Lessons from L-subway shutdown applied to Hudson Tunnel Project.  Remarks to NJTPA, 3/12/18

In 2019 the MTA will commence a 15-month shutdown of the L subway line to facilitate renovation of the salt-water-damaged Canarsie Tubes.  This project will knock out daily train service between Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan for 225,000 commuters, which the MTA with NYCDOT will replace by adding new rail, bus, private car, ferry and cycling capacity.

By 2026, it becomes increasingly likely that the region will face the same scenario on the Hudson Tunnel Project.  The window is closing to fund, permit and construct replacement tunnels – as are options to replace lost capacity by other means.

Here we consider the role of cycling – to which New York is committed as part of an integral part of the plan to create additional capacity. The benefits are considerable and its costs minimal.

L-Subway Shutdown

The renovation of the Canarsie Tubes will involve total closure and will not be preceded by the creation of new tunnels. Rather, commuters will be routed onto alternate capacity.  75% of displaced travelers will be shifted to beefed-up service on alternate subway lines. 15% to new bus routes.  5% to start-up ferry service.

Adjacent Williamsburg Bridge traffic lanes will be reserved exclusively for bus, truck and high-occupancy vehicles (HOV3).  New bike lanes across Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan are expected to double daily ridership across the Williamsburg to 14,000.

Hudson Tunnel Project

Table-top planning for the Hudson Tunnel Project  which will also affect 200,000 daily commuters, appears far more difficult and expensive.

While the NYC subway comprises vast, overlapping lines with multiple river crossings, the Hudson Tunnels comprise a single point of failure for interstate travel on NJ Transit and Amtrak.  And alternate bus and PATH service already operate at capacity during peak hours.

Buses and for-hire vehicles could absorb some displaced commuters, but would require considerable on-street storage.  And converting single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) lanes to bus and HOV would significantly reduce toll revenue under the current rate structure.

PATH could be expanded by lengthening stations, adding cars and replacing outdated signal systems.  But these improvements remain unfunded in the Port Authority’s 10-Year Capital Plan and would not be completed in time to make up lost capacity.

Increased utilization of Hudson River ferries, which run at just 25% of capacity would help.  The challenge is getting travelers to the water without incurring additional congestion on bus routes.

The Role of Cycling

Which brings us to cycling.  A Complete George configuration — adding two 10 foot paths to the existing two 7 foot paths — would safely support 4000 commuters per hour, including cross peak bike travel sufficient to rebalance of bike share, in addition to pedestrians.

Communities adjacent to the GWB now send tens of thousands of bus commuters per day into Manhattan.  Many will choose a 60 minute bike ride rather than sit (stand) in traffic for hours.

The Bergen Park Master Plan would connect an additional million residents to the George and each other creating new capacity across some of the most densely populated places in the U.S.

As an indicator of latent demand, 60 municipalities from Middlesex to Passaic have called for greater cycling capacity across the George.

Six Hudson cities have implemented bike share. Expanding that capacity will increase ferry utilization.

By 2019, bike paths on the Bayonne and Goethals bridges will enable 60 and 75 minute commutes to Wall Street via the Staten Island Ferry.

Recommendations

The MTA-DOT preparations for the L-train shutdown provide a strong model that the region should consider adapting for the Hudson Tunnel project, including the following:

• Schedule repairs during the warmest months to maximize cycling utilization, broadly reduce public exposure to the elements and minimize chances for additional weather-induced outage.

• Hold plenty of hearings to raise public awareness and increase buy-in.

• Realize the widening of the GWB paths.  If included as part of the upcoming restoration, elements could be online as soon as 2021, with full capacity by 2025.

“Doing nothing is not an option.”

Unless we can be certain that replacement tunnels will be in operation before the old tunnels are shut down, the region must plan for the worst-case scenario.  To quote NYCDOT, “Doing nothing is not an option.”

“Even partial tunnel closure would put 50,000 additional cars on the road, pushing Manhattan into gridlock and backing up New Jersey traffic 25 miles.”

“Martin Robins, of the Voorhees Transportation Center says he is ‘terribly’ worried about NJ real estate values and Nicole Gelinas, transportation expert at the Manhattan Institute, says she may ‘start advising friends to move to Long Island, not New Jersey’ ”

Summary

On the Thursday following Superstorm Sandy, NYC DOT counted 30,000 cyclists riding across its East River bridges – more than double the normal 13,000.  But this feat was preceded by  a decade of investment in cycling infrastructure during which the commuting public became accustomed to cycling.

Cycling is the low-cost means to expand transit capacity.  The more you stimulate mode-share, the less you’ll have to spend on more expensive capacity.

The sooner these investments are made, the sooner residents will incorporate them into their daily travel habits, creating resilient new capacity for inevitable changes down the road.

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Complete George is a coalition of 240 organizations, businesses, communities and public officials calling on the PA to widen the bicycle-pedestrian paths on the George Washington Bridge to comply with national standards as part of the upcoming $1.9 billion restoration.

Contact:

Neile Weissman

917 446 6002

neileweissman@gmail.com