles, a guaranteed completion date, and 15 years of operation and maintenance of the system at a fixed price. The contract was later extended to 20 years. • Began operating first segment in April 2000 connecting Bayonne 34th St., and Exchange Place as well as the spur line to West Side Avenue and continued to expand over the next decade with the extension to the southernmost terminal at 8th St. in Bayonne opening in January 2011. - Expansion planning has begun for the Route 440 Extension connecting West Side Avenue to Route 440 in Jersey City. - In addition, a proposed 10-mile extension connecting Tonnelle terminus in North Bergen north to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center will consist of an additional 7 stations. • Connects the communities of North Bergen, Union City (at the city line with West New York), Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Bayonne. • Power – 750 V DC overhead lines • 52 electrically powered air-conditioned vehicles built by Kinkisharyo. - Single Unit (3 car unit) seating/standing capacity – 68 and 122. - Multiunit (5 car extended unit) seating and standing capacity – 102 and 159. • Track Length 34 Miles roundtrip - North and South. • 24 Stations • 507 daily trips transporting an average of 54,000 customers per day. • Weekday operation - 4:30 a.m. to 2:45 a.m. • Weekend operation - 5:00 a.m. to 2:45 a.m. • HBLR operates a “proof of payment” fare structure where customers present their tickets upon request during random ticket inspections. • Full Maintenance, LRT car wash, wheel truing machine and storage at the main facility. River LINE Light Rail System • Owned by NJ TRANSIT • Operated by 21st Century Rail Corporation (AECOM and Kinkisharyo). • 1996 NJ TRANSIT awarded a Design, Build, Operate, and Maintain (DBOM) contract to 21st Century Rail Corp., where they would deliver a fleet of vehicles, a guaranteed completion date, and 15 years of operation and maintenance of the system at a fixed price. The contract was later extended to 20 years. • Began operating first segment in April 2000 connecting Bayonne 34th St., and Exchange Place as well as the spur line to West Side Avenue and continued to expand over the next decade with the extension to the southernmost terminal at 8th St. in Bayonne opening in January 2011. - Expansion planning has begun for the Route 440 Extension connecting West Side Avenue to Route 440 in Jersey City. - In addition, a proposed 10-mile extension connecting Tonnelle terminus in North Bergen north to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center will consist of an additional 7 stations. • Connects the communities of North Bergen, Union City (at the city line with West New York), Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Bayonne. • Power – 750 V DC overhead lines • 52 electrically powered air-conditioned vehicles built by Kinkisharyo. - Single Unit (3 car unit) seating/standing capacity – 68 and 122. - Multiunit (5 car extended unit) seating and standing capacity – 102 and 159.