NJ Transportation Research Ideas Multimodal

Delay in understanding the effects of TNCs on transit in NJ can have two serious consequences. First, conventional transit may lose a part of its current riders to TNCs. Second, opportunities for mutually beneficial coordinated service between transit and TNCs would be missed.

An in-depth study is needed to determine the possible benefits and risks that a Transportation Network Company, like Uber or Lyft, could provide to NJ TRANSIT by integration with Access Link. Integration with a TNC may have a minor or major impact on the service design and performance of Access Link, and there are various possible configuration models that can be considered. Integrations by other transit agencies may be case studies for this research and yield considerations and “best practices” that may be beneficial for NJ TRANSIT to utilize.

Potential benefits include reduced costs of Access Link service, alternative options for accessible service to NJ TRANSIT paratransit customers, and increased participation with transportation partners in the local community.

NJ Transit is frequently asked to assess the impact of TODs on transit ridership and parking demand. While we utilize anecdotal evidence and national examples to generate impacts from new developments, we have no firm data on the impact of these developments in New Jersey. As more redevelopment takes place adjacent to transit facilities, this data will help create better estimates of ridership changes and reductions in parking demand.

Platooning may improve safety for workers, lessen travel delays, and reduce crash costs.

NJ TRANSIT launched its mobile ticketing application in 2013 on our rail lines and has expanded it to serve the bus market. This study will assess if the mobile application results in vehicle cost savings to NJ TRANSIT in reduced dwell times of buses. The study would enable NJ TRANSIT to identify the cost savings to the agency from reduced dwell times of buses

This project is a priority for NJ TRANSIT as Federal DOT and FTA requirements call for customer O-D surveys to be completed on a 3 to 5-year cycle, and the last survey of the NRL was conducted in 2007. In addition, the information gained on station access and egress, including identification of market size and opportunities to increase intermodal trips at NRL stations, would improve NJ TRANSIT’s cost-effectiveness, provide new mobility for customers, and help reduce excess traffic congestion and vehicular exhaust in Newark neighborhoods.

This would allow for a build-out of Southern New Jersey, help the affordability of the State, and act as a subsidy and/or incentive for employers, residents, and developers.

Given its densely populated areas, extensive transit use, and ever-increasing congestion, New Jersey may have great potential to utilize dockless bike sharing to increase transit ridership, promote intermodal coordination, and reduce congestion.

Challenged by the scattered distributions, diversified travel need and unique travel conditions of its customers, Paratransit services are often plagued by inefficiency and poor customer services. The situation maybe even worse in New Jersey due to it higher share of special need populations.

Paratransit services such as NJ TRANSIT's Access Link are very expensive to provide. At the same time, current practice requires Access Link Customers to reserve rides at least 24 hours in advance and they have a wait window of 45 minutes on each side of the scheduled appointment. Micro-transit projects implemented in other locations throughout the US have demonstrated the feasibility of implementing on-demand services for general public, seniors and people with disabilities at a significant cost savings, while also vastly improving the customer experience. This type of innovative public transit service needs to be piloted and evaluated in New Jersey to see how it can be successfully implemented. New ways of providing public transit service in more efficient, affordable ways is critically needed in New Jersey.

It has made NJ one of the most congested areas. International airports such as Newark, Le Guardia and even JFK in New York City use NJ highways daily. Freight traffic by trucks has increased for serving the goods from ships at Boston and Connecticut ports. Southern cities such as Camden, Cherry Hill and Glassboro are becoming more congested due to their important locations close to Philadelphia and Wilmington. Therefore, there is a need for rapid form of transportation to cater for future needs of growing traffic. Daily congestions by traffic jams, result in continued wastage of time of the public, fuel consumption, occasional accidents and air pollution.

Train fuels worldwide have changed from coal to diesel, diesel-electric, electric and to magnetic levitation, resulting in slow to medium and to high speeds.

Current magnet levitation fuel technology available can generate speeds 200 km/hr and greater. Travel time can be reduced by more than half which is very convenient for daily commute by surface trains.

Since 1964, the United States has been exploring the potential of high-speed rail transportation. Following the success of Japan's newly inaugurated Shinkansen network, the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 authorized the U.S. government to the introduction of Metro liner trains, the predecessor to Acela. During the 1980s the US Federal Railroad Administration prepared a series of reports on “Emerging Corridors” in the United States. In 1991, the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act authorized five rail corridors for examination as possible high speed rail corridors. On March 9, 1999, Amtrak unveiled its plan for a high-speed train, the Acela Express.

However, there have been constraints in making high speed rail a real possibility in the U.S. Despite high investments by Amtrak in the ACELA Express High-Speed Train, average speeds are approximately 63 MPH - far from its maximum. The Texas Central Partner’s bullet train failed, due to various constraints. In California, there were many environmental problems introducing HSR. Among the constraints to overcome along the Northeast Corridor (NEC):

1. Acela operates along routes that are also used by freight and slower regional passenger traffic, and only reaches its maximum speed along short sections. The entire 457-mile (735 km) route from Boston to Washington takes 7 hours, at an average of around 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).

2. In practice, the Acela's speed depends more on local restrictions along its corridor than on its trainset.

3. In addition to speed restrictions through urban areas, the Acela's corridor includes several speed restrictions below 60–80 mph (97–129 km/h) over older bridges, or through tunnels a century old or more. Altogether, Amtrak has identified 224 bridges along Acela's route that are beyond their design life.

4. Acela power cars and passenger cars are much heavier than those of the TGV in order to meet the United States Federal Railroad Administration's different approach to rail crash standards.

5. The former Shore Line, from New Haven to Boston, is burdened by sharp turns and grade crossings, the crossings being of special concern.

6. Commuters and politicians were also concerned over inadequate warnings and safeguards. The two-foot wide yellow platform markings may not be wide enough to keep commuters away from the edge when Acela trainsets pass at high speed.

Introducing Maglev-Trains: A high-speed train is generally defined as one which operates at speeds of over or at 200 km/h (124 mph), with a high level of service, and generally comprising multi-powered elements.

Avoiding rush hour traffic and working within 50 miles of home could be possible benefits of a the Maglev technology. That's because one working plan calls for 300-mile-per-hour train that floats on magnets to run from downtown Washington, D.C., to Manhattan. The train, faster than anything currently in operation, would make the trip in about an hour -- or nearly three times as fast as Amtrak's Acela service. The train itself is built around a Japanese technology known as magnetic levitation. Instead of wheels riding along a rail, maglev uses powerful, electrically charged magnets to suspend the train midair inside a U-shaped guide rail built on either side of the track. The magnets both lift the train and propel it forward, with the reduced friction being responsible for the train's super speed.

But it's expensive. Northeast Maglev estimates the New York to D.C. route could cost over $100 billion. Much of the money would be spent on tunnels and elevated track necessary in such a densely populated area -- possibly tunneling under cities and then running over or adjacent to Interstate 95 in more rural areas.

They've been promised funding from the Japanese government -- which is keen to export the technology -- and plan on raising the rest of the money through the private capital markets. However, TNEM (http://northeastmaglev.com/) has many offices set up in the Northeast. The next generation of very high speed Superconducting Maglev (SC Maglev) technology can lead to over 300 Mph speed. Although, permitting, rights of way and huge funding are the main hurdles, the benefits to public will outweigh the expense and bring USA at par with Japanese, Chinese and European countries.