Jersey City to Conduct a Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study to Reduce Traffic Congestion and Provide Shorter, Lower Cost Commutes
Jersey City to Conduct a Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study to Reduce Traffic Congestion and Provide Shorter, Lower Cost Commutes
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop will move ahead with a feasibility study to bring a Bus Rapid Transit system to Jersey City. The Resolution passed by the City Council Wednesday 8-0, enables the City to move forward in the hiring of a third party vendor to work in conjunction with the City’s Division of Engineering, Traffic and Transportation and Division of City Planning to conduct the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Feasibility Study in Jersey City. The BRT study will explore innovative mobility options that offer fast, frequent and reliable transit service to the community. A Bus Rapid Transit system is a high quality, cost-effective transit system that would offer continuous north-south bus service on City streets.
Jersey City would be among the first in the state to implement the BRT system. The service would allow transit vehicles to operate in dedicated lanes in the roadway, collect fares electronically, provide real-time travel information for riders, improve coordination with other transit modes, as well as offer other features intended to provide a better travel experience for transit customers.
“Jersey City continues to quickly grow and we want to bring innovative transportation options to our City, especially opportunities that will be at a lower cost and much more reliable than other mass transit systems,” said Mayor Steven M. Fulop. “We are always looking for ways to incorporate cutting edge technology into Jersey City, especially if it will help increase the quality of life for our residents.”
The main objective of the study is to explore options for a complete and continuous north-south Bus Rapid Transit route to improve connectivity between the City’s transit deficient neighborhoods and the job centers, encourage public transportation use, reduce traffic congestion, improve public health and quality of life, and maximize investment in existing infrastructure. The system would feature dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare collection, and fast, flexible, and frequent operation.
“We’re continually planning ahead for Jersey City, and we know this type of transit service can improve the quality and efficiency of our transportation network, while creating more resilient communities,” said Senior Transportation Planner, Barkha Patel. “The BRT feasibility study will assess how we can grow and expand our bus services, and we will look to the community for their feedback throughout the development study.”
The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 and will examine previously completed work related to BRT in the North Jersey Region, and existing transportation infrastructure challenges and limitations. The recommendations from the study will provide preferred route alignments, roadway and station designs, and strategies to implement a BRT system on City streets in order to improve the quality and performance of transit for the community.
