The never-ending study
March 16th 2007 01:11 pm
Here’s a news item from the Asbury Park Press about MOM and ARC:
NJ Transit’s board of directors today approved a $2.4 million addition to a contract with Systra Contracting to consider the effect of building a second Hudson River tunnel and extending one-seat service to New York on the proposed Middlesex-Ocean-Monmouth rail line.
Systra, of Bloomfield, is working on a draft environmental impact study for MOM, which now would examine how extending the line through the proposed Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel would affect ridership, station size and parking needs.
The original contract for the study was awarded in 2001, and the study is tentatively set to be completed in late 2008.
I have to wonder why it’s taking seven years to do this study.
Jishnu Mukerji responded on 17 Mar 2007 at 1:53 pm #
I wonder if the conclusions of the study might change due to the change in leadership at NJT, and of coursse also due to the additional information about ridership that is now available.
coffeelen responded on 17 Mar 2007 at 5:29 pm #
A consultant’s dream project. Study it to death for millions. I’m in the wrong business.
By the way, the Blog looks nice and it was easy to register and navigate–even for a Luddite like me! Nice job, Bob.
Lester Wolff responded on 17 Mar 2007 at 6:33 pm #
Bob and Len:
The edit function works.
Len: I changed your comment and made Luddite a proper noun with a capital “L”.
les
E-44 responded on 17 Mar 2007 at 10:30 pm #
Hey, let’s take it easy on consultants, OK?
Daniel Green responded on 18 Mar 2007 at 9:27 pm #
This study has taken so long because it was becoming evident that the computer model being used by NJ Transit’s consultant was yielding skewed ridership numbers, and that the result would inaccurately favor the Freehold-Matawan alignment. Moreover, that alignment had already been developed as the southern segment of the Henry Hudson Trail at an expenditure of over $2 million by Monmouth County. Monmouth and Ocean Counties strongly favor the Monmouth Junction alignment, and they teamed up to demand that the computer model be altered to show potential ridership more impartially on all three proposed alignments. The two counties realized that this would substantially prolong the DEIS, but the stakes were so high that they decided it was worth the delay. They selected their own consultant and got NJ Transit to approve. Sure enough, the ridership figures now being generated do seem to indicate that the Monmouth Junction alignment (the “true” MOM), will not only serve the most destinations, but will generate the highest ridership and can also get riders to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time. We do want our MOM, but we want our true MOM and not just a stepmother.
jb9152 responded on 21 Mar 2007 at 1:23 pm #
One correction to what was written by Mr. Green. The ridership model is built and maintained by NJ TRANSIT, not a consultant, as far as I know.
Also, the study is being revised to take into account the affect of possible one-seat ride service into New York via the ARC project.