Chapter 1: Purpose and Need

A. INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the purpose and need for the proposed Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project. Regional planning agencies have forecast that by 2030, the horizon year for this Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), demand for trans-Hudson travel between and Orange and Rockland counties in and midtown will grow by more than 25 percent. Without new trans- Hudson transportation capacity, this growth in demand would mean more congestion and greater delays on existing roads, bridges and public transportation infrastructure. This chapter documents existing and forecast deficiencies in providing trans-Hudson transit services based on the project’s Major Investment Study Summary Report (2003) and subsequent analysis. Further assessment of these deficiencies is documented in Chapter 3, Sections 3.1 and 3.3 of this FEIS. Chapter 1 also outlines the existing and future needs that ARC would address.

B. FEIS SCOPE

INTENT OF PROJECT The intent of the project is to meet future transportation capacity needs between (the region’s core) and growing population concentrations west of the in both New Jersey and New York. The Major Investment Study (MIS) sponsored by NJ TRANSIT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) completed in 2003, concluded that the best approach to meeting these transportation needs was the commuter rail mode between midtown Manhattan and points west of the Hudson River.

This commuter rail solution would complement the existing NJ TRANSIT commuter rail network, which provides service throughout New Jersey and into Orange and Rockland counties in New York, where service is operated through agreement with the MTA/Metro-North Railroad (see Figure 1-1). Ten of the eleven NJ TRANSIT commuter rail lines pass through Frank R. Lautenberg Station on ’s (NEC) in Hudson County, New Jersey. The NJ TRANSIT commuter rail network provides connections to numerous local and regional transit services, including: NJ TRANSIT statewide express and local bus service; the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) service to New York in Newark and Hoboken; and services to New York from Hoboken, Weehawken, and Jersey City. In midtown Manhattan, NJ TRANSIT commuter rail service to Penn Station New York (PSNY) provides connections to the extensive Transit (NYCT) subway and bus network, including the Eighth Avenue subway lines (A, C, E) and Seventh Avenue subway lines (1, 2, 3), as well as the (LIRR).

INTENT OF ANALYSIS This FEIS, and the previously issued DEIS and SDEIS, examine the direct social, environmental, and economic impacts of the proposed commuter rail solution (the Build Alternative) that would best meet future trans-Hudson travel needs. Beyond the project area, potential air quality, noise and vibration impacts directly related to the operation of Build Alternative service with dual- power locomotives were assessed. In addition, indirect Build Alternative impacts have been evaluated qualitatively.

1-1 To Port Jervis (Orange County) New York Suffern Spring Rockland Valley Pennsylvania New Jersey Sussex Main Line Glen Westwood Passaic Rock Bergen Montclair-Boonton Line County Line Denville

Montclair Warren Morris Morristown State Univ. Hackettstown Frank R. n a Line t Morris & Lautenberg t Essex Newark a Station h Essex Lines n Penn a Station M

Gladstone Penn Station Gladstone Hoboken New York Summit Terminal Branch Union High Bridge New York Somerville Rahway Hunterdon

Somerset Northeast South Amboy Corridor Line Middlesex Princeton Mercer Long Branch

Pennsylvania Monmouth Trenton

Ocean Bay Head

Access to the Region’s Core Legend Final Environmental Impact Statement Existing NJ TRANSIT Commuter Rail lines Figure 1-1 Rail Station/Terminal Existing NJ TRANSIT Rail Lines into Penn Station Major Station New York and Hoboken Terminal

Source: Transit Link Consultants, 2008 Not to Scale Chapter 1: Purpose and Need

PROJECT AREA The project area evaluated in the FEIS is defined as the area from the Koppers Coke site in Kearny, New Jersey through Frank R. Lautenberg Station in Secaucus, New Jersey to West and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (see Figure 1-2). The project area parallels the existing NEC from just west of Frank R. Lautenberg Station and continues under North Bergen, Jersey City, Union City, Weehawken, and Hoboken in Hudson County, New Jersey and under the Hudson River to Manhattan. The project area encompasses portions of the Main Line and former Boonton Line as they extend south of Frank R. Lautenberg Station, merge to a connection with the Morris and Essex Lines in Jersey City, and continue west across the to the Koppers Coke site.

