NJ Transit Thursday took the next step in advancing the extension of the Secaucus-Meadowlands Transitway, when its board of directors approved $22.2 million, plus 10% for contingencies, to complete the engineering and design work for the section between Secaucus Junction Train Station and Jersey City.
When the project is completed, it will provide transit access between the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex, Secaucus Junction and Jersey City.
“Advancing this innovative project is an important step in providing the kind of superior service befitting our customers and the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex, a world-class entertainment venue,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor.
During its monthly meeting, the agency’s directors approved extending NJ Transit’s existing contract with Kansas City, Mo.-based engineering firm HNTB to complete the next design stage of Phase 2—Transitway Jersey City, for no more than $22.2 million, plus 10% for contingencies.
Phase I of Transitway began in 2021 when the directors authorized entering a contract with HNTB for $3.5 million to complete conceptual development and preliminary design. Phase 2 includes design of a dedicated right of way between Secaucus and Jersey City with multiple stops along the route. This right-of-way will accommodate multiple vehicle forms excluding rail. The route will use the former Boonton rail line and the Bergen Arches.
The goal of the overall Transitway project is to increase service capacity to more efficiently move more customers between the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex and Secaucus Junction Station. Beyond the benefits of Phase 1 of the project, which will increase capacity to some of the world’s largest events at MetLife Stadium, Phase 2 creates a service corridor in one of the most densely populated areas of North Jersey through the adaptive reuse of existing right-of-way owned by NJ Transit.
As part of the overall project, transit modes considered as a part of this work shall be configured such that they are capable of either being implemented with zero emission vehicles or be readily transitioned to zero emission vehicles in the future, with the capability of being scalable to fully autonomous vehicle operation as demonstrated advances in the industry allow.
