“Where’s my bus?” The answer to that question is getting considerably easier for thousands of New Jersey bus riders as NJ Transit rolls out its new “My Bus” program, which takes much of the guesswork out [...]]]>

NJ Transit's "My Bus" website allows riders to see the closest bus stops to a given address.

“Where’s my bus?” The answer to that question is getting considerably easier for thousands of New Jersey bus riders as NJ Transit rolls out its new “My Bus” program, which takes much of the guesswork out of scheduling a trip.

Schedules are also available through "My Bus" via text.

My Bus, which launched in October, allows riders to find out when the next bus is arriving just by picking up their phone. Every bus stop in the state has a 5-digit ID number, which riders simply have to send via text message to “MyBus” (69287) or call 973-275-5555. The agency will respond via text with the routes and times for at least three of the next scheduled trips at that stop.

To publicize the program, NJ Transit is installing new My Bus signs at stops statewide that display the bus stop ID along with instructions for how to use the system. For now, the agency is in the process of installing the My Bus signs one county at a time, but riders can find their stop ID, as well as a map of local stops by visiting www.njTransit.com/mybus. Sign installation is complete in Atlantic County and underway in Morris County, and every stop in the state will have a label by January 2012.

So far, My Bus averages about 1,000 requests per day, and that number will only grow as the agency rolls out more signage at its 19,000 stops.

Images: Top – screenshot of NJ Transit site. Bottom – TSTC.

New Jersey [...]]]>

Borrowing against the toll revenue which would have been used to fund ARC would result in a capital plan about half the size of 2010's if the funding was spread out over 3 years -- or a plan one-third the size of 2010's if it was spread out over 5 years.

New Jersey is still reeling from the recent cancellation of the ARC tunnel project, which would have doubled train access to Manhattan. As Governor Christie and transit officials reviewed the project prior to the final determination, transportation advocates and industry experts speculated the move was, in part, an effort to use NJ’s $1.25 billion ARC obligation to replenish the state’s beleaguered transportation capital fund, the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF). The ARC funds were generated through a toll increase under the Corzine administration and are at the Governor’s disposal, but a TSTC analysis shows that cannibalizing America’s largest public works investment won’t be nearly enough to give NJ the capital plan it needs.

The Coming Crisis

As of July 1, 2011, every cent of the $895 million in incoming gas tax and other revenue which pays for transportation will go to debt service, meaning the TTF will be completely broke, without the ability to bond. Without new revenue, NJ will not have a capital plan. Raiding the ARC funds might have looked like an attractive source of revenue for a Governor adamantly opposed to increasing taxes, tolls or fees (unless you count transit fare hikes…). But a closer look shows how infeasible this proposal is.

Why ARC Funds Can’t Fill the Gap

First, the state is required to repay about $270 million to the federal government for work already completed on ARC, so the state’s $1.25 billion looks a bit more like $980 million. Next, NJ generally approves a 5-year transportation capital plan, further parsing out the funds at hand. In an early October legislative hearing, the Treasurer said Gov. Christie will present a 3- to 5-year plan.

A former high-level NJDOT official confirmed that in a best-case scenario, current bonding rates have the potential to generate a 3x multiplier. What does all this mean?  It means that with a continued 1-to-1 federal match and ARC money alone as principal,  NJ could use bonds to leverage a 5-year, $1.2 billion/year capital plan, or a 3-year, $1.9 billion/year plan. Either would be minuscule compared to New Jersey’s current level of investment; the 2010 capital program is $3.6 billion.

The Need to Invest

According to NJDOT, it will cost the state $846 million each year just to stop the spread of structurally deficient bridges, and $1 billion in capital improvements — such as track repair and new trains and buses — to bring NJ Transit into a state of good repair. Road repairs will cost additional hundreds of millions of dollars. These are goals NJ will not be able to meet with a diminished capital plan. For the average New Jerseyan, this will mean continued traffic due to slowed construction projects, dangerous intersections for drivers and pedestrians that will remain hazardous, bridges that continue to degrade and weaken, and increased NJ Transit delays caused by old wires, tracks, trains and buses.