Frank R. Lautenberg Station serves as a transfer station for NJ TRANSIT commuter rail passengers traveling to midtown Manhattan, as well as to points within New Jersey. Frank R. Lautenberg Station is located in the , amid wetlands, some of which have been altered by industrial construction or landfills. The Station is surrounded by industrial complexes to the north and rail lines to the south. New transit-oriented development, which includes residential and commercial properties, is being built or is planned for the area north of the Station. NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X was opened in December 2005 in the vicinity of Frank R. Lautenberg Station. Proposals for commercial and hotel development as an overbuild above Frank R. Lautenberg Station have the potential to add to the diversity of land use in this area.

East of Frank R. Lautenberg Station, the project area parallels the NEC, surrounded by more single-story industrial buildings and rail yards. Continuing east, the project area includes more wetlands, until the NEC enters the existing Amtrak North River , which continue under the Palisades (high cliffs running along the west side of the Hudson River in northeast New Jersey and southern New York) and the Hudson River into PSNY. The Build Alternative would be located within the same alignment as the existing NEC, until descending into two new tunnels in North Bergen, just south of the existing portal.

East of the Build Alternative tunnels portal in North Bergen, New Jersey, the tunnels would pass under industrial and commercial buildings along Tonnelle Avenue, and then be aligned as much as 300 feet under the Palisades. Atop the Palisades are residential and commercial communities in North Bergen, Jersey City, Union City, and Hoboken. The tunnels would then pass under northern Hoboken, just south of the Shades neighborhood in Weehawken, and the entrance to the Lincoln . The Build Alternative tunnels would continue under the Hudson River to the vicinity of West 28th Street in Manhattan.

In Manhattan, the new tunnels would be aligned underground to reach a new station that would be located 153 feet under West 34th Street, between Eighth and Sixth Avenues. Between the Hudson River and Tenth Avenue, the tunnels sections would be 100 to 125 feet deep below the Hudson River Bulkhead, Hudson River Park, Route 9A and industrial and commercial properties, including MTA/LIRR and Amtrak rail yards and buildings. The tunnels then would pass under residential, educational, and retail properties as they would approach the new station. Due to the depth of the tunnels, minimal impacts to buildings on the surface would occur. These conditions are explained more fully in Chapter 5.

1-3 e u n e v A th lf e w T / A 9 e e t u u n o e R v A h t n e e u v n e e l v NYPSE E A e h u t n n e e v T A e h u t n e New Jersey n v i N A e h u t n h e g v i A E h t e n u e y v n e a e v S A w d

h a e t u x o i r n S e B v A h t if F Inset: West Midtown Manhattan

New York

West Midtown (See Inset)

Legend

ARC Build Alternative Hudson River Segment Municipal Boundaries Figure 1-2 New York Segment ARC Project Area ARC Project Area

New Jersey Segment Not to Scale Source: Transit Link Consultants, 2008 Chapter 1: Purpose and Need

The new station, New York Penn Station Expansion (NYPSE), would span almost two full blocks under West 34th Street, from Eighth Avenue on the west to Sixth Avenue and Broadway on the east. NYPSE would be configured as a single, 3--over-3-track cavern that would fit within the public right-of-way limits of West 34th Street between Eighth and Sixth Avenues. In this area, the blocks above the proposed station contain large multi-story buildings. These buildings contain a variety of retail uses, ranging from locally owned stores, nationally known major retailers, to the flagship store for Macy's between Seventh and Sixth Avenues. The project area ends at Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. The top of the new NYPSE cavern would be between 90 and 125 feet below grade between Eighth and Sixth Avenues.

C. PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of ARC is to: (1) increase trans-Hudson commuter rail capacity between Frank R. Lautenberg Station and midtown Manhattan to accommodate projected growth of rail passengers; (2) enhance customer convenience and reduce travel time with more one-seat-ride service; (3) increase rail system reliability within ARC project limits; and (4) maintain system safety and security. The transit infrastructure and services linking west-of-Hudson populations in New Jersey and Orange and Rockland counties in New York with employment and other activities in midtown Manhattan have played a critical role in the continued economic viability of the region. ARC is a crucial element for sustaining and enhancing the quality of regional rail travel, and, therefore, contributing to the future growth of the tri- state regional economy.

