Monday, April 23, 2007

Destined to Fail Rail Commuters

This is going to be a major reason why this second rail tunnel will not be built anytime soon. New York City is reportedly agreeing to fund half the cost of a second rail tunnel into Manhattan from New Jersey and would use the proceeds from a congestion pricing scheme to do so.
New York City has agreed to fund nearly half the projected $7.2 billion cost of a second trans-Hudson River rail tunnel under Mayor Michael Bloomberg's new 25-year transportation improvement plan, according to a high-ranking transportation official familiar with the arrangement.

Proceeds from the Bloomberg administration's proposal to charge as much as an $8 congestion fee for cars entering much of Manhattan would help fund the city's $3.5 billion commitment to the long-awaited tunnel, the official said.

But there is a major catch: The city will follow through on the commitment only if the congestion pricing plan becomes reality -- and that will require the New York Legislature's approval, according to the official.

Congestion pricing, which has gained momentum worldwide in recent years, would generate upward of $500 million per year for the city, while, hopefully, reducing traffic. It would be in effect during workday hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and apply to vehicles entering the city below 86th Street.

Cars and trucks coming from New Jersey via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels and George Washington Bridge would get a credit for their toll against the congestion fee. For example, if the congestion fee is $8, then cars paying the typical current maximum toll of $6 would only pay an additional $2.

Bloomberg said "there's no magic number" for setting the fee, but it has to be high enough to get people to switch to mass transit and low enough to remain affordable.
For starters, there is already tremendous opposition against yet another regressive tax on residents and those who commute into Manhattan. A fee of $8 per day to commute into the heart of Manhattan translates into more than $3,000 per year. On a tight budget, that is more than enough to force commuters to look for jobs elsewhere.

You might get less congestion, but that's because the economy will slow to a crawl or begin to shrink. With fewer businesses operating in the city, you'll get your reduction in pollution and congestion, but far fewer people priming the economy with their expenditures within the City.

So, the badly needed rail tunnel is going to be dependent upon a tax that has next to no chance of ever being passed.

This is some way to improve access to the region's core and improve the economic vitality of the entire region.

It's based on wishful thinking and a mass transit system that is already overburdened. The reason why a second rail tunnel is being built into Manhattan from New Jersey is precisely because there is no additional capacity on the Northeast Corridor and therefore no additional trains can enter Manhattan during peak hours.

How would all those people who would supposedly be deterred from entering Manhattan as a result of congestion pricing enter the City to go to work and do business in the City if they've been priced out of driving?

And to further salt the wounds of this ongoing plan is the fact that New Jersey is going to contribute $500 million towards the needed rail tunnels. That's the rough cost of what it took to build the Secaucus Transfer, which would be rendered virtually obsolete because the additional rail tunnel into Manhattan would enable one-seat rides into Manhattan from the Bergen/Main and Pascack Valley lines. So, not only has New Jersey Transit spent hundreds of millions on a project that is going to be considered obsolete, but the money that could have gone to build an absolutely crucial rail tunnel into Manhattan is now sunk into a project and fare increases were needed to help defray the debt servicing.

Instead of building a bare bones facility to permit commuters to switch between the rail lines at Secaucus, NJ Transit went with the gold-plated option, knowing full well that they would be working on a long term plan that would render the station obsolete. It is this kind of short sighted planning that has meant a mass transit system that is cash strapped and unable to fulfill its missions.

No comments: