Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
comprises
limited-stop
In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a com ...
bus service, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and
bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Under the banner ''Next Generation Bus''
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
(NJT), the New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...
(NJDOT), and the metropolitan planning organizations of New Jersey There are three metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) in New Jersey. The organizations are the main decision-making forums for selecting projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in deliberations involving the New Jers ...
(MPO) which recommend and authorize transportation projects are undertaking the creation of several additional bus rapid transit systems (BRT) in the state.
In 2011, NJT announced that it would equip its entire bus fleet with devices for real-time locating
Real-time locating systems (RTLS), also known as real-time tracking systems, are used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time, usually within a building or other contained area. Wireless RTLS tags are ...
, thus creating the basis for "next bus" scheduling information at bus shelter
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
s. The introduction and expanded use of bus rapid transit in Garden State is part of worldwide phenomenon to bring mass transit to heavily trafficked corridors in both high and medium density areas as a cost-saving, and sometimes more flexible, alternative to rail transportation, thus reducing automobile dependency
Car dependency is the concept that some city layouts cause cars to be favoured over alternate forms of transportation, such as bicycles, public transit, and walking.
Overview
In many modern cities, automobiles are convenient and sometimes nec ...
and traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic de ...
.
Context
Bus rapid transit
The Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
(FTA) defines bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
(BRT) is a “rapid mode of transportation that can combine
the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses.”
BRT systems can be designed for specific locations and conditions to incorporate any number of features to enhance bus priority traffic circulation and passenger convenience and can operate on exclusive bus lanes or shared roadways and can combine both limited-stop
In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a com ...
s and skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by having vehicles ''skip'' certain ''stops'' along a route. Originating in rapid transit systems, skip-stop may be also used in light rail and bus s ...
s. Characteristics can include bus stops with kiosks for passengers to easily and quickly pre-purchase bus tickets to reduce boarding time, digitalized countdown timetables
A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place, or of a sequence of events in the chronological order in which such things are ...
for real-time bus arrivals and bus information at the bus shelter
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
and via internet websites. Roadways can have signal synchronization, queue jumping, changeable message signs and pavement striping included. Specific BRT brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
ing (wrapping
Wrapping may refer to:
*Buddy wrapping, the act of bandaging a damaged (particularly a fractured) finger or toe together with a healthy one
*Overwrap, a wrapping of items in a package of a wrapping over packaging
*Wrapping (graphics), the process ...
) and specialized vehicles for faster boarding and alighting can be used.[
]
Bus service in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
is the most densely populated state in the United States. In the early part of the 20th century, it was served by an extensive system of interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...
and streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
systems, which were replaced during the era of bustitution
A rail replacement bus service uses buses to replace a passenger train service on a temporary or permanent basis. The train service that is replaced may be of any type such as light rail, tram, streetcar, commuter rail, regional rail or heavy ...
in the mid century, partially due to the phenomenon known as the Great American streetcar scandal
The General Motors streetcar conspiracy refers to the convictions of General Motors (GM) and related companies that were involved in the monopolizing of the sale of buses and supplies to National City Lines (NCL) and subsidiaries, as well as to ...
. New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
, created in the 1970s to take over Conrail
Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...
commuter rail service, assumed control of several floundering bus companies in the 1980s, including the largest, Transport of New Jersey
Transport of New Jersey (TNJ), earlier Public Service Transportation and then Public Service Coordinated Transport, was a street railway and bus company in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1917 to 1980, when NJ Transit took over their operations ...
. The government agency has subsequently grown to be third largest provider of commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
, light-rail, and bus service
Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable.
History of buses Origins
While there are indications ...
in the nation. Additionally, numerous privately operated bus companies also provide regional and local service within the state and to New York and Pennsylvania. The Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
runs diagonally across New Jersey between New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, cities to which many residents regularly travel. Additionally, commuters of Rockland and Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
counties, west of the Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
above the New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
state line, and exurban
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It sh ...
towns in the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
and Pike County, Pennsylvania
Pike County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,535. Its county seat is Milford.
Pike County is included in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, ...
travel to or through the state.
Real-time bus fleet
Real-time locating
Real-time locating systems (RTLS), also known as real-time tracking systems, are used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time, usually within a building or other contained area. Wireless RTLS tags are ...
is a vehicle tracking or fleet tracking system using Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
(GPS) technology. NJ Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
(NJT) is expanding real-time service information for bus customers to all routes in the state using what has been dubbed "smart bus" technology that can provide real-time bus location and arrival information to web-enabled devices and to “next bus” signage at key locations. In February 2011, NJT authorized a $22 million contract with Clever Devices LTD to install devices on 1,040 buses serving NJT-operated routes. In November 2011, it authorized another $6 million for Clever Devices to equip NJT contracted bus routes with the devices. Completion of the installation is projected for 2013. More than 1,100 new buses coming on line during the period are pre-equipped, thus making the entire fleet
Fleet may refer to:
Vehicles
*Fishing fleet
*Naval fleet
*Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles
*Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company
Places
Canada
*Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet
England
* The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach, ...
"real-time" capable. Real-time customer use was begun with a pilot involving the Trenton and Princeton areas on routes numbered 600 in December 2012. The "MyBus Now" service allows those with smart phones and computers to access NJT's website to see in-transit buses and expected arrival times for those buses within 30 minutes of a bus stop. Commuters can also text MyBus (69287) with the stop and route number to get the arrival time of the next bus. The service was expanded in 2013 to more than 150 NJT routes for Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
, Camden, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, and intrastate routes in North Jersey
North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrativ ...
. It will be expanded to buses traveling to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving abo ...
and the George Washington Bridge Bus Station
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authori ...
in early 2014.
Fare payment
NJT sells monthly passes, 10-trip discount tickets and single-fare tickets, which are accepted on most private and contracted buses as well as its own. Cash payment, with many routes being exact-fare lines, is also possible. except for departures from the Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving abo ...
, where since 2011 tickets or passes are required.
In October 2011, NJT began a pilot project and become the first transportation agency in the USA enabling passengers to use Google Wallet
Google Wallet (or simply Wallet) is a digital wallet platform developed by Google. It is available for the Android, Wear OS, and Fitbit OS operating systems, and was announced on May 11, 2022, at the 2022 Google I/O keynote. It began rollin ...
, a contactless payment
Contactless payment systems are credit cards and debit cards, key fobs, smart cards, or other devices, including smartphones and other mobile devices, that use radio-frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communication (NFC, e.g. Samsun ...
system, initially available at ticket vending machines
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine (TVM), is a vending machine that produces paper or electronic tickets, or recharges a stored-value card or smart card or the user's mobile wallet, typically on a smartphone. For instance, ...
at Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving abo ...
, New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main inter-city rail, intercity railroad station in New York City and the List of busiest railway stations in North America, busiest transportation facilit ...
, Newark Liberty Airport Station and on certain Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
bus routes.
In April 2015 NJT announced that using mobile phone apps to purchase tickets and passes system-wide would be completed.
SmartLink is a smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card) is a physical electronic authentication device, used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) c ...
used by the Port Authority Trans Hudson
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) is a rapid transit system in the Gateway Region, northeastern New Jersey cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark, Harrison, New Jersey, Harrison, Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City, and Hoboken, New Jersey, H ...
, the rapid transit rail system linking Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Manhattan. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...
, which operates the system introduced the card in 2007, as the initial step in creating a universal fare card for the New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
. In 2006, estimates for New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
to implement use of the card were $100 million.
BRT initiatives
NJ has various policies to promote its ''smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood sch ...
'' strategy, intended to reduce urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
and preserve open space, to reduce traffic congestion and travel times though decreased automobile dependency
Car dependency is the concept that some city layouts cause cars to be favoured over alternate forms of transportation, such as bicycles, public transit, and walking.
Overview
In many modern cities, automobiles are convenient and sometimes nec ...
, to promote intrastate public transportation use, and to revitalize older urban and suburban areas through transit-oriented development
In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. It promotes a symbiotic relationship between ...
. In 2009, NJDOT adopted a complete streets
Complete streets is a Transportation planning, transportation policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and ...
policy with one of its stated aims to make access to bus stops easier and safer.
The areas targeted for BRT systems are commercial/ commuter corridors or high density population or employment centers with a regional transit hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips ...
. Some are included in the state's Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit scheme which offers tax relief for developers and employers who relocate or build within walking distance from them. Others have been designated transit village
A transit village is a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district or neighborhood oriented around the station of a high-quality transit system, such as rail or B.R.T. Often a civic square of public space abuts the train station, functioning as the hu ...
s, meant to promote higher density, pedestrian/public transportation oriented development. In some areas traditional rural and suburban land-use have given way to corporate complexes and shopping malls.
While there are express bus routes and some dedicated bus lanes
A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, often on certain days and times, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. The related term busway describes a roadway c ...
within the state, the only specifically designed BRT system, the ''go bus'', runs through Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
, the state's largest city, to Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...
and adjacent communities. Elsewhere exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and bus bypass shoulders (BBS) provide for bus priority traffic patterning. Other proposed BRT and BBS projects are in various stages of study and implementation. While some new systems are geared to improved access to Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
and Center City, Philadelphia
Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the city borders to be coterminous wi ...
most are oriented to developing a comprehensive network of intrastate travel.
