ARC: The new trans-hudson train tunnel from N.J. to Manhattan. Video on the project

[miketoronto]

Check out the project on the ARC project at

http://arctunnel.com/video/


The website has great information in addition to the video.
This is a great project, as it puts the focus on maintaining Manhattan as the centre of the region, and improving transit to do this.

[Justin10000]

Yeah, I highly doubt Newark will take Manhattan's place anytime soon.

This is needed. The current entry points are at capacity.

[Swede]

Great video. Which they'd do a similar one for the commuterrailtunnel they're starting to dig here.

Only doubt I'd have about the project is... connecting it eastward? wouldn't that be a good idea?

[J. Will]

They were considering adding two new tracks in each direction, but are only going with one new track in each direction. Hopefully there will be room to add another new track each way eventually. The video says ridership will double over the next 20 years, which would mean if it's already at capacity it will be again in 20 years, unless they start using larger trains.

[lazar22b]

Cool video and great project. It is very needed

However, if they are at capacity now, and are projecting the amount of people taking the train to double by 2020 is there any more immediate relief? This project isn't finished until 2017. By that time, won't they be near capacity once again. Seems like they should have just gone ahead with two double track tunnels rather then single track.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by lazar22b

Cool video and great project. It is very needed

However, if they are at capacity now, and are projecting the amount of people taking the train to double by 2020 is there any more immediate relief?

Yes, it is currently impossible to add new rush hour trains from NJ into Penn during peak rush hour, which is why they are doing the second tunnel.

Here's what NJ Transit is doing to cope until the tunnel opens:

1. Ordering only double-decker rail cars (about halfway completed).

2. Lengthening platforms at Penn and at key suburban stations (design completed, some funding, but no construction date).

3. Adding a new South Concourse at Penn to handle crowds (design completed, no funding or construction date).

[tdawg]

Cool video and a visionary project. I'd love to see this built in conjunction with the new Moynihan Station.

[Lecom]

That's great!

[theWatusi]

Sweet. Maybe the prospect of a one seat ride into Penn will increase the chance of service to Scranton/Wilkes Barre and the Lehigh Valley.

[sciguy0504]

Can someone confirm this is now on-hold? If so, that would be a major disappointment.

[J. Will]

N.J. halts new work on $8.7B N.Y.-N.J. tunnel project due to budget issues

[volguus zildrohar]

Following some links I came across this. Apparently some fol;ks don't see the tunnel as a good thing for NJ.

[Nexis4Jersey]

I used to be for this Project , but now i think its a waste. I rather have them expand Hoboken Terminal and Build a New station in the NJ Gold Coast. I think this project was poorly planned & should have been killed years ago.

[texcolo]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

Following some links I came across this. Apparently some fol;ks don't see the tunnel as a good thing for NJ.

Wow. I can't really understand that line of thinking at all. How is New Jersey getting screwed by this?

If the current tunnel is over 100 years old... something has to be done.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Originally Posted by texcolo

Wow. I can't really understand that line of thinking at all. How is New Jersey getting screwed by this?

If the current tunnel is over 100 years old... something has to be done.

The Current Plan is too Flawed and Now Amtrak Plans on Expanding Capacity / New Tunnels. I rather have this money go to Expanding Newark & Hoboken Terminals which both need more Capacity.

[M II A II R II K]

Political Will Disappearing, New Jersey’s ARC Project Could be On the Way Out


http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...n-the-way-out/

Just to be clear from the start, there are a lot of things to dislike about New Jersey’s Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project. Despite an expected construction cost of $8.7 billion, it won’t provide New Jerseyans a direct ride to Manhattan’s east side but instead duplicate the existing path to Penn Station. Instead of taking advantage of excess capacity at that west side terminal, the project will force customers into a massive (and very expensive) new terminal deep underground.

Even so, the expansion of direct commuter rail services from New Jersey into Manhattan will represent a significant mobility benefit for a large percentage of the suburban workforce, now required to make time-consuming transfers to get into New York’s central business district. Nine miles of new tunnels under the Palisades and Hudson River would double train capacity and allow NJ Transit to shuttle in by commuter rail almost 100,000 additional commuters daily by 2018. And there is evidence that many of the flaws of the program’s design are either unchangeable or could be improved upon in coming years.

Those big expansions in service promised by the project make this week’s 30-day shutdown of the project by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) quite disappointing. Citing fears that the state cannot afford the project and that construction costs will continue to mount, Mr. Christie called a moratorium on the awarding of new contracts.

[NYonward]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Political Will Disappearing, New Jersey’s ARC Project Could be On the Way Out

Christie is being very short-sighted here. This article uses cost as the reason this project should be discontinued and then goes on to name 'worthy' additions to the project that would significantly increase the cost. Just stupid. New Jersey voters will get exactly what they deserve with this new governor.

[Marv95]

You people aren't looking at it from a Jersey perspective. Yeah, although we're broke, let's spend several billion on a useless tunnel that only benefits NYC in the long term rather than focusing on transit issues in our own backyard.

[J. Will]

If it is technically unfeasible to have the new tunnels serve Penn Station and then continue on to Grand Central, I wonder if they could have had them just go to Grand Central instead (with deeper tunnels that could run under the water lines and such). Then they could have some trains go to Penn, and some to Grand Central. The new LIRR tunnels are supposed to do the same thing - have some trains serve the one station, and some the other.

It seems that would have made more sense than just increasing capacity to Penn. It would give commuters more options. There's probably a lot more office space around GCT anyways - I'm sure that area is the eventual destination of many commuters now.

[Nexis4Jersey]

There was an original plan to just build new tunnels , but somewhere along the line they revised it and added a station which i think is unnecessary....