D. STATEMENT OF NEED

The earliest transportation connections between midtown Manhattan and west-of-Hudson destinations in New Jersey and New York were by rail. In 1910, the existing trans-Hudson River rail tunnels and PSNY were completed, providing direct intercity train service from the west to Manhattan at PSNY. Also in the early 1900s, PATH was built to provide transit service between northern New Jersey and midtown and Lower Manhattan (see Chapter 3.1).

Later commuter rail service expansions throughout New Jersey and New York extended the reach of this original infrastructure. As shown on Figure 1-1, NJ TRANSIT operates rail service on a network with ten rail lines that cover nearly 500 miles throughout much of Central and Northern New Jersey. Of these rail lines, only five lines—the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL), the , the Morris & Essex Lines and the Montclair-Boonton Line—provide direct one-seat- ride service into the region’s core at PSNY. As trains on these five lines travel east beyond Frank R. Lautenberg Station to midtown Manhattan, they are funneled into 100-year-old capacity-constrained rail tunnel infrastructure, resulting in delays and overcrowding. Manhattan-bound passengers on Main, Bergen County, Pascack Valley, and Raritan Valley lines must transfer either at Newark, Hoboken or Frank R. Lautenberg Station to reach their destinations (see Chapter 3.1).

West-of-Hudson and midtown Manhattan connections are also provided by two vehicular roadway tunnels and one bridge owned and operated by PANYNJ: • , completed in 1927, with major highway connections to the New Jersey Turnpike and Routes 1/9. • George , completed in 1931, with a lower deck and new approach roads completed in 1962, with major highway connections to I-80, Route 4, Palisades Interstate Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. • , completed in 1945, with a third tube completed in 1957, with major highway connections to the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 3, and Routes 1/9.

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Other facilities that provide trans-Hudson access are: • Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT), completed in 1950, that supports the bus service provided between west-of-Hudson and midtown Manhattan. • A two-mile, exclusive (dedicated) contra-flow bus lane (XBL) on the New Jersey approach to the Lincoln Tunnel, completed in 1971. • Private trans-Hudson ferry service from Hoboken, Weehawken, and Jersey City, begun in the mid- 1980s.

As population west of the Hudson River and employment within Manhattan have grown, the need for a more extensive and reliable trans-Hudson commuter rail system into Manhattan has become increasingly important. Since the mid-1990s, the number of New Jersey residents working in New York City has grown from 229,800 to 252,300, an increase of nearly 10 percent. This growth has led to substantial increases in Manhattan-bound ridership on the NJ TRANSIT rail system (see Section 3.1). By 2030, AM peak period travel demand to PSNY is projected to increase from 39,000 to 62,000 passengers without the project. Such demand would create additional crowding and bring the unimproved system to a virtual halt. Based on crowding and associated delays, rail travel times would continue to increase as dwell times and passenger congestion escalate. Given the projected growth in this region, the existing constrained commuter rail infrastructure—two 100-year-old single-track tunnels leading into PSNY from under the Hudson River—cannot meet the access and mobility demands of the future.

Future development west of the Hudson in New Jersey, combined with plans for significant new development on the west side of midtown Manhattan, will continue to strengthen this east-west link. The population in the project’s primary west-of-Hudson service market area (northern and central New Jersey and Orange and Rockland counties in New York) is expected to grow from almost 7.5 million in 2000 to more than 9.1 million by 2030. Continuing employment growth is projected in midtown Manhattan, with over 500,000 new jobs being added between 2000 and 2030, above the Year 2000 level of 2.6 million. A large percentage of these additional jobs are expected to be filled by people living in areas west of the Hudson River. Between 1980 and 2000, 89 percent of suburban sector commuter growth into Manhattan came from these areas. Overall, west-of-Hudson commuting grew by 38 percent, while the combined growth rate of the northern and eastern suburbs was only 3.7 percent.1

These residential and employment concentrations will bring significant transportation challenges to a system that is currently operating essentially at capacity, causing unpredictable delays during most peak hours. Each weekday, nearly 300,000 people make the trans-Hudson commute into Manhattan from New Jersey and New York’s Orange and Rockland counties. Since 1980, these daily work trips have grown by 64 percent. By 2030, travel demand between midtown Manhattan and areas west of the Hudson is forecast to grow by more than 25 percent, without any other significant expansion planned or under construction in the existing transportation system.

