New Jersey Transit Announces Rolling Stock Investment Plans

According to a pair of articles by Larry Higgs, NJ Transit plans to invest in 1,388 buses and 113 multi-level rail cars.

In an article reporting the announcement, Higgs explained that the plan to purchase new buses and trains were actions undertaken by new leadership at NJ Transit—namely, Dennis J. Martin, vice president and general manager of NJ Transit bus operations, and Robert M. Lavell, general manager of rail operations. Both the new buses and the new trains "are intended to address projected increases in trans-Hudson ridership to and from New York, where the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station are at capacity."

In a follow up article, Higgs cites four sizeable challenges to the plan:

• The Port Authority Bus Terminal
• Penn Station New York
• The 104-year-old Hudson River tunnels
• Funding this equipment with a Transportation Trust Fund that only has enough revenue to pay for funds borrowed in past years.