New Jersey-2016-SR49-Introduced

A Senate Resolution urging the inclusion of the "Bergen Loop" option in the proposed Hudson River rail tunnel project.

Whereas, Built in 1910, the Hudson River rail tunnel serves as a critical rail passenger crossing between New Jersey and Manhattan, and is essential to local and regional economies and the daily commute of over 200,000 New Jersey residents; and

Whereas, The Hudson River rail tunnel is one of the busiest sections of railway on the Northeast Corridor, which connects Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts, as the tunnel serves both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains; and

Whereas, Due to the tunnel's aging infrastructure, the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, and the limited years of viability that remain, Amtrak has proposed the inclusion of a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel in the larger rail transportation project, known as the Gateway Program, which will increase rail capacity along the Northeast Corridor and accommodate future rail passenger demand for both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit; and

Whereas, In addition to the proposed Hudson River rail tunnel, Amtrak considered including a "Bergen Loop" option, also known as the Secaucus Loop, which would allow New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley line and Main-Bergen County line to loop into to the Northeast Corridor at the Secaucus Junction rail station; and

Whereas, The Pascack Valley and Main-Bergen County lines provide service to rail riders commuting from Passaic and Bergen counties, and despite the counties close proximity to New York City, these two lines do not have direct service to New York Pennsylvania Station; and

Whereas, Currently, rail riders on the Pascack Valley line and Main-Bergen lines seeking to commute into New York City are required to change trains at the Secaucus Junction rail station, but, the inclusion of the "Bergen Loop" option into the Gateway Program would allow rail riders to eliminate the transfer and save 15 to 20 minutes during their commute; and

Whereas, The "Bergen Loop" option was originally included in New Jersey Transit's, now cancelled, trans-Hudson rail tunnel project, the Access to Region's Core or ARC tunnel project; and

Whereas, This house finds that it is in the best interest of the citizens of this State for the "Bergen Loop" option, which will connect the Main-Bergen County and Pascack Valley Lines to the Northeast Corridor, to be included in the Gateway Program, thereby providing direct access to New York City and improving the commute of thousands of New Jersey residents; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This house respectfully urges the United States Department of Transportation, Amtrak, the New Jersey Transit Corporation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to consider "Bergen Loop" option, which provides rail service connections for the New Jersey Transit Corporation's Pascack Valley and Main-Bergen County Lines to the Northeast Corridor, in the proposed Hudson River rail tunnel project, known as the Gateway Program.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Secretary of Transportation, the Chief Executive Officer of Amtrak, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, the Chairman of the Board Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and every member of congress elected from the State of New Jersey.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges the inclusion of the "Bergen Loop" option in the proposed Hudson River rail tunnel project.

The Hudson River rail tunnel serves as a critical rail passenger crossing between New Jersey and Manhattan. The Hudson River rail tunnel is one of the busiest sections of railway on Northeast Corridor, which connects Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts, and serves both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains. Due to the tunnel's aging infrastructure, the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, and the limited years of viability that remain, Amtrak has proposed the inclusion of a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel as a part of larger transportation project, known as the Gateway Program, which will increase rail capacity along the Northeast Corridor and accommodate future rail passenger demand for both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit.

Amtrak has also considered including a "Bergen Loop" option, also known as the Secaucus Loop, which would allow New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley line and Main-Bergen County line to loop into to the Northeast Corridor at the Secaucus Junction rail station. Currently, rail riders on the Pascack Valley line and Mani-Bergen County line seeking to commute into New York City are required to change trains at the Secaucus Junction rail station. Inclusion of the "Bergen Loop" option into the Gateway Program would allow rail riders to eliminate the transfer and save 15 to 20 minutes during their commute.

The "Bergen Loop" option was originally included in New Jersey Transit's, now cancelled, trans-Hudson rail tunnel project, the Access to Region's Core or ARC tunnel project. It is in the best interest of the citizens of this State for the "Bergen Loop" option, which will connect the Main-Bergen County and Pascack Valley Lines to the Northeast Corridor, to be included in the Gateway Program, thereby providing direct access to New York City and improving the commute of thousands of New Jersey residents.