Ocean County suppports the MOM Rail Line Initiative

• Fast, dependable transportation to work, school, airports and recreation destinations.
• Less congestion on the roads.

• Higher property values for home and businesses.
• A competitive and viable economy.
• More benefits...

The Trans Hudson Express (THE) Tunnel & The Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Project

The THE was to be the key factor in the ARC Project which would have allowed for MOM rail service in Ocean County. The Tunnel would consist of rail improvements on a nine mile stretch from Kearny Yards, NJ to 34th Street in Manhattan. The current tunnels, having been built in 1910, are now a century old and their two-track design simply cannot meet the carrying capacity needed to extend service into central NJ. According to NJ Transit, its commuter ridership to New York has quadrupled in the past 20 years from 10 million annual trips to over 46 million annual passenger trips.

NJ Transit expects ridership to double again in the next 20 years. In the last decade, NJ Transit and the Port Authority of NJ and NJ studied 137 different potential solutions to the Northeast Corridor capacity problem. Alternatives included expanding bus, rail and ferry options as well as building a new auto bridge over the Hudson River. The Trans-Hudson tunnel expansion continues to be the most viable option to double rail capacity from 23 trains heading in or out of NY per hour to 48. Two new tunnels and an expanded station under 34th Street, directly below the entrances for 14 subway lines and the PATH, and adjacent to existing Penn Station NY, would allow for both NJ Transit and Amtrak to expand.

The Regional Plan Association (RPA) released a report in July 2010 stating that, should the new tunnel be built, home values within two miles of train stations are predicted to increase an average of $19,000 with a cumulative increase of home values of $18 billion. Along with an increase in property values, the number of people who live less than a 50 minutes commute from Midtown Manhattan would double due to shorter commute times.

In August 2010, the US Senate Appropriations Committee approved $206 million toward construction of the THE ARC Tunnel. New Jersey’s two US Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, stated that the money was part of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill which would then move to the full Senate. The $8.7 billion tunnel was to be the nation’s largest public works project, funded with federal, state and Port Authority of NY and NJ funds. The Trans-Hudson Express ARC Tunnel project was then terminated by the State in October 2010. While state and federal agencies consider possible incremental improvements, such as improved bus service throughout the region, the demand for expanded rail service to Ocean County remains a critical regional priority.

• As one of the fastest growing areas in the state, there is a need to address increasing congestion and delays on area roadways.
• Travel time for trips within the region is steadily increasing.
• Demand for travel to northern New Jersey, New York City and other regional employment centers will expand dramatically within the next two decades.
• Growing transit- dependent populations need access to jobs, schools, airports as well as medical, cultural and recreational facilities.
  

• Expands the available labor force for employers.
• Links the region to major job markets in new Jersey, Philadelphia and New York.
• Past studies consistently indicate that property values near rail stations show greater rates of appreciation than those farther away or without passenger rail service.
• Attracts higher-income households to the region.
• Results in commercial benefits such as higher retail sales and increases in white-collar employment.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that each $45 million spent on the construction of a rail station and the maintenance of track boosts the local and national economy by $98 million.
• Attracts major corporations to this region.
• Shifts auto and bus commuters from crowded highways to reduce overall commuting times.
• Increases property values by about $1,000 for every one minute reduction of automobile commuting time.
• Encourages Smart Growth by the development of well planned, mixed-use, "transit villages" around rail stations resulting in more open space preserved.
• Assists in revitalizing older "Main Street" communities and Urban Enterprise Zones along the route.
• Improves air quality through emission reduction.
• Reduces commuting time while providing a stress-free trip to work.
• Maintains the excellent quality of life for residents of the region.

• New Jersey Transit Project Page | Contacts
• Federal Transit Administration | MOM
• NJ Transportation Planning Authority MPO (NJTPA)