Existing systems
Greater Newark
Newark is the largest city in NJ and lies at the heart of the Gateway Region
The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. While sometimes known as the Newark metropolitan area, it is part of the New York metropolitan ...
and the Liberty Corridor, the extensive network of road, rail, shipping, and air transportation infrastructure radiating from Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...
and Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
. In terms of number of buses in use and passengers served, the Greater Newark bus network is the 20th largest in the United States.[ ]
''go bus''
NJT began service on the first BRT line, ''go bus 25'', in 2008. During peak periods, the line makes limited stops at eleven points between Newark Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...
and Irvington, running for most of its length along the busy Springfield Avenue transit corridor.
The second BRT line is part of the planned Liberty Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Service network. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, the enhanced bus service was initiated in 2009. The $2 million project includes new bus shelters, signaling priority, and express-limited stop service. The ''go bus 28'' is a full-time service between the airport's North Area Transit Center, its three terminals, the city's central business or campus districts, Branch Brook Park
Branch Brook Park is a county park of Essex County, New Jersey. It is located in the North Ward of Newark, between the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Roseville. A portion of the park is also located within the Township of Belleville. At , B ...
, the Roseville neighborhood, and Bloomfield. Connections to Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations in the United States. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R ...
and Newark Light Rail
The Newark Light Rail (NLR) is a light rail system serving Newark, New Jersey and surrounding areas, operated by New Jersey Transit Bus Operations. The service consists of two segments, the original Newark City Subway (NCS), and the extension t ...
(NLR) are possible on the line's northern segment. There are proposals to extend the service westward to Montclair University.[
]
Penn Station-Raymond Boulevard XBL
A XBL in the vicinity of Newark Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...
, origination point for numerous Greater Newark bus routes, was conceived in 2007 to improve traffic circulation and pedestrian safety and has been in place since 2008. The dedicated center bus lane is implemented in the PM rush hour to serve westbound buses along Raymond Boulevard
Raymond Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in Newark, New Jersey. The eastern portion of the road acts as the westbound member of a one-way pair; eastbound traffic uses Market Street and Ferry Street. Raymond Boulevard carries eastbound and westb ...
between the station and McCarter Highway
Route 21 is a state highway in northern New Jersey, running from the Newark Airport Interchange with U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1-9) and US 22 in Newark, Essex County to an interchange with US 46 in Clifton, Passaic County. The route ...
. The system includes traffic signal synchronization, changeable message signs and pavement striping.
Lincoln Tunnel express bus lane
The Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
(Route 495) in Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
passes through a cut
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
and descends the Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs st ...
to the Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned New Y ...
at the other end of which is the Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving abo ...
(PABT). Starting in 1964, studies were conducted to address the feasibility of an Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL) during the weekday morning peak period. The XBL was first approved on a trial basis in September 1970, since buses from New Jersey would be stuck in the heavy congestion within the tunnel approaches. This bus lane was implemented in December of the same year, exclusively carrying buses during morning rush hours. Due to the success of the bus lane, it was made permanent after the year-long trial ended.
The XBL serves weekday eastbound bus traffic between 6:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. It is fed by the New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
at Exits 16E and 17, and New Jersey Route 3
Route 3 is a major state highway in the northeastern part of New Jersey. The route runs from U.S. Route 46 (US 46) in Clifton, Passaic County to US 1/9 in North Bergen, Hudson County. The route is a divided highway for it ...
. The helix, tunnel, and terminal are owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...
, the bi-state agency that also operates the contraflow lane
In transport engineering nomenclature, a counterflow lane or contraflow lane is a lane in which traffic flows in the opposite direction of the surrounding lanes.
Contraflow lanes are often used for bicycles or bus rapid transit on what are oth ...
along the left lane of three westbound lanes. The XBL serves over 1,800 buses, which transport more than 65,000 persons, each morning and is a major component of the morning "inbound" commutation crossing the Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
. Over 100 bus carriers utilize the Exclusive Bus Lane. New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
operates fifty-seven interstate bus routes through the Lincoln Tunnel, as do numerous regional and long distance companies.
The PABT is the gateway for most bus and jitney traffic entering Manhattan with around 225,000 passengers on 8,000 bus trips made through the tunnel and terminal on an average weekday. Despite the XBL to the tunnel, there are often long delays due to congestion caused by the limited capacity of bus lanes
A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, often on certain days and times, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. The related term busway describes a roadway c ...
for deboarding passengers at the bus terminal
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...
, which has reached its capacity. This has led to re-routing and overflow on local streets In December 2011, the New Jersey Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
passed a resolution calling upon the PANYNJ to address the issue of congestion. Thomas Duane
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
, representing New York's 29th Senate District which includes the area around the PABT, has also called for reduced congestion in the neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
. A consortium of regional transportation advocates, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) is a non-profit advocacy and policy organization dedicated to reducing car and truck dependency and promoting a "more balanced, environmentally sound and equitable transportation network" in downstate ...
, have proposed a reconfiguration and expansion of the terminal, a PM westbound XBL, bus stops at other Manhattan locations, and a new bus storage depot. Originally part of the PANYNJ 2007-2016 Capital Plan, construction of a bus garage in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
, so that day-time turnover buses could avoid unnecessarily traveling through the tunnel without passengers, was scrapped by the agency in October 2011. In May 2012, the commissioner of NJDOT suggested that some NJ Transit routes could originate/terminate at other Manhattan locations, notably the East Side, an arrangement requiring approval of the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) to use bus stops. In June 2013, the PANYNJ commissioned an 18-month Midtown Bus Master Plan study to address enhanced terminal and bus depot facilities. There have also been studies to add a second express bus lane.
Route 9 BBS
Shoulder lanes, or bus bypass shoulders (BBS), along Route 9 are a part of the express bus system in Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...
-Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
.[ The highway is used by NJT's routes 63, 64, 67 to ]Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
, the 130, 132, 136, 139 to PABT, and Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...
to Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan (also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York) is the southernmost part of Manhattan, the central borough for business, culture, and government in New York City, which is the most populated city in the United States with ...
.
In 2006, NJDOT reconstructed two stretches of shoulders and made improvements in signals and sidewalks for exclusive bus use during peak hours. The bus lanes, which run for approximately from just south of Sayreville
Sayreville is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Sayreville is within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, located on the south banks of the Raritan River, and also located on the Raritan Bay. As of the 2010 United Sta ...
in Old Bridge, are the first component of a planned BBS corridor in Monmouth
Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...
and northern Ocean
The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...
counties.[
The southern terminus of the extended BBS corridor would be in Lakewood, which along with adjacent Toms River saw major population between 2000 and 2010 and are now respectively the 7th and 8th largest municipalities in the state by population. As of 2011, a $588 million project for expansion of the segment of Route 9 in the towns was in a "design concept" phase with funding earmarked for 2016-2017 construction. Concurrently, studies are being conducted to explore the possibility of providing rail service to the region. Known as the MOM (Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex) project various alignments are being considered as to where the line would join either the ]Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...
or the North Jersey Coast Line
The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or com ...
.
An extensive analysis by consulting and planning firm Stantec
Stantec Inc. is an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry. The company was founded in 1954, as ''D. R. Stanley Associates'' in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Stantec provides professional consulting servi ...
released in 2010 includes recommendations regarding design, construction, and implementation of the BBS extension. The 2nd phase of the project would start at the project's southern end near the Lakewood Bus Terminal Lakewood Terminal is a regional bus terminal owned and operated by NJ Transit (NJT) at 1st & Lexington Avenues in Lakewood, New Jersey. Bus service includes routes to Atlantic City, Hudson County, New York, Philadelphia, and points at the Jersey S ...
near Route 88. The third phase and final phase would connect the northern and southern segments passing through Freehold Township and proximate towns, where work would include some widening and deepening of the roadbed to handle bus traffic.[
]Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cy ...
buses were introduced in 2015.
Route 22 BBS
An early use of a BBS (originally called a BOS or ''bus on shoulder'' lane) is in Mountainside. Unlike most towns along Route 22, zoning in Mountainside does not allow for much commercial development adjacent to the freeway. For a stretch in the town, the eastbound shoulder on the arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below freeways/motorways on the road hierarchy in terms of traffic flow and speed. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector ro ...
can be used by peak hour buses and allows for queue jumping. In 2009, NJDOT funded construction of two bus turnouts along the road in nearby Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
In 2012, NJDOT regulated the BBS as an exclusive bus lane from 6 to 7:30am.
Studies and proposals
Central Jersey Route 1 Corridor
In 2003, NJT funded a BRT feasibility study to be conducted by STV for Route 1 in Mercer County. After assessments conducted in 2006 NJT and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is the metropolitan planning organization for the Delaware Valley. Created in 1965 by an interstate compact, DVRPC is responsible for transportation and regional planning in the greater Phil ...
(DVRPC) determined that a BRT system would be appropriate and have since authorized various studies. The hub of the Route 1 Corridor BRT system would be Princeton Junction in West Windsor. The two trunks of system which would incorporate some of NJT's 600 series intrastate routes and would radiate from the intersection of the Princeton Branch
The Princeton Branch is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line is a short branch of the Northeast Corridor Line, running from Princeton Junction northwest to Prin ...
rail line and Route 1 freeway. Princeton Junction is served by NJT's Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...
and as well as peak-hour Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
service. Parts of Route 1 are known as the Trenton Freeway and the Brunswick Turnpike in Mercer County, which travels between Trenton and New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
in Middlesex County. While both cities are at the periphery of the system, the core of the Route 1 Corridor BRT would operate within a smaller area and use regional shopping malls as termination/origination points.
