SUPPORTING THE HUDSON-BERGEN LIGHT RAIL WESTERN EXTENSION PROJECT IN JERSEY CITY

Overview

In 2019, NJ Transit—the nation’s third largest provider of bus, rail, and light rail services that link major points in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia— began work on the busy Hudson-Bergen light rail western extension project that included the West Side Avenue Station in Jersey City.

At the time, the West Side Avenue Station was the westernmost light rail station in the NJ Transit system. However, under an expansion plan that had been in development for years, a new Bayfront Station would be built roughly one mile to the west extending the line.

This new extension leading to the Bayfront Station was expected to be a boon for a proposed 8,000-unit Bayfront Redevelopment Project located on the waterfront of the Hackensack River. The site would be smartly developed as a transit-oriented, mixed-use community with a publicly-accessible waterfront path and park.

Due to extensive underground sewer repair work required by the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) there was to be a temporary suspension of service at three stations in Jersey City including the West Side Avenue Station from June 1, 2019 until March 1, 2020.

Challenge

To accommodate the emergency sewer repair work necessary to break ground on the Hudson-Bergen western extension project, NJ Transit needed an alternative transportation solution for light rail passengers affected by the temporary station closures.

As a workaround, NJ Transit decided to provide a substitute bus service that would provide express travel from each of the three stations directly to the Liberty Park Station to minimize impact. There, customers would be able to connect to the regular Hudson-Bergen light rail service. Additionally, shuttle buses would provide local service between each of the three affected stations while the old, deteriorating sewer pipe running directly underneath the light rail tracks was repaired.

Solution

Unable to provide a temporary substitute bus service on its own, NJ Transit, in a competitive process, chose to entirely outsource this service to a highly reliable transportation provider with an impeccable reputation.

Charter Linkz was ultimately contracted to provide the alternative transportation services in support of the western extension project in Jersey City.

For a period lasting nearly a year, Charter Linkz flawlessly operated 12 buses per day, seven days a week, as a substitute transportation service for NJ Transit light rail customers. Charter Linkz regularly transported 8,000 passengers daily without disruption until the successful completion of the project.

Joseph Jacovino, President and Managing Partner of Charter Linkz, said “It was a pleasure to have this opportunity to serve NJ Transit customers during the temporary closure of stations. The Bayfront Redevelopment Project and western expansion of the light rail line were of critical importance to the future of Jersey City. Charter Linkz was happy to be a part of it.”