In principle, using increased Turnpike Authority contributions for the TTF could be a boon to the fund’s stability —  but relying solely on ARC funds to replenish the fund will require hundreds of millions of dollars in new debt and will not cover the cost of NJ’s transportation needs. During the press conference where he announced the cancellation of ARC, Gov. Christie said he would release a plan for the TTF by the end of this year, but his vehement anti-tax stance has advocates and industry wondering what other options he can turn to.

After the jump, a few more details on the ARC math:

Taking to the streets with cameras and imagination, 45 Newark high school interns participated in a two-day exercise with TSTC to re-envision downtown Newark as a “great place” for residents and visitors. The exercise is a result of an on-going partnership with the Greater Newark Conservancy’s Newark Youth Leadership Project. [...]]]>

Reworked Newark plans

Taking to the streets with cameras and imagination, 45 Newark high school interns participated in a two-day exercise with TSTC to re-envision downtown Newark as a “great place” for residents and visitors. The exercise is a result of an on-going partnership with the Greater Newark Conservancy’s Newark Youth Leadership Project. Previous exercises have focused on traffic calming along the Newark section of the East Coast Greenway and around Broad Street Station, and have led to tangible improvements such as better pedestrian signage and more visible crosswalks.

This year’s program was called “Reworking Newark” to encourage students to take a fresh look at their city and develop a new vision of downtown life. After a two-day session including classroom discussions, a walking tour and role playing exercise, the interns suggested more murals and public art, doubling the number of streetlights, expanded express bus service similar to GoBus, a nightclub for teens and more diverse retail and dining options.  This would help make Newark a “great place” to spend time.

Unsightly alley

Students noted that their favorite places -such as Montclair, Hoboken and Teaneck – were all clean, safe places with trees and grass, “happy” people and plenty of things to do. Places they identified as “lousy” were dirty, dangerous and loud with abandoned buildings, vacant lots, anti-social people and a lack of attractions. Many students felt Newark was in this category.

For a walking tour exercise,  students were broken into groups – transportation, retail, human services, housing and parking, parks, culture and art, and streetscape – and tasked to look at Newark’s University Heights neighborhood through that lens.  When they rejoined, the students participated in a role-playing exercise as stakeholders and decision makers involved in the redevelopment process: the “mayor’s office” ran the charette, “city council” focused on the economic development components, “city planners” made sure that the land uses fit together, “transportation engineers” ensured it was easy to get to and around the neighborhoods, “parks department” made new parks and improved existing greenspace, and “neighbors” represented the interests of the residents living in the community.

The value of this partnership is that it reminds Newark’s youth that they are catalysts for positive change and that the prosperity of Newark rests in their hands.  The student’s ideas will be sent to Newark’s Mayor Booker and the city council.

Yesterday MTR obtained a copy of a letter sent to NJDOT Commissioner Jim Simpson from the NJ Turnpike Authority earlier this month, requesting that the current HOV lanes on the NJ Turnpike between exits 11 and 14 be converted to general purpose lanes. [...]]]>

Interchange 11 connects the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

Yesterday MTR obtained a copy of a letter sent to NJDOT Commissioner Jim Simpson from the NJ Turnpike Authority earlier this month, requesting that the current HOV lanes on the NJ Turnpike between exits 11 and 14 be converted to general purpose lanes. Signed by outgoing Authority Director Diane Scaccetti, the letter sites a change in federal air pollutant criteria, driver confusion, and a bottleneck in the heavily trafficked segment as grounds for removing the carpool restrictions, and suggests that the Authority can maintain its “commitment to reduce traffic congestion … and do its part to improve the environment” by building a 400-space park-and-ride lot at Exit 11 in Woodbridge.