Dinky Transitway
The north-south axis of the BRT system would parallel the right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
(ROW) of the Princeton Branch, which runs for just under and is served by a shuttle called the ''Dinky'' between Princeton Junction and Princeton Station, located on the Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
campus. A greenway providing pedestrian and bicycle path
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...
s, as well as exclusive bus lane would be incorporated into the plan. While continued service on the branch is a component of the transitway, relocation of the Princeton Station has been a matter of controversy since at least 2006 when the university announced its intention to construct a new arts center calling for the adaptive re-use of current station house, the shortening of the trackage ROW, and the creation of new terminus to the south. Rail advocates fear that access to the new station would be less convenient, resulting in decreased ridership that would "threaten the train's existence." The proposal has prompted protest from local residents, as well as students, faculty, and alumni and the creation of the organization ''Save the Dinky''. In October 2010, the Princeton Regional Planning Board passed a resolution supporting the continuation of train service. On October 3, 2011, the ''Save the Dinky'' and residents filed suit against the university and NJT to stop the move. Soon after the borough, township, and university entered into a memo of understanding in which the school promises to fund a transit study and provide other benefits in exchange for rezoning for the combine arts/transit project. The station house has been the property of the university since 1984, when it purchased it form NJT, with guarantees of public use. That year it was listed on the state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
(ID#1742) and national
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
registers of historic places. In 2012, NJT requested abandonment of that public use from the State Historic Preservation Office, ''Save the Dinky'' contends that the move would breach the original agreement when the property was transferred, would cause inconvenience, and is poor planning. The university believes it is an improvement and necessary in order to redevelop the neighborhood. In April 2012, the university submitted revised plans for the arts and transit center, which calls for the extension of the station house onto the right of way for possible use as a restaurant. The Regional Planning Board has passed an ordinance requiring the land be preserved for transportation right-of-way that could eventually extend farther into the central business district at Nassau Street. The new station house plans would require the board's approval before construction could start. According to the university, trackage rights
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may con ...
would have to change hands in order for the transitway to implemented.
New Brunswick BRT
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
lies at the heart of Central Jersey
Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, ...
and is a key transit hub for the region. The city is served by Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
and NJT on the Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
, several NJT intrastate bus routes 800 series, the extensive Rutgers Campus bus network, the MCAT shuttle system, DASH buses, Brunsquick shuttles and NYC bound Suburban Trails
Suburban Transit is a bus operator in central New Jersey owned by Coach USA which provides commuter bus service from Mercer, Somerset, and Middlesex County to New York City and local bus service along the New Jersey Route 27
Route 27 is a stat ...
buses.
The hub of the New Brunswick BRT system would be New Brunswick Station
New Brunswick station is a railroad station in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It serves Amtrak and NJ Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor. The station is located at the intersection of Easton Avenue and French and Albany Streets, near the Col ...
in the city's central business district. It is located near the intersection of Route 18 and Route 27 which would function as the two major corridors for bus network that would connect downtown, residential neighborhoods, the five campuses of Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in the city and adjacent Piscataway Piscataway may refer to:
*Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States
*Piscataway language
*Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community
*Piscataway, New Jersey, a township
*Piscataway Creek, Ma ...
, proximate communities, as well as to the proposed Route One BRT system.[
]
Camden-Philadelphia BRT
A BRT system in the Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...
is part of a broader plan to expand a regional multimodal transportation network in adjacent Camden and Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
counties and across the Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
to the city of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Other elements of network would include additions and adjustments to PATCO Hi-Speed Line and Atlantic City Line
The Atlantic City Line (ACL) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit (NJT) in the United States between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage ...
and construction of the Glassboro–Camden Line
The Glassboro–Camden Line (GCL) is a planned diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail, light rail system to be located in South Jersey.
At the northern terminus, the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, New Jersey, Camden, it will conne ...
, an extension or connection to the light rail River LINE. The region is served by NJT buses 400–499
__NOTOC__
Year 499 (Roman numerals, CDXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iohannes without colleague (or, less frequ ...
.
The BRT component would be developed along the heavily traveled corridor comprising I-676, Route 42, and Route 55
The southern end of the system would be a newly constructed park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...
in Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
on Route 55 and an expanded one in Winslow Winslow may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish
* Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974
United States and Canada
* Rural Municipality of Winslo ...
with peak hour buses running at 10–15 minute intervals. Travelling northwest the two lines would converge to pass through downtown Camden, where transfers would be possible for other components of the network, including at the Walter Rand Transportation Center
The Walter Rand Transportation Center is a transportation hub located at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Broadway in Camden, New Jersey. It is served by the River Line, New Jersey Transit buses and Greyhound intercity buses and also includes t ...
