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fasda t1_ix9x39r wrote

NJ Transit's entire yearly capital improvement budget is 2.6 billion. we could probably build an entire new rail line for 10.7 billion.

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Nexis4Jersey t1_ixa5s6t wrote

For 10 billion you can get all the projects listed below

  • Northern Branch LRT - 8 mi - 8 Stations
  • Glassboro LRT - 18 mi - 14 Stations
  • Newark-Paterson LRT - 24 mi - 20 stations
  • Newark-Elizabeth-Cranford LRT - 12 mi - 16 stations
  • MOM Rail Network - 2 lines - 54 mi - 15 stations
  • West Trenton Line - 24 mi - 6 stations
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Alchohlica t1_ixabxa4 wrote

Well let’s go get Pete Buttige on the phone, he loves trains

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wipeyourtears t1_ixajtj4 wrote

There is significant opposition to Glassboro LRT. Many nimbys oppose and its going to be doa

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sirusfox t1_ixb8on9 wrote

What don't NIMBYs oppose? They hate roads being built, they hate transit being built, they hate buses, and they hate traffic.

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Nexis4Jersey t1_ixbvtuk wrote

Only 2 towns oppose it , the rest support it...and its in the funding phase..

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specialgravity t1_ixazgzj wrote

I’m so sick of how much things cost in this fucking state. Why is France able to build capital projects for a fraction of the price in much less time with all their unions?

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fasda t1_ixazneg wrote

they don't have subcontractors for every little thing and projects like this are just infrastructure not a jobs program.

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specialgravity t1_ixb4eb2 wrote

K can we do that

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fasda t1_ixb5nk1 wrote

yeah its possible but leadership would have to choose to do so and they're happy with it.

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Manadox t1_ixd6bpe wrote

You could not be further from the truth. France is one of the few countries were a majority of roads are privately managed.

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crustang t1_ixcgevk wrote

their permitting and inspection process is way less cumbersome than ours.. we have layers upon layers of regulation, the French don't

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sue_me_please t1_ixbi41w wrote

Graft and it turns out that for-profit companies given free reign to do what they want are not the most efficient at everything there is, like this.

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doglywolf t1_ix9z79j wrote

Studies have shown its actually about half that .

I mean studies actually show about 2.7 billion but somehow when the started it a few years back - it was up over a billion before they even finished phase 1 of 6 staging that was only supposed to cost 200 million MAX with that including delays . Delays had entire staffs sitting around doing almost nothing for weeks or months - no one called them off stopped anything.

Someone should of gone to jail for that but it was barely a media .....200 million dollars in payroll for thousands of works and tons of supplies that sat around for months doing nothing but collecting checks.

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Hellnugget19 t1_ixas33z wrote

> tons of supplies that sat around for months doing nothing

This happens a lot. My old job had at least a million dollars worth of datacenter equipment just sitting around for over a year waiting for "resources" (eg. people they refused to hire more of and time they demanded be spent elsewhere). Then they got bought out by a much larger company and suddenly it was very important that the months-long process of standing up the new in parallel, testing, fixing, cutting over, fixing more, and decommissioning the old be completed in two weeks. Buncha clowns.

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storm2k t1_ixd2qx2 wrote

truthfully, njt probably would need 20-30 billion to get all of its lines in a state of good repair and electrified which would be a good first step that will never get realized unfortunately.

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acoursen t1_ixa6k5a wrote

But in what way is NJ Transit connected to NJTA? They aren't, and each have their own budgets and revenue streams to address what each entity is responsible for in regards to M&O and capitol programs. So ones spending spree, no matter the proposed use, has no affect on the needs or wants of other agencies.

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fasda t1_ixaa424 wrote

The money is from the people of NJ and run by our state. If the TA is profligate in their spending then they should have some of their money sent to others like NJ transit who could invest it more wisely.

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acoursen t1_ixad17g wrote

Well the out of starters driving thru also contribute. All the toll money, train and bus passes don't go into one bucket to be freely shared. And if you think NJ Transit could manage the money better, then you are the only one.

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fasda t1_ixaqevf wrote

and for causing traffic in our state they can subsidize our public transportation.

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HobbitFoot t1_ixcjkeb wrote

They do now.

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fasda t1_ixdi2er wrote

Are you sure? there doesn't seem to be a mention of it on their budget. Granted I only read the summary of the expenses.

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HobbitFoot t1_ixdjyfi wrote

The 2022 Budget in Brief Page 13 has three lines: 2016 State Transportation Projects Funding Agreement, 2021 State Transportation Projects Funding Agreement, and Proposed Gateway Project Tunnel.

The transfers are large enough to be in the summary.

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Alchohlica t1_ixabqsa wrote

I think I read somewhere the Fed won’t allow them to move their revenue to the state only allowing it for roads

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jimmybot OP t1_ixaih91 wrote

NJTA doesn't receive Federal funding. In fact, a drop in the bucket when we're talking statewide line items, but NJTA is sending a few hundred million per year to NJTransit. The state is free to do as it pleases with NJTA revenue as long as it is able to make payments on its bonds.

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Alchohlica t1_ixajtj8 wrote

Ah ok, I just remembered them saying they hey could sell bonds to like Arkansas or something for turnpikes

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fasda t1_ixaeyce wrote

Can the TA invest their money in bonds? if they can have NJtransit issue bonds and then we are in business.

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SadMasterpiece7019 t1_ixaista wrote

This is why people are calling to disband the NJTA.

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acoursen t1_ixal613 wrote

Really? That would be unwise. Bitch all you want about any proposal such as this, but it is a fairly well run agency.

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SadMasterpiece7019 t1_ixaqwg4 wrote

How so? $10 billion boondoggles aside, of course.

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acoursen t1_ixatbmk wrote

I don't see anyone bitching about the 6 to 9 widening or the GSP widening that took place over the last decade, and in some cases under budget. They have a 10 year, $24B capital program they are on now that includes widening from Exit 4 to Delaware. Not to mention all the old bridges being repaired or replaced - all the while keeping the operations of each road moving fairly well. And whatever is being planned for this extension will take 20-30 years to be completed, at best. So future planning that may not make a whole lot of sense now, still need to be made and we can't just be thinking for today. North Jersey wouldn't be North Jersey without the infrastructure to make it happen. Yet we keep spitting out more people who need to move around, so instead of waiting for the Jetsons to show us the way that is better, we need to keep improving what we have.

So, back to your question, who would take over these decisions and planning/design processes? What other agency in your eyes would perform better and for less money, while keeping the economic engine of the region performing at it's highest level?

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SadMasterpiece7019 t1_ixaumml wrote

Highway widening doesn't work. Induced demand has been known for decades. All the NJTA has in their capital plan is highway widening. It's an agency staffed by engineers, funding engineers.

Are you downvoting my replies? lol

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acoursen t1_ixawvkl wrote

That's correct, to an extent. It's also a prime mover behind sprawl that is an issue. Water under the bridge in NJ. But it takes multi-faceted solutions that has to be accepted and used. Mass transit needs to be better used, but that's not the prime mission of the Turnpike Authority. And what was good for a population in the 40's and 50's isn't going to satisfy the population of now and for the 60-70 ensuing years.

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p4177y t1_ixax0ho wrote

> $10 billion boondoggles aside, of course.

Would you prefer they not update estimates for capital projects instead? It's not like they've put contracts out to bid.

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