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What is the difference between "THE
Tunnel Project" and "Access to the Region's Core"?
"Access to the Region’s Core" or "ARC"
is the name associated with the physical study that examines the needs,
impacts and benefits associated with expanding trans-Hudson rail capacity
to midtown Manhattan. The ARC DEIS focuses on a project that includes
a track connection to the Northeast Corridor from the Main/Bergen/Pascack
Valley lines, a new two-track rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and
expanded rail station capacity underneath West 34th Street in midtown
Manhattan. This project was given the name "Trans-Hudson Express
Tunnel" or THE Tunnel Project.
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What is the status of
the project?
As a result of comments received, refinements have been made to the project
which will eliminate or reduce community and environmental impacts. The
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(SDEIS) will be released to the public on Friday, March 14,2008.
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What is the project cost?
The estimated cost of THE Tunnel Project and related infrastructure is
$7.6 billion in year of expenditure dollars. Funding will come from the
State of New Jersey, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Federal
sources.
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What is the EIS process?
The EIS is mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, and is intended to make sure that a project not have unplanned or
unintended environmental consequences. The EIS is part of a process that
must be completed for a project to be eligible for federal capital funds.
The EIS consists of a draft (DEIS), subject to public comment, followed
by a final (FEIS). The entire process and the resulting final document
are overseen and must be approved by the Federal Transit Administration.
The project issued the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in
February 2007. The
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) will be released on Friday, March 14,2008.
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Who is the sponsor of the project?
The ARC EIS project is sponsored by NJ TRANSIT in partnership
with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, with the Federal Transit
Administration serving as the lead federal agency. The Federal Railroad
Administration, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Coast
Guard serve as cooperating agencies.
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When will ARC be built?
The project schedule calls for construction to begin in
2009 and to be completed in 2017.
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What are the project components?
The ARC project extends from Frank R. Lautenberg Station in Secaucus,
New Jersey to Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street in Manhattan. As currently
envisioned, the project would include the construction of a new track
connection between the Main/Bergen/Pascack Valley Lines and the Northeast
Corridor (NEC) at Secaucus Junction, a new rail yard in Kearny, New Jersey
and two new tunnels under the Palisades in New Jersey and the Hudson River
that would connect to a facility under West 34th street with passenger connections
to existing Penn Station and New York City Transit. The new facility would
be an expansion of existing PSNY and referred to as New York Penn Station
Expansion (NYPSE).
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Would these new tunnels serve
to replace the old tunnels built 100 years ago?
ARC proposes new, additional trans-Hudson tunnel capacity to midtown Manhattan.
The new tunnels will supplement, and not replace the existing tunnels.
They may, however, provide opportunities to close the existing tunnels
for maintenance during off-peak periods.
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Why not 4 tracks under the Hudson
River instead of 2?
As currently planned, the ARC project includes two new single track
tunnels under the Hudson River. These new tunnels would supplement the
existing two-track tunnel and four track railroad between Secaucus and
New York. An evaluation of future demand and the feasibility and cost-effectiveness
of various alternatives identified the new single track tunnels as the
most cost-effective alternative to meet future demand.
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Will this tunnel also carry freight rail?
The ARC tunnel will only carry passengers. A separate parallel effort,
the NYC Economic
Development Corporation’s Cross Harbor Freight project, is considering
a rail freight tunnel from Jersey City to Brooklyn to serve the region’s
freight transportation needs.
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Will ARC improve the travel times
on existing rail lines?
Yes. ARC will improve travel times by reducing delays currently experienced
in entering existing Penn Station during AM peak periods and departing
during PM peak periods.
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Will ARC provide more seats on existing
rail lines?
Yes, by adding capacity under the Hudson River and in the vicinity of
Penn Station New York, NJ TRANSIT would be able to add more trains and
more seats to Manhattan on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast,
Raritan Valley, Main/Bergen/Pascack Valley, and Morris & Essex Lines.
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What improvements are being made
to Portal Bridge?
NJ TRANSIT, Amtrak and FRA are working together on a separate project
to increase rail capacity over the Hackensack River, which is currently
constrained by the two-track Portal Bridge. The proposed enhancements
would add capacity and reduce delays associated with the current low-span
swing bridge. The Portal
Bridge Capacity Enhancement DEIS has been released to the public for review and comment.
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Are issues like safety, noise and
property impacts going to be addressed in this study?
Issues of safety and noise are addressed in the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) and Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(SDEIS). If you have a site-specific area of concern,
we encourage you to share it with us through our electronic
comment form. History has shown that improved rail service on lines
serving high concentrations of employment, e.g., midtown Manhattan, lead
to a substantial increase in property values. Examples include Midtown
Direct service in the 1990’s in Essex and Morris counties and the
electrification of the LIRR Ronkonkoma branch in the 1980s in Suffolk
County, NY.
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What can I do to participate further
in the project?
Contact your Senator or Member of Congress, Assemblyperson or State Senator,
Mayor or Freeholder. Tell them that the region needs ARC now. Also, you
may join the Regional
Citizens’ Liaison Committee (RCLC) or subscribe to our mailing
list to stay informed of the latest project developments.
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| To Download a PDF document of
the Frequently Asked Questions click
here. |