. They would then continue over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and ...
, equipped with reversible or contra-flow lane
In transport engineering nomenclature, a counterflow lane or contraflow lane is a lane in which traffic flows in the opposite direction of the surrounding lanes.
Contraflow lanes are often used for bicycles or bus rapid transit on what are o ...
s to a point near Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of the City of Philadelphia. Built in the ornate Second Empire style, City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council and the offices of the Mayor of Philadelphia. It ...
.[ Depending on approval and funding, the BRT system could be completed by 2020.][ In July 2012, NJT received $2.6 million in federal funding to advance the project.
]
Bayonne - Journal Square BRT
The opening of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson ...
(HBLR) in 2000 and the increased use of jitneys, locally known as dollar van
A dollar van (also known as a jitney) is a privately-owned type of bus service used to carry passengers in the United States. Dollar vans are typically modified passenger vans, and often operate in urban neighborhoods that are under-served by pu ...
s, have greatly affected travel patterns in Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
, leading to decreased bus ridership on traditional transit corridors. After studies conducted examine existing systems and to address the changes in public transportation it was determined that BRT systems would be appropriate for certain parts of the densely populated urban core of northeastern New Jersey
The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. While sometimes known as the Newark metropolitan area, it is part of the New York metropolitan ...
.
Kennedy Boulevard runs the entire length of the peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...
that encompasses much of Hudson, its northern and southern sections meeting at Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper ''Jersey Journal'' whose headquarters were located there from 1911 to 2013. The "square" itself is ...
, the traditional hub of the county, and site of the Journal Square Transportation Center
The Journal Square Transportation Center is a multi-modal transportation hub located on Magnolia Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard at Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. Owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and ...
. The boulevard travels south from the square through the Bergen Section and Greenville in Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.[Bergen Point
Bergen Point is a point of land that lends its name to the adjacent neighborhood in Bayonne in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The point is located on the north side of Kill van Kull at Newark Bay. It is the section of the city clos ...]
in Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
. Service along the corridor had been provided by privately operated Coach USA
Coach USA, LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service across the Un ...
on two routes: the #10 local service and the #99s (with continuing service to Jersey City Heights and the PABT). Citing reduced ridership and increased competition the company in late 2011/early 2012, announced that it would abandon the routes. After negotiations service was continued in a diminished form and operated by Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...
under contract with NJT. The company's #4 route was taken over by A&C Bus Corporation. The routes have since returned to Coach USA in June 2021.
The ''Bayonne / Greenville / Journal Square Bus Rapid Transit Study'', funded by NJTPA and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
and conducted by Parsons Brinkerhoff
WSP USA, formerly WSP, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Parsons Brinckerhoff, is a multinational engineering and design firm with approximately 14,000 employees. WSP stands for Williams Sale Partnership. The firm operates in the fields of strategic con ...
, does not propose a dedicated bus ROW for the BRT, but similar to Newark's ''go bus'' or New York's Select Bus Service
Select Bus Service (SBS; stylized as +busservice) is a brand used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Regional Bus Operations for limited-stop bus routes with some bus rapid transit features in New York City. The first SBS route ...
, using city streets. Its ultimate goal is to explore "the feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service along the north-south roadway corridors to improve bus service between Bayonne and Jersey City." It will examine the optimal location of boarding kiosks with scheduling amenities, appropriate vehicles, and branding[ ] and explore possible corridors on Broadway, Avenue C, Garfield Avenue, and Ocean Avenue and connections to the Staten Island-bound S89 bus at the HBLR 34th Street Station.[ As of March 2013, preliminary studies identified Kennedy Boulevard as the best potential corridor perhaps in hybrid route with Bergen Avenue and MLK Drive.
In anticipation of a general increase of activity at ]Port Jersey
Port Jersey, officially the Port Jersey Port Authority Marine Terminal and referred to as the Port Jersey Marine Terminal, is an intermodal freight transport facility that includes a container terminal located on the Upper New York Bay in the P ...
and new development on West Side
West Side or Westside may refer to:
Places Canada
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Westside, Birmingham E ...
and Hackensack Riverront in Jersey City studies are being conducted to transform routes 440
Year 440 (CDXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinianus and Anatolius (or, less frequently, year 1193 ''Ab urbe ...
and 1/9 into a multi-use urban boulevard that includes possible grade separations, meridians, and traffic circle
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...
, thus creating a viable BRT corridor.