As further detailed in Section 3.3, vehicle volumes on the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel and are already at or near capacity and forecast to exceed capacity by 2030. In 2000, the Holland Tunnel carried 2,960 peak hour vehicles, exceeding capacity by 5.7 percent. Peak hour vehicles on the George Washington Bridge similarly exceeded its capacity of 11,800 by 2.8 percent with 12,130 roadway crossings. This trend is forecast to continue into the future. Travel demand forecasts developed for this project (see Section 3.3) estimate that peak hour commuter demand in 2030 will far exceed this capacity. In 2030, peak hour vehicles in the Lincoln Tunnel are forecast to be 5,930, approximately 6 percent over the current capacity of the crossing, while the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge are projected to have 3,250, and 13,320 roadway crossings, respectively. This growth in traffic

1 West-of-Hudson commuters represent more than the total markets of the northern and eastern suburbs.

1-6 Chapter 1: Purpose and Need and congestion on the trans-Hudson highway crossings is forecast to cause increased travel delays. In 2000, inbound average weekday queuing delays were estimated at between 6 and 14 minutes for each of the three vehicular crossings. That delay is forecast to more than double by 2030 with no new capacity. Added to these trends is the anticipated new development in Manhattan of more than 200,000 office sector jobs over the next two decades, many of which will be located on the west side of midtown Manhattan (additional details provided in Section 4.2).

ARC addresses the following major needs: • Increase capacity of the trans-Hudson commuter rail system, which is at capacity during peak travel periods • Provide new one-seat-ride service to midtown Manhattan from areas not served today • Provide a new station facility to relieve severely overcrowded and inadequate conditions at PSNY • Eliminate commuter rail delays caused by unanticipated events or routine maintenance • Enhance commuter rail system safety and security • Provide increased rail capacity to meet growth in west-of-Hudson population and jobs in NYC • Increase capacity of the trans-Hudson transportation system, which is at or near capacity during peak travel periods

INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE TRANS-HUDSON COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM, WHICH IS AT CAPACITY DURING PEAK TRAVEL PERIODS Each weekday morning, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak are limited to collectively operating 23 peak hour trains into PSNY through one of only two single-track tunnels under the Hudson River. This is because the existing 100-year-old North River tunnels are effectively operating at capacity during the peak hour. Yet, forecasts of trips into Manhattan from west of the Hudson suggest that demand for service would more than double by 2030, far exceeding existing available capacity. Capacity constraints at these tunnel choke points severely limit NJ TRANSIT’s ability to accommodate existing and projected high frequency commuter rail service demands.

By contrast, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is able to operate approximately 38 peak hour trains through two of its total of four tunnels.

PROVIDE NEW ONE-SEAT-RIDE SERVICE TO MIDTOWN MANHATTAN FROM AREAS NOT SERVED TODAY NJ TRANSIT currently operates several commuter rail lines as diesel service. These services do not offer direct one-seat-ride access to midtown Manhattan, because only electric-powered trains are permitted to operate in the North River Tunnels into PSNY. Passengers on these rail lines must transfer at Newark Penn Station, Newark Broad Street Station or Frank R. Lautenberg Station for service to PSNY.

These rail services include: • North Jersey Coast Line Bay Head Service, south of Long Branch • Montclair-Boonton Line (stations west of Montclair State University Station) • Pascack Valley Line, including New York MTA Metro-North express service to Rockland County • Main and Bergen County Lines, including New York MTA Metro-North express service on the • Raritan Valley Line

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Further pressure on PSNY would be caused by increases in one-seat-ride service on these lines and creation of new markets. Several new service proposals are currently being studied to achieve these goals. These areas do not have one-seat rides for two reasons: they are not electrified and there is no additional commuter rail capacity between Frank R. Lautenberg Station and midtown.

