New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers NEWSLETTER PLUS! November 2011 Published Bi-Monthly PO Box 68, Chatham, N.J. 07928-0068 www.NJ-ARP.org FEATURED IN THIS EDITION OF NJ-ARP NEWSLETTER PLUS! 1) In the battle of the Superheros, NJ-ARP’s intrepid Vice President Jack May takes on Batman and NJ Transit, masquerading as the Gotham Transit Authority (see Pages 2, 3, 5, and 6). Highlights of his battle were published by both the Star-Ledger and the Asbury Park Press. 2) Elsewhere, NJ-ARP ART Award-winning Representative Joe Versaggi battles arch nemesis PANY/NJ as he asks them why PATH has no emergency reciprocity with New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (see Page 4). 3) In a similar vein, NJ-ARP Director and Publications Manager Les Wolff asks why NJ Transit treats its Light Rail Lines like they were operating in a foreign country with a different currency when it comes to an integrated fare structure for rail-LRT intermodal travel (see below). 4) Some great news from Rose Heck (see Page 4). There may fi nally be some “B” in HBLRT. The long-awaited (3 years??) DEIS for the Northern Valley extension is expected in January. 5) Our web links directory this month (see Page 5) has articles dealing with subjects as diverse as the removal of garbage cans from New York’s subway stations to Amtrak securing the right-of-way from Poughkeepsie to Schenectady. Memo to NJ Transit: Light Rail Lines ARE Part of Your Network As users of all three NJT Light Rail Lines (Hudson-Bergen, Newark, and RiverLINE), we fail to understand why it is not possible to buy through-tickets from one of NJT’s rail stations to an NJT light rail station (and reverse). NJT needs to reprogram its TVMs to add the “Rail + Light Rail” ticket option. For example: A rail ticket purchased from a TVM at Ramsey Route 17 going to Newark is printed with Route 17, Secaucus, and Newark on it. Why can’t the TVM be programmed to add the additional $1.50 (full fare) or 70¢ (underground fare) for the Newark Light Rail and print the ticket RT 17-SEC-NWK + LRT. Same thing is applicable for passengers transferring to HBLRT at Hoboken or RiverLINE at Trenton. Why should it be necessary for customers to have to make multiple purchases for a continuous one-way trip? The HBLRT add-on would cost an additional $2.10; the RiverLINE an additional $1.50. As both rail and light rail tickets are the same width, the only additional requirement for passengers would be to make sure they remember to insert their ticket in the LRT station validator before boarding the light rail vehicle. NJ-ARP Annual Report Now Available On Line As NJ-ARP President Al Papp said as he began his President’s Message quoting Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. That is an apt description for what has been a tumultuous year in the annals of transportation in New Jersey – and NJ-ARP’s 30-year history. Al’s message as well as reports from many of our Directors and Representatives can be found in this 26-page report that is available on NJ-ARP’s Web site at http://www.nj-arp.org/annrpt_11.pdf Coming in the December NJ-ARP NEWSLETTER REPORT... ...a full report on NJ-ARP’s annual meeting in Bordentown on November 12th plus much, much more. NJ-ARP NEWSLETTER PLUS! Editors: Lester W. Wolff and Douglas John Bowen • Production: Lester W. Wolff Additional reporting and photos for this issue by Jack May NJ-ARP NEWSLETTER PLUS! is for NJ-ARP Patron and Sustaining Members Only. We’ve tried hard to make NEWSLETTER PLUS! full of information, and to make it worth the extra money our members donate for NJ-ARP ’s political activities. Additional membership benefi ts are listed in our membership brochure which is available upon request by telephoning us at 201-798-6137, ext. 2, or by writing us at P.O. Box 68, Chatham, N.J. 07928-0068. Additionally, members comments and suggestions are always welcome either by telephone or in writing. www.NJ-ARP.org Reprinted from The Star-Ledger, Wednesday, November 9, 2011 ‘Dark Knight’ fi lming at light rail station turned Newark into Gotham, commutes into disasters By: MIKE FRASSINELLI for transportation to and from work 20 minutes, took 44 instead. He said and school,” May, a member of the once they reached the Orange Street NEWARK — Jack May’s plot to have New Jersey Association of Railroad Station, Newark-bound light-rail riders a timely light-rail trip was foiled by the Passengers, told NJ Transit’s board of were herded into buses and driven caped crusader when Batman caused his directors today at their monthly meeting along congested streets to Newark Penn usual 20-minute ride from Bloomfi eld in Newark. Station. to