As envisioned, the BRT corridor would run from Droyer's Point and reach Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper ''Jersey Journal'' whose headquarters were located there from 1911 to 2013. The "square" itself is ...
via Sip Avenue.
Union ''go bus'' expressway
The proposed Union County ''go bus'' system is part of the planned Liberty Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Service network centered around Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...
.[ The hub of the Union network would be the unused former ]Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...
(CNJ) station in Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
which is adjacent to the NJT's Elizabeth Broad Street Station that is served by the Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...
and the North Jersey Coast Line
The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or com ...
. Proposals call for reconstruction and better integration of the two stations as Midtown Station. The district has been identified as one of the state's major potential transit-oriented development (TOD) centers.
The northern end of the system would travel through Midtown and the parking areas, the terminals, and freight shipping facilities and the North Transit Area at Newark Liberty, (partially following Union County Light Rail route plan that was scrapped in 2006). A spur on this portion would travel to Jersey Gardens
The Mills at Jersey Gardens, originally and also still colloquially called Jersey Gardens, is a two-level indoor outlet mall in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The mall opened on October 21, 1999, and is the largest outlet mall in New Jersey, and much clos ...
, a regional shopping mall.
In a southwesterly direction the system would utilize an abandoned portion of the CNJ's mainline, now the Raritan Valley Line
The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. Th ...
(RVL), right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
between Midtown Station and the Aldene Connection
The Aldene Connection is a connection between two railroad lines in the Aldene neighborhood of Roselle Park, New Jersey, United States, one formerly belonging to the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), the other formerly of the Lehigh Valley R ...
(). A parallel greenway providing pedestrian and bicycle path
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...
s, would be incorporated into the plan. Once joining the RVL the busway would allow for transfers at Cranford Station
Cranford is an active commuter railroad station in the township of Cranford, Union County, New Jersey. Trains operate between High Bridge and Newark Penn Station (with limited trains continuing to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal) o ...
and Garwood Station, where it would end.[ The ''go bus'' expressway would generally parallel ]New Jersey Route 28
Route 28 is a state highway in the central part of New Jersey, United States that is long. Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County while its eastern terminus is at Route 27 in Elizabeth, Union County. ...
[
]
Bergen BRT
While served in part by rail, adjacent Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
counties nonetheless rely heavily on bus mass transit for public transportation. The Passaic-Bergen Rail Line is a now dormant project that would have created a cross-county (east-west) system using DMUs
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
. The Northern Branch Corridor Project
The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposed extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) from its northern terminus into eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, initially proposed in 2001. If built, the new service would use the right-of-w ...
, advanced to environmental impact statement stage, is a planned extension of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson ...
serving the eastern part of region closest to the Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs st ...
. Various studies have been conducted and proposals have been made to create a comprehensive bus network, including the development of BRT routes concentrated in the vicinity of NJ Route 17, a frequently congested commercial and commuter corridor between the Meadowlands Sports Complex
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).
The complex currently consi ...
and the New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
line, running on a southeast-northwest diagonal between NJT's Main
Main may refer to:
Geography
* Main River (disambiguation)
**Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany
* Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province
*"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries
...
-Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and Pascack Valley The Pascack Valley is the name for a region of New Jersey, United States, contained within Bergen County. It is named for the Pascack Brook. The region consists of eight municipalities: Montvale, Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Hillsdale, Westwood ...
rail lines. Of particular focus is the Hackensack/Paramus
Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...
area, where there is a concentration of "activity generators" -shopping malls, colleges, hospitals, and government offices - both north and south of Route 4, an important east-west corridor. The intersection of Routes 4 and 17 is one of the busiest in the world. Largely "built-out", Bergen and Passaic are seeing a trend toward transit oriented development
In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. It promotes a symbiotic relationship between ...
conducive to BRT.
Route 17 Bergen Rapid Transit Study (2006)
In the 2006 final report ''Route 17 Bergen Rapid Transit Study'' STV Incorporated proposed two BRT lines would have originated/terminated at Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was dedi ...
, a major NJT rail interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system that allows passengers to change from one route to another, often without having to leave a station or pay an additional ...
between New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main inter-city rail, intercity railroad station in New York City and the List of busiest railway stations in North America, busiest transportation facilit ...
and Newark Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...
. At the time Access to the Region's Core (ARC), an extensive rail infrastructure project which included new Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
tunnel was in its planning stages with the presumption it would be built.[ ] ARC was canceled in 2010. The Blue Route would have travelled from the northern part of the county and then run express from Hackensack along Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
and the New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
. The Orange Route would have travelled from Paramus through the southern part of the county.[
]
Northeast NJ Metro Mobility Study (2009–2012)
Initiated in 2009 with the participation NJTPA, NJT, and Coach USA
Coach USA, LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service across the Un ...