The HOV lanes were established in 1996, after the Turnpike Authority widened the highway, as part of a “mitigation agreement” to reduce impacts on air quality. They are in effect only during peak hours and can be used by vehicles with at least three occupants. They provide carpooling commuters a less congested roadway, incentivizing an inexpensive and sustainable form of transportation for those traveling to areas poorly served by transit.  Similarly, buses use the lanes to ensure they reach their destinations on time.

What private or public transit services would stop at the park-and-ride are not explained in the letter. But it would not make up for the loss of the HOV lanes, which would likely hurt transit ridership by giving riders longer, less predictable commutes. A state transportation official suggested to MTR that a new lot might even increase driving by drawing transit customers out of nearby NJ Transit rail stations, such as Metropark, Woodbridge, and Edison.

Scaccetti’s assertion that the air quality problem that prompted the HOV designation “is no longer an issue” simply because federal guidelines have changed says it all when it comes to NJTA’s “commitment” to the environment. This is the same authority that is currently widening the Turnpike between exits 6-9, the Parkway between exits 63-80, and has long-term plans to further widen both roads.

Image: Google Maps.

The first of 42 “Corner Cars” roll onto the streets of Hoboken this Wednesday, kicking off what city officials say is the nation’s first city-wide car sharing program: 90% of residents will live within a five-minute walk of a shared vehicle. The city estimates that [...]]]>

A vehicle from Hertz's Connect car-sharing service.

The first of 42 “Corner Cars” roll onto the streets of Hoboken this Wednesday, kicking off what city officials say is the nation’s first city-wide car sharing program: 90% of residents will live within a five-minute walk of a shared vehicle. The city estimates that the program has the potential to remove 750 cars from Hoboken streets in the first year, meaning less carbon in the air and less traffic on the roads.

According to the Census Bureau’s 2006-08 American Community Survey data, 64% of employed Hoboken residents take transit or walk to work. The car-share program will give many of them the option to give up a personal car and save money while doing so. Rates will start at $5 an hour.

As city spokesman Juan Melli put it, “We’re attacking parking from the demand side, where previously people just looked at the supply side. This is like building a huge parking garage that doesn’t cost anything.” It’s actually far better, from both a revenue and an urban perspective. Hertz will pay the city $100 a month for each Corner Car parking spot, generating at least $50,000 in annual city revenue at a time when all municipal budgets are stretched thin. And the city won’t have to devote more real estate to parking, helping it maintain its walkable character.

Hoboken has consistently proven itself a leader in implementing innovative and sustainable transportation programs that make it safe and easy for residents to cycle, walk, take transit or drive. In fact, it was the first NJ municipality to get Zipcar service back in 2002. Melli said he hopes other New Jersey cities will see the benefits of creative transportation demand management and adopt similar policies.

Photo: Via Hertz Connect.

The award is well deserved looking at recent [...]]]> NJ has been making great strides toward bike-ability in recent years, and was recently ranked 8th in the nation for bicyclists according to the American Bicyclists. It was New Jersey’s best showing in the three years the group has released its annual Bicycle Friendly State rankings.

The award is well deserved looking at recent progress by both the state and advocates, including NJDOT’s adoption of a Complete Streets Policy, the first New Jersey Bicycle Summit, a surge in community bike groups in cities like Asbury Park, Montclair, Newark, South Orange / Maplewood, and  Trenton, and the launch of NJ’s first statewide bike advocacy organization, the NJ Bicycle Coalition. WalkBikeJersey’s Andy B has more details of how New Jersey has supported biking in recent years.

While the state is progressing, there is still much room for improvement. The League of American Bicyclists points to education and enforcement as weaknesses. In the education category, New Jersey tied for 31st with Oklahoma and South Carolina – states with significantly lower population density and fewer cyclists. While the state has some education programs for children like the NJ Bike School, the ranking points to the state’s lack of adult education and adult-oriented materials.

The ranking also makes one cognizant of the lack of safe cycling routes in the United States. New Jersey ranked third in the country for infrastructure investment, and while the state is certainly making progress, it has a ways to go before it is a bicycling utopia.

Image: Via League of American Bicyclists.