These new service proposals include the Northern Branch project located between Tenafly, New Jersey and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System in North Bergen, New Jersey, where passengers can access the LRT to reach ferry and PATH services to New York City. As part of the Northern Branch project, several rail alternatives, including light rail and commuter rail operated with dual-power locomotives, are currently being considered in a separate NEPA evaluation process. Although current studies of the Northern Branch do not include a direct connection to proposed ARC tunnels, the commuter rail alternative could eventually connect to the Build Alternative tunnels to provide one-seat-ride service for the Northern Branch Corridor. The ARC design does not preclude a future direct connection. Other rail projects being studied include the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex Rail Line, West Trenton Line, West Shore Rail Line, the Lackawanna Cutoff, and Passaic–Bergen Diesel Multiple-Unit (DMU) Service. Similar to ARC, these projects are being designed to accommodate anticipated future rail ridership and service demand, and the planning for each of these projects takes into consideration current rail capacity limitations from Frank R. Lautenberg Station to midtown Manhattan. Without new capacity into New York afforded by ARC, these services would need to terminate in Newark or Hoboken.

PROVIDE A NEW STATION FACILITY TO RELIEVE SEVERELY OVERCROWDED AND INADEQUATE CONDITIONS AT PENN STATION NEW YORK PSNY is one of the nation’s oldest and busiest transportation facilities. The condition of the 100-year-old station presents challenges, the most prominent being capacity to accommodate increasing ridership demands, as well as maintaining safety and security. Three rail operators share this 21-track facility, which must accommodate over 1,000 trains each weekday.

Current NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak peak hour service frequencies into PSNY from the west are only possible because of significant investments of these operators to upgrade signal systems and improve passenger access and egress. NJ TRANSIT is further enhancing service into PSNY with the operation of bi-level coaches. In addition, platform/access improvements currently under design at PSNY would also ease congestion (see Chapter 2). These service increases would continue to put pressure on the antiquated passenger facilities at PSNY. The planned passenger improvements that would be created with the conversion of the existing Farley Post Office into the Moynihan Rail Station will provide incremental improvements in passenger access on the west end of the station, but would not address the fundamental train capacity constraints at track level.

Despite these improvements, peak hour and peak period operations at PSNY would remain constrained by track capacity and train maneuverability limitations. Limited capacity means that no new service could be added without major infrastructure investments.

ELIMINATE COMMUTER RAIL DELAYS CAUSED BY UNANTICIPATED EVENTS OR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE Maintaining uninterrupted service through the North River Tunnels is critical to NJ TRANSIT system reliability. To avoid major service disruptions, access through PSNY and the tunnels must be continuously protected and maintained, which is increasingly difficult due to the age of the infrastructure. Addressing unanticipated disruptions and fulfilling maintenance responsibilities today can only be accomplished with service outages, which typically occur during weekday and weekend off-peak periods. The lack of redundancy with only two single-track Hudson River tunnels means that any service outage significantly reduces overall system flexibility, reliability and on-time performance.

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Rail operating statistics collected on a weekday in November 2005 by NJ TRANSIT indicate that, between 7:25 AM and 8:50 AM, 28 NJ TRANSIT trains into PSNY were delayed an average of 6.8 minutes due to unanticipated incidents. By comparison, statistics captured for the same time period ten years earlier show 14 trains delayed an average of only 21 seconds (NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations 2006).

ENHANCE COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM SAFETY AND SECURITY Improvements and investments needed to address fire and life safety issues for the PSNY terminal complex, including the North River Tunnels and approaches to PSNY, are underway. Because of the limited capacity of the two existing single-track tunnels, however, completing these improvements requires that a single tunnel track be taken out of service on weekends, resulting in reduced passenger service or delays. The service impacts associated with the improvements necessary to maintain the existing tunnels would be reduced significantly with additional tunnel capacity or redundancy of the infrastructure into PSNY.

Beyond the need to continually upgrade and maintain the existing PSNY complex and the North River Tunnels, growth in the number of passengers arriving and departing PSNY with the operation of bi-level coaches in the near future would continue to put pressure on maintaining safety and security in the antiquated passenger facilities at PSNY.

PROVIDE INCREASED RAIL CAPACITY TO MEET GROWTH IN WEST-OF-HUDSON POPULATION AND JOBS IN NYC Of the more than 500,000 persons commuting daily to Manhattan from the suburbs north, east and west of Manhattan, more than 270,000 live west of the Hudson River in New Jersey and in Orange and Rockland counties in New York (counties in New Jersey include Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Union, Morris, Warren, Sussex, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer). Over 40,000 of these persons travel daily by rail through the North River Tunnels.

