Northern Branch Corridor Northern Branch Corridor Public Scoping - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Northern Branch Corridor Northern Branch Corridor Public Scoping Meeting Public Scoping Meeting

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Agenda Agenda

• Introductions

Introductions

• Project History

Project History

• Project Status

Project Status

• EIS Process

EIS Process

• Other Issues

Other Issues

I ntroductions I ntroductions

Project History Project History

Project History Project History

• West Shore Study

West Shore Study

– – Proposed Regional Transit Proposed Regional Transit Network Serving Bergen & Network Serving Bergen & Rockland Counties Through Rockland Counties Through 3 Corridors 3 Corridors

• West Shore: Commuter Rail

West Shore: Commuter Rail Sports Complex Sports Complex

• Northern Branch: Light Rail

Northern Branch: Light Rail

• Passaic Bergen: Light Rail

Passaic Bergen: Light Rail

PASSAIC BERGEN LIGHT RAIL LINE (proposed)

Project History Project History

• Northern Branch HBLR Extension Alternative

Northern Branch HBLR Extension Alternative

– – Recommended through Alternatives Analysis Recommended through Alternatives Analysis – – Assumed HBLR extended to Vince Lombardi P&R Assumed HBLR extended to Vince Lombardi P&R – – Operate from Tenafly to 83 Operate from Tenafly to 83rd

rd Street, North Bergen

Street, North Bergen – – Physical separation Physical separation between freight & LRT between freight & LRT – – Electrically Propelled Electrically Propelled – – Overhead Overhead Catenary Catenary

Project History Project History

• Changes that led to a fresh look of the

Changes that led to a fresh look of the project project

– – THE Tunnel THE Tunnel – – TriCounty TriCounty Rail Plan Rail Plan – – New Rail Passenger Technology (DMU) New Rail Passenger Technology (DMU)

Project History Project History

• Northern Branch DMU Alternative

Northern Branch DMU Alternative

– – THE Tunnel THE Tunnel – – TriCounty TriCounty Rail Plan Rail Plan – – Operate from Tenafly to North Bergen Operate from Tenafly to North Bergen – – Connections to HBLR Via New Transfer Station in Connections to HBLR Via New Transfer Station in North Bergen North Bergen – – FRA FRA-

• Compliant Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Railcar

Compliant Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Railcar

• Can Be Run on Same Tracks, at the

Can Be Run on Same Tracks, at the Same Time with Freight Service Same Time with Freight Service

Project Status Project Status

Project Status Project Status

• New NOI and Scoping

New NOI and Scoping

– – Reflect the analysis of two alternative Reflect the analysis of two alternative modes of transit modes of transit

Project Status Project Status

• Proposed Alternatives

Proposed Alternatives

– – No Action No Action – – HBLR Extension Alternatives HBLR Extension Alternatives Temporal Separation Temporal Separation

• Tenafly North terminus

Tenafly North terminus

• Englewood Route 4 terminus

Englewood Route 4 terminus

– – DMU Alternatives DMU Alternatives

• Tenafly North terminus

Tenafly North terminus

• Englewood Route 4 terminus

Englewood Route 4 terminus

Project Status Project Status

• North Bergen Junction

North Bergen Junction

• 91

91st

st Street

Street

• Ridgefield

Ridgefield

• Palisades Park

Palisades Park

• Leonia

Leonia

• Englewood Route 4

Englewood Route 4

• Englewood Town Center

Englewood Town Center

• Englewood Hospital

Englewood Hospital

• Tenafly Town Center

Tenafly Town Center

• Tenafly North

Tenafly North

Stations to be Studied Stations to be Studied

• THE Tunnel Connection

THE Tunnel Connection

• Hudson

Hudson-

• Bergen Light Rail connection

Bergen Light Rail connection to the Meadowlands (69 to the Meadowlands (69th

th Street

Street Station) Station)

Other Planning Considerations Other Planning Considerations

EI S Process EI S Process

EI S Process EI S Process

• NOI & Scoping Procedures

NOI & Scoping Procedures

– – Scoping Meeting Scoping Meeting – – Draft and Final Scoping Document Draft and Final Scoping Document

• Draft EIS

Draft EIS

• Agency/Public Review & Comment

Agency/Public Review & Comment

– – DEIS Public Hearing DEIS Public Hearing

• Final EIS

Final EIS

– – Address comments on DEIS Address comments on DEIS – – Agency/Public Review & Comment Agency/Public Review & Comment

• Record of Decision

Record of Decision

• Agency Action

Agency Action

• Transportation

Transportation

– – Air Quality Air Quality – – Noise & Vibration Noise & Vibration – – Traffic, Parking, Transit, Traffic, Parking, Transit, Pedestrians & Freight Rail Pedestrians & Freight Rail – – Energy & Potential for Energy & Potential for Conservation Conservation – – Electric & Magnetic Fields Electric & Magnetic Fields – – Safety & Security Safety & Security

Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis

• Natural Environment

Natural Environment

– – Water Quality Water Quality – – Wetlands Wetlands – – Flooding Flooding – – Navigable Waterways & Coastal Navigable Waterways & Coastal Zones Zones – – Ecologically Sensitive Areas Ecologically Sensitive Areas – – Endangered Species Endangered Species – – Hazardous Waste Hazardous Waste

Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis

• Built Environment

Built Environment

– – Land Acquisition & Displacement Land Acquisition & Displacement – – Land Use, Zoning & Economic Land Use, Zoning & Economic Development Development – – Consistency with Local Plans Consistency with Local Plans – – Historic Properties & Resources Historic Properties & Resources – – Parkland Parkland – – Archaeology Archaeology – – Aesthetics Aesthetics – – Community Disruption Community Disruption

Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis

• Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice

– – Avoid disproportionately high and adverse Avoid disproportionately high and adverse effects on minority & low effects on minority & low-

• income populations.

income populations.

• Construction Impacts

Construction Impacts

– – Identify and minimize temporary impacts Identify and minimize temporary impacts associated with construction activities. associated with construction activities.

• Cumulative Effects and Indirect Impacts

Cumulative Effects and Indirect Impacts

– – Determine cumulative effects of this action Determine cumulative effects of this action with other past, present, and reasonably with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable major actions. foreseeable major actions.

Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis

Other I ssues Other I ssues

Other I ssues Other I ssues

• Hours of passenger service

Hours of passenger service

• Nighttime freight operations

Nighttime freight operations

• Freight customers

Freight customers

• Passenger rail storage facilities

Passenger rail storage facilities

• Future conversion to commuter rail

Future conversion to commuter rail

For More I nformation For More I nformation

Visit the project website at: Visit the project website at: http://northernbranchcorridor.com http://northernbranchcorridor.com Contact Us: Contact Us:

Linda A. Mosch, P.E. Linda A. Mosch, P.E. Project Director Project Director NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT One Penn Plaza East One Penn Plaza East Newark, NJ 07105 Newark, NJ 07105-

• 2246

2246 info@northernbranchcorridor.com

Public Comment Public Comment Session Session

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Northern Branch Corridor Northern Branch Corridor Public Scoping Meeting Public Scoping Meeting