, a wide-ranging ''Northeast New Jersey Metro Mobility Study'' is examining improvements to bus service in bi-county region and proximate areas in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
, Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
, Rockland and Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. Particular attention is given to the plaza
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
, bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
and bus station
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...
named for George Washington. Potential improvements include new and restructured bus and shuttle routes; vanpool, carpool, or other non-traditional transit programs and subsidies; BBS lanes, queue jumping, and transit signal priority to expedite buses through congested intersections; new or enhanced park and ride facilities and transit hubs; improved passenger facilities and access at bus stops; and informational enhancements and better coordination of various transit services. In 2012, NJDOT allocated nearly $1million in funding.
Bergen Rapid Transit Study (2010)
In 2010, Parsons Brinkerhoff
WSP USA, formerly WSP, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Parsons Brinckerhoff, is a multinational engineering and design firm with approximately 14,000 employees. WSP stands for Williams Sale Partnership. The firm operates in the fields of strategic con ...
's ''Vision Bergen: Blueprint For Our Future Networking Transportation To Make It Work Route 17'' identified a number of trunk and branch BRT routes for the county, and recommended the Blue Route as the best alternative for a pilot project
A pilot study, pilot project, pilot test, or pilot experiment is a small-scale preliminary study conducted to evaluate feasibility, duration, cost, adverse events, and improve upon the study design prior to performance of a full-scale research p ...
. It is estimated that implementing the route would cost $45 million.
Bus Rapid Transit Implementation Study (2012)
In October 2011, NJT said that there is no funding available for implementation of a BRT system, but that a study would establish an "action plan" should any become available. In November 2011 the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the b ...
and NJT agreed jointly fund $600,000 for the ''Bus Rapid Transit Implementation Study'', the purpose of which is to identify two or more BRT routes and enhancements between bus and rail service.[ The study addresses changing travel patterns, particularly the fact that nearly 60% of commuter trips are made within the county.
In June 2014, it was announced that five "preferred" routes had been established. Two originate/terminate at the ]Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving abo ...
, with one travelling along the Hudson Waterfront
The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the Hudson River, the Upper New York Bay and the Kill van Kull. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the contigu ...
and local streets to Garden State Plaza
Garden State Plaza (officially Westfield Garden State Plaza) is a shopping mall located in Paramus, New Jersey. It is owned and managed by Paris-based real estate management company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and located at the intersection of ...
and the other along Route 17 to the Montvale Park & Ride. Two originate/terminate a Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was dedi ...
, one to Bergen Community College
Bergen Community College is a public community college in Bergen County, New Jersey. It was founded in 1965 and opened in 1968. , it is the largest community college in the state, with sites in Paramus, Hackensack, and Lyndhurst and 13,352 stu ...
via Route 17 and one to Englewood Hospital via local streets and the New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
. The fifth route would travel between Broadway Bus Terminal
The Broadway Bus Terminal is a major local and regional bus terminal in Paterson, New Jersey operated by New Jersey Transit.
It is located on Broadway between Memorial Drive and West Broadway in Downtown Paterson, putting it near Passaic County C ...
and George Washington Bridge Bus Station
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authori ...
along Route 4 Parson Brinkerhoof intends to bring out it recommendations from the study in January 2015. In November 2014, it was announced that three potential routes would be studied: In September 2017, a new study was released which identified four (A,B,C,D) preferred BRT routes.
Meadowlands
The New Meadowlands plan was developed in response to the effects of Hurricane Sandy in towns in the New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of N ...
.
The proposed Meadowlands would be a series of berms
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier (usually made of compacted soil) separating areas in a vertical way, especially partway up a long slope. It can serve as a terrace road, track, path, a fortification line, a border/ separation ...
constructed along the perimeter of the Meadowlands District in Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
. The raised areas would provide flood mitigation in the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...
floodplain and would provide new corridors for the development of BRT systems in the region. The first phase, funded with $150 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...
(HUD), will begin with construction of berms in Little Ferry, Moonachie, Carlstadt, and Teterboro in 2014-2015.
Evaluation of Next Generation BRT Services in the NJTPA Region (2014)
In 2014 the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) is the federally authorized metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the 13-county northern New Jersey region, one of three MPOs in the state. NJTPA's annual budget is more than $2&nb ...
completed a study for guidance for the implementation of BRT and BRT-like services along previously-identified potential BRT corridors in North Jersey
North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrativ ...
. The analysis considers various types of systems and conditions such as: urban, suburban, grade separated, and rural/hybrid rights of ways.
References
External links
*
NJT Facts at Glance
NYU analysis
*
{{USBRT
NJ Transit Bus Operations
Bus transportation in New Jersey
Surface transportation in Greater New York