I'd say the next week or two should be good.

This twitter account posts updates every day or so with how Cherry Blossoms look when they're in season. I believe the Cherry Blossom welcome center in the park has "meter" outside show the state of the bloom.

I'm going to assume city but that's just an assumption.

I remember in one neighborhood seeing two trash cans in reasonable proximity to each other, that weren't full, where people were electing to place their trash into a local community newspaper dispenser instead. As expected it was falling out of onto the street.. smh

I will say there are a few, emphasis on few, neighborhoods where there are ample trash cans but people still littler anyway.

NJ Transit also has equipment washes at MMC and Hoboken.

It is an odd choice. On the other hand it does lend itself it to possible connections with 37, 107 and CoachUSA 24 bus lines and opens up redevelopment opportunities should Newark decide to go that route.

In the 1970's the Port Authority flirted with extending service all the way to Plainfield, via the NEC and CNJ RoW. Some concerns got in the way and eventually when they got the green light, but by then they had lost interested in the project.

Wanted to go but I had another thing to do that day.

When I have personally ridden that section of the line it does seem from my perspective compared to the traffic on NJ 440 we appear to be operating at that speed or a comparable speed.

As far as I'm aware from documentation I've seen and my personal experience, on the Bayonne Branch south of Danforth Avenue trains operate at a max speed of 55-56mph. I was able to double check a NJDOT State Safety Oversight document from 2021. It states "The HBLR operation is bi-directional with reverse signaling. The Available speeds for operation are in increments between 5 and 55-mph. Two additional speed control limits are available for specific circumstances, namely a 15-mph Yard speed and a 35-mph Street Running mode."

The trackage in that area is actually good for 80mph but top speed is limited to 56mph. I recently good book that covered the planning, design and construction of the HBLR by one of the guys involved in the system and it was mentioned.

If you think HBLR shuttle buses are bad, NYC Subway shuttle buses can be absolutely brutal. I also guess you've never ridden the Bayonne section of the line south of Danforth Ave, max operating speed is 56 mph.

A man of culture.

I haven't done the whole thing but I've had no issues on the segments I've been on.

Its not just you, I heard somewhere that the traffic signal timing was done to dissuade street racing.

That substation is also on the same level as the trackage.

For the scope of work stated, I'd say that sounds about right imo. Most skyscrapers aren't relied upon to provide critical infrastructure to a rapid transit system.

Was that ever in doubt? lol

If the renderings hold true then yes.

Used to live in a town outside of Newark but things changed in my life and I ended up living in Newark.

I was just there a week or two ago and it is coming along nicely.

You're welcome.

You're welcome. I hadn't until I got an email about it yesterday.

I know all of that but there's a still a fair bit of money needed to make these projects a reality. One of the most important ways to get funding is through the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development program, which allows passenger rail corridor to get Federal money to establish service. In the case of the Scranton-NYC service, the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority is both submitting an application to the FRA and is working on a ridership study in partnership with Amtrak. As far as I'm aware the same can not be said for the Lehigh Valley area.

Big question, did any agency out in the Lehigh Valley apply for FRA funding for a passenger rail corridor? Compared to other hopeful corridors, I've heard next to nothing from that area. As for the other projects, I've seen them mentioned in the NJ Transit capital plan but without any firm funding commitments.