Figures from the 2000 U.S. Census also show that suburban commuting into Manhattan grew by 86,000 or 19 percent from 1980 to 2000. Of that total growth, approximately 89 percent came from the suburbs west of the Hudson River. According to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), regional growth will continue at a steady pace over the next 25 years, with the 13-county population (excluding Mercer) reaching more than 7.6 million by 2025, an increase of nearly 16 percent. While NJTPA expects growth rates to be most rapid in the southern and western counties, including Ocean, Sussex and Warren, they stress that each county in the region would be expected to grow. Similarly, population in Orange and Rockland counties in New York is forecasted to grow to over 850,000 by 2025 (New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, 2004).

Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT are working together on a separate project to provide increased rail capacity across the Hackensack River, which is currently limited by the existing two-track . Portal Bridge is a low-span swing bridge that must be moved to accommodate waterborne traffic on the Hackensack River. The proposed bridge improvement project would add capacity and reduce the delays associated with the current low-span swing bridge. The Portal Bridge project, currently under study and advancing separately from ARC, would be necessary to operate the Build Alternative service plan.

INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE TRANS-HUDSON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS AT OR NEAR CAPACITY DURING PEAK TRAVEL PERIODS The Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, and George Washington Bridge serve as the only trans-Hudson auto crossings between New Jersey and Manhattan. They carried more than a half million vehicles on a typical weekday in 2000 (see Section 3.3 for further details). Vehicle volumes on these three crossings have experienced significant growth, as Manhattan continues to serve as the region’s employment core.

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Between 1990 and 2000, total daily traffic on the three Hudson River crossings grew by over 13 percent from 482,243 to 548,465 (New York City Department of Transportation, New York City Bridge & Traffic Volumes 2003, August 2004). According to PANYNJ, at the end of 2000, drivers avoided the congestion through these crossings during AM peak hours by staggering their travel time into Manhattan. The high volumes of traffic have outstripped crossing capacity, leading to a reduction in travel speeds, increased congestion, chronic delays and expanded peak travel hours (PANYNJ, 2005).

Each weekday, 1,650 buses travel into Manhattan from New Jersey via the Lincoln Tunnel and the Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL)—a single eastbound contra-flow lane on the westbound side of NJI-495, operating from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM. The XBL–Lincoln Tunnel–PABT bus system carries about 70,000 trans-Hudson commuters, with 32,000 of them on about 675 buses in the peak hour (PANYNJ, 2005). Operated in tandem with the XBL is the Local Bus Lane (LBL), which provides expedited access to the Lincoln Tunnel each weekday. The LBL accommodates well over 700 buses, mini-buses and passenger vans between 6:00 AM–10:00 AM each weekday.

In the early 1970s, the average number of buses using the XBL through the Lincoln Tunnel was around 800 per weekday. By 2003, the average number of daily XBL buses was estimated at about 1,700—a 113 percent increase (PANYNJ). The XBL is close to exceeding its practical capacity limit of almost 700 peak hour buses.

Although PATH routing to Midtown is less direct than the NJ TRANSIT commuter rail system or the highway network, that system also plays an important role in the trans-Hudson transportation system. Over the last decade, a marked increase in the amount of office and residential development in Jersey City has led to significant rises in PATH ridership, which grew by more than 30 percent from 1990 to 2000 (PANYNJ 2006). According to the Rutgers Voorhees Transportation Center, PATH’s annual ridership reached a record high of 74 million passengers in 2000.

In addition to the roadway, bus and rail network, the trans-Hudson transportation system also includes a network of private ferry services. According to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC), serve approximately 11 percent of the west-of-Hudson commuting market share traveling into Manhattan each morning during the peak period (NYMTC, 2000 Hub Bound Travel Report, May 2003). Ferries relieve some of the pressure on the existing transportation system, but are limited by physical location and the requirements for landside distribution systems in midtown Manhattan and New Jersey using congested local streets (see Section 3.1).

PATH and ferry service between midtown Manhattan and New Jersey complement other systems, but alone cannot provide the capacity needed to move increasingly higher volumes of passengers efficiently across the Hudson River (see Section 3.1).

E. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Five goals have been established that address the transportation system capacity, reliability, connectivity, and economic purposes of ARC. Specific objectives have been identified through dialogue with the public, stakeholders and agencies in support of these goals (see Chapters 12 and 13 or Appendix 12 for a list of public participation stakeholders, TAC and RCLC members), to provide the basis for evaluating whether identified alternatives meet the overall purpose and need for the project. Table 1-1 lists the goals and objectives and provides a link between the ARC goals and objectives and purpose/need.

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TABLE 1-1: ARC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, PURPOSE AND NEED

Goals and Objectives Purpose and Need IMPROVE TRANS-HUDSON MOBILITY TRANSIT CAPACITY • Expand transit capacity to meet current and forecast Increase capacity of the trans-Hudson commuter rail demand between midtown Manhattan and points in New system, which is at capacity during peak travel periods Jersey and New York • Increase transit ridership • Extend the reach and improve the connectivity of the TRANSFERS region's commuter rail systems Provide new one-seat-ride service to midtown • Increase direct one-seat-ride opportunities Manhattan from areas not served today • Improve access, travel time, comfort, convenience, and reliability of the region’s commuter rail systems UTILIZE, IMPROVE, AND EXPAND THE CAPACITY FACILITY CROWDING OF THE REGION'S EXISTING TRANSIT Provide a new station facility to relieve severely INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT overcrowded and inadequate conditions at PSNY POSSIBLE • Maximize the use of existing transportation facilities • Enhance PSNY network rail and passenger capacity and operating reliability RELIABILITY • Coordinate with other transit providers and ongoing Eliminate commuter rail delays caused by transportation-related studies in the region to achieve unanticipated events or routine maintenance efficiencies and synergy • Implement improvements that optimize the maintainability of the PSNY-related infrastructure to sustain transit operations over the long-term MAINTAIN A SAFE AND SECURE TRANSIT SYSTEM SAFETY AND SECURITY Enhance commuter rail system safety and security MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC GROWTH VIABILITY OF THE REGION Provide increased rail capacity to meet growth in • Support transit-oriented land uses that are consistent with west-of-Hudson population and jobs in NYC New Jersey and New York Smart Growth policies • Support the West Midtown residential and commercial development initiatives • Ensure accessibility to jobs in Manhattan, New Jersey and New York • Improve transit connectivity to support the region's economic viability and continuing development PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT ROADWAY CONGESTION • Avoid/minimize adverse impact on communities and Increase capacity of the trans-Hudson transportation neighborhoods system, which is at or near capacity during peak travel • Preserve and enhance the natural and built environment periods • Improve air quality by providing rail transit alternatives that contribute to reduced vehicle miles traveled and vehicle emissions • Work towards achieving compliance with the Clean Air Act Source: Transit Link Consultants, 2008

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F. OTHER RELATED REGIONAL PROJECTS

Numerous other transportation and development projects are in various stages of planning and design that could affect ARC. Coordination with each of these projects has been, and will continue to be, an important part of advancing ARC. The following projects are included in the No Build Alternative and described in Chapter 2: • No. 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program • Long Island Rail Road Access • • Fulton Street Transit Hub • Moynihan Station (West) • The World Trade Center PATH Station • Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project

The following projects, described in Chapter 2, are not included in the No Build. If implemented, these projects could have an impact on the Build Alternative; however, they are not included in the No Build because they are not advanced far enough in their planning for their impacts to be known: • Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL) Capacity Enhancement Study • The Tappan Zee Bridge/I-287 Corridor DEIS • Study • New Development on Manhattan’s West Side

G. CONCLUSION

The existing constraints on the capacity of the trans-Hudson commuter rail system, if left unaddressed, would result in future service delays, overcrowding and limitations on accessibility into midtown Manhattan. Improvements to the existing trans-Hudson commuter rail system are necessary to address an aging rail infrastructure, capacity-constrained rail tunnels and approaches feeding one of the busiest rail stations in the nation. Without these improvements, NJ TRANSIT would not be able to accommodate future passenger demands, causing thousands of potential rail passengers either to rely on other travel modes that are also at or near capacity, and that have a greater negative environmental and economic impact, or decide on alternative places to live and work. To support the economic health and well-being of the regional economy, trans-Hudson rail travel must be expanded beyond its current limitations.

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