John Hennessy III,
P.E.
TRI-STATE TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGN
The most dangerous places for people to walk are wide, high‐speed roads designed to move as many cars as fast as possible, with little if any consideration for pedestrians. In New Jersey, downstate New York, and Connecticut, nearly two‐thirds of regional pedestrian fatalities occur on multi‐lane thoroughfares known as arterials, like the Burlington Pike running along the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, and the Hempstead Turnpike bisecting Nassau County.
AMTRAK
Increased traffic and congestion into midtown Manhattan threatens the economy of northern New Jersey and New York City. The existing 100-year old rail tunnels into midtown Manhattan are already operating at capacity during rush hour, and ridership is expected to double in the next two decades. To address these immediate concerns following the cancellation of the ARC Tunnel project and with the encouragement of Senator Lautenberg, Amtrak expedited its plans to build new rail tunnels.
REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION
This crucial link between air travel and economic prosperity is threatened by a lack of adequate capacity in the region’s aviation system, including air space, airports and landside connections. This is manifested in flight delays that greatly exceed those of every other major airport in the United States. These delays cost the region hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost wages and business income.
TRI-STATE TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGN
With some of the oldest infrastructure in the country, New Jersey has its work cut out maintaining the state’s roads and bridges. More than 9,500 bridges cross the state’s numerous waterways or lift traffic over roads, highways, and railroad tracks. The state currently spends hundreds of millions annually in federal, state, and local funding to maintain those bridges and ensure that they remain safe to cross, with the state portion coming out of the primary state transportation funding source, Transportation Trust Fund.
REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION
The most widely accepted definition of “sustainability” comes from the United Nations’ Brundtland Commission 1987 report “Our Common Future.” They define sustainable development as “… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This is obviously an extremely broad concept – at some level, it touches on everything relating to land-use and planning.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s decision to cancel the proposed commuter trans-Hudson rail tunnel (ARC) offers another example of a resolve by the new wave of fiscally conservative governors to rein in spending on public works that, in their judgment, present an unacceptable level of risk and cost. While Christie’s decision was widely condemned as shortsighted by members of the infrastructure lobby, it was supported as fiscally prudent by a majority of New Jersey voters. (By a margin of 51 to 39 percent according to a Rutgers University poll).
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Tunnels are safe structures. Every day many tens of thousands use them without incidence. However, tunnel safety cannot be taken for granted.
Tunnel Engineers from throughout the USA will come together to share individual, practical experiences and will join an audience of leading contractors and cutting edge solution providers to identify best practice in the design and operation of tunnels across the country.
View this complete post...Over the weekend, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie abruptly halted work on the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project, saying he needed greater assurances that the $8.7 billion commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River could be delivered on budget. This has left transit advocates and New Jersey commuters wondering if the Governor is focused on reducing costs, or whether he intends to cancel one of the nation’s most important transit improvements. We’re all waiting with bated breath.
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According to InfrastructureUSA’s Steve Anderson, “We need a new pair of shoes and we’ve got to put the money in. We’ve got to recognize what our priorities are, and we have to demand that those people who we have entrusted with the management of these assets come up with plans that we will then agree to fund.”
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Kate Slevin is an activist and urban planner who joined the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in 2002 as the organization’s spokesperson, moving to the position of associate director in 2003 and executive director in 2007. Under Kate’s direction, TSTC has increased its operating budget by 30%, catalyzed transportation reform in Connecticut, developed new programs to empower local communities in Newark, and helped pass legislation in New York State that led to $2 billion in new funding for public transportation. She is the editor of the acclaimed Mobilizing the Region blog which tracks regional transportation news and opinion.
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