Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey
We Need the New Hudson Tunnels more then the 7 to Secaucus. But with the New Hudson Tunnels should come a rapid expansion of the Rail Network on the Jersey Side. A lot of these bus routes are in areas that were supposed to have rail service restored by now. These projects combined would cost 3-5 billion... But reduce the strain on the Bus grid. Its the same with expanding the Newark LRT to replace the overcrowded Newark Bus division routes.. Increasing bus service overtime is just a band-aid...
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That would be great if NJ actually had 3-5B to spend on rail expansion like that, but it doesn't and couldn't fund it's operations even if somehow the PA was convinced to built it for them (unlikely).
For the kind of money the PA is talking about they can have the 7 extension for bus riders who need to get to the vicinity of the current PABT, east midtown, or one of the NYCT trunk lines plus fund half the cost of new Penn tubes. A transfer to/from HBLR is also easily within the realm of possibility given the proposed alignment.
Realistically Penn can't take the extra peak passenger load the PABT handles without replacing the concourses and head house as it's currently impossible to clear the platforms of passengers as currently constructed to increase TPH at rush. The LIRR also isn't going to give up the slots liberated by the ESA to anybody except maybe the MNRR if the state government forces them to…which seems to be the plan.