Newark to take more than twice as long. Jim Weinstein, NJ Transit’s executive Newark Light Rail provides about 20,000 director, defended the agency’s decision trips a day. Pow! to turn over the light rail station to Batman A passenger waiting with May on last Thursday and the same bat station “I cannot help wondering how many Friday was certain she was going to be on Friday. people were late for work and may docked a day’s pay for being late to her have been docked pay as a result,” May housecleaning job. “It was an opportunity to generate said. revenue for the state,” Weinstein said. “I Sock! think that it’s an opportunity to showcase Were it not for a good Samaritan gesture The fi lming last week of the Batman the state. Was there some inconvenience by May, an upset Brooklyn woman who fl ick “The Dark Knight Rises” at the associated with that? Obviously there missed her connecting bus would have underground Military Park Station on was ... but I think overall we made the arrived to her housecleaning job in Upper the Newark Light Rail inconvenienced right decision, and we’d do it again.” Montclair after the house was locked, passengers on their way to jobs, classes causing her to lose a day’s pay. and other venues, May said. NJ Transit was paid $310,000 for use of the station, an agency spokeswoman May said he accompanied the woman to “My gut reaction to this was to consider said. the Grove Street Station in Bloomfi eld, it an outrageous affront to New Jersey where his vehicle was parked, and drove taxpayers who depend on NJ Transit May’s trip Friday, which usually takes her to her job. NJ-ARP Questions for NJT regarding impact on riders and fi nancial supporters of New Jersey Transit of fi lming Batman 1. Financial. 1a. Was New Jersey Transit paid to shut down the Newark Light Rail Line? 1b. If so, who paid NJT and how much did the agency receive? 1c. What was the total amount of money spent by New Jersey Transit on this project? 1d. What was the total amount of money received to offset these costs? 1e. What was the total amount of fi nancial gain or loss for New Jersey Transit? 1f. Please split the amounts into the following categories or equivalents for both cost and revenue Capital: Paving and other infrastructure changes Buses: Cost of fuel used to shuttle passengers between Orange St. and downtown Personnel: Salaries of bus drivers and NJT people to handle passengers Misc.: Returning signage at stations, cleaning property, etc. Logistical: Cost of management time to arrange this 2. Decision Making: 2a: Was any effort made to persuade the producers to have the fi lming accomplished in a manner limiting the impact on the ridership of Newark’s rapid transit line, perhaps on the weekend or in the midnight hours? 2b. If so, what was actually done and why didn’t NJT insist service to its passengers was of prime importance? 2c. Who put pressure on NJ Transit to allow the fi lming to occur on these two weekdays? 3. Communications: Passengers tend to ignore placards posted in stations and on cars because they appear so often and many do not concern them, dealing with weekend operations and platform changes. Were recorded public address announcements made during the previous week on the light rail cars, warning that travel times would be increased signifi cantly and indicating that passengers should adjust their schedules? If so, were they bilingual and repeated often (like the recorded fare announcements) so passengers would become aware of them and avoid the trauma of arriving at their destinations late? 4. Operations: The light rail line was operated like two separate single-track railroads from just beyond Bloomfi eld Avenue to Orange Street. From the congestion observed resulting from the confl icting movements, we believe the passengers, who were already having their rides lengthened due to the bus transfer, could have been saved valuable minutes had the LRVs operated normally to Orange Street. After being emptied there, they could have been deadheaded to the crossover just before Norfolk Street, where they would have reversed. This would have provided for a much smoother operation, especially during the rush hours. Could you tell us if that was considered, and if so, why it was rejected? NEWSLETTER PLUS November 2011, Page 2 NJ-ARP VP Jack May’s Testimony to NJ Transit re Batman Filming At fi rst glance the closing of the Newark Light Rail system between Orange Street and Penn Station for two days, Thursday, November 3 and Friday, November 4, would indicate a patent disregard by NJ Transit of the rights of its passengers to the best possible ride to their jobs, classes and other venues.