Feasibility Analysis Report April 2011 Submitted by: SYSTRA Consulting, Inc. In Association with: Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc. STV Incorporated Urbitran Associates, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................1 1.2 Study Area...................................................................................................................................1 1.3 Existing Highways, Transit Services, Park-and-Rides................................................................1 1.4 Project History.............................................................................................................................2 1.5 Transportation Problems and Needs............................................................................................2 1.6 Project Goals and Objectives.......................................................................................................3 1.7 Planning Context .........................................................................................................................3 2. Public Involvement.............................................................................................................................5 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Summary of Local Concerns .......................................................................................................5 3. Alternatives Considered ....................................................................................................................6 3.1 Long List Screening Methodology..............................................................................................7 3.2 Intermediate Ridership Forecasting.............................................................................................7 3.3 Shortlist Alternatives .................................................................................................................17 3.4 Future No Build.........................................................................................................................19 3.5 Shortlist Bus Alternatives..........................................................................................................21 3.6 Shortlist Rail Alternatives .........................................................................................................27 4. Environmental Analysis...................................................................................................................27 4.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................27 4.2 Environmental Screening Methodology....................................................................................27 4.3 Environmental Analysis Results................................................................................................27 5. Cost Estimation ................................................................................................................................27 5.1 Cost Estimating Methodologies.................................................................................................27 5.2 Capital and O&M Costs Results................................................................................................27 6. Ridership Forecasts..........................................................................................................................27 6.1 No Build and Shortlist Alternatives...........................................................................................27 6.2 Complementary Strategies.........................................................................................................27 7. Findings and Next Steps ..................................................................................................................27 7.1 General Findings .......................................................................................................................27 7.2 Confluence of I-78/Rt 22/Rt 31 Findings..................................................................................27 7.3 Bloomsbury Area Findings........................................................................................................27 7.4 Route 31 Corridor Findings.......................................................................................................27 7.5 Rail Extension Options Findings...............................................................................................27 7.6 Complementary Conditions Findings........................................................................................27 April 2011 Page i Central New Jersey/Raritan Valley Transit Study Feasibility Analysis Report LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Long List Alternatives Screening Results.......................................................................................9 Table 2: Shortlist Alternatives ....................................................................................................................18 Table 3: Baseline and Future No Build Raritan Valley Line Rail Service .................................................19 Table 4: Baseline Bus Service ....................................................................................................................20 Table 5: Morning Peak Bus Service ...........................................................................................................21 Table 6: Shortlist Rail Alternatives.............................................................................................................27 Table 7: Estimated Rail Travel Times ........................................................................................................27 Table 8: Environmental Analysis Summary ...............................................................................................27 Table 9: Capital Costs – Shortlist Bus Services and Complementary Strategies........................................27 Table 10: Capital Costs – Shortlist Bus Park-and-Rides ............................................................................27 Table 11: Capital Costs – Shortlist Rail Extensions and Stations...............................................................27 Table 12: Capital Costs – Phased Implementation of Shortlist Rail Extensions ........................................27 Table 13: O&M Cost – Bus Alternatives....................................................................................................27 Table 14: O&M Costs – Rail Extension Alternatives.................................................................................27 Table 15: 2030 No Build Ridership and Parking Needs at Existing Facilities ...........................................27 Table 16: Daily Ridership Results – Bus Shoulder Lanes ..........................................................................27 Table 17: Daily Ridership – 2030 Bus Alternative.....................................................................................27 Table 18: Daily Ridership – 2030 Bus and Rail to Phillipsburg.................................................................27 Table 19: 2030 Daily Ridership – Bus and Rail to Bloomsbury/ Bethlehem .............................................27 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Study Are.......................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2: Alternative S29 Bus Alignment...................................................................................................25 Figure 3: Alternative M23 Round Valley Park-and-Ride (Bus and Rail)...................................................26 Figure 4: Alternative M9 Bloomsbury/Bethlehem Park-and-Ride (Bus and Rail).....................................27 Figure 5: Alternatives M28, L09, and L12/L13 Rail Alignments...............................................................27 Figure 6: Alternative S26 Parking Expansion Opportunities at Annandale Rail Station............................27 Figure 7: Alternative M19 Parking Expansion Opportunity at High Bridge Station..................................27 Figure 8: Alternative M13 Hampton Park-and-Ride/Station (Rail)............................................................27 Figure 9: Alternative L19 Phillipsburg Park-and-Ride/Station (Rail) ........................................................27 Figure 10: Alternative L09 Bethlehem Rail Yard.......................................................................................27 Figure 11: Alternative L12/L13 Phillipsburg Rail Yard.............................................................................27 Figure 12: Alternative M28 Hampton Rail Yard ........................................................................................27 April 2011 Page ii Central New Jersey/Raritan Valley Transit Study Feasibility Analysis Report APPENDICES (Available on CD) Appendix A - Purpose, Need, Goals & Objectives Statement Appendix B – I-78 Corridor Study Appendix C – Public Outreach Appendix D – Long List Development and Screening