NJ TRANSIT ADVANCES HOBOKEN FERRY TERMINAL RESTORATION
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NJT 09-072
July 8, 2009
NEWARK, NJ — Today the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors took action to advance a project that will return a portion of Hoboken Terminal to its original design, ultimately restoring permanent ferry service to the historic building and creating a new ferry waiting area for customers.
The Board authorized a long-term lease agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY&NJ) for use of a portion of the Hoboken Ferry Terminal Building for continued operation of ferry services, sharing of revenue and funding for preservation and rehabilitation of the terminal building.
“We appreciate the Port Authority’s support as we move forward on this project to restore ferry service to the original slips at Hoboken Terminal, which for more than a century has served as a beacon of intermodal public transportation,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles.
The Board’s approval is the first step toward execution of a final lease agreement, which also will have to be approved by the Port Authority’s Board of Directors at a meeting scheduled for later this month. The lease would enable NJ TRANSIT to advance the Hoboken Ferry Terminal restoration project to its third and final phase.
The terminal and its ferry slips were originally built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1907. Hoboken ferry service was discontinued in 1967 due to declining demand, but was reintroduced in 1989 at a temporary facility at the southern end of the terminal building.
In early 2003, NJ TRANSIT and the Port Authority entered into an agreement to allow for the restoration of the Hoboken Terminal ferry slips and supporting infrastructure, with the goal of returning ferry service to its original location, while protecting and enhancing the historic assets of the terminal.
The project was divided into three phases. The first phase, which began in April 2004 and was completed in September 2005, included repairs to the terminal’s substructure and superstructure.
Work on the second phase began in December 2005 and was completed in April 2008, including construction of a 230-foot tall clock tower replica modeled after the original 1907 design by architect Kenneth Murchison. The second phase also included marine construction of five of the original six ferry slips, as well as restoration of the exterior copper facade and lighting on the river side of the terminal, structural repairs, roof repairs and demolition of the finger piers and wooden fenders.
Construction of the ferry boarding area will be completed in the third and final phase, which will include work on the ferry service ticket offices and waiting area, passenger amenities, utilities, ferry barges and gangways. The overall project is expected to be completed in 2011.
At the project’s completion, the restoration of ferry service into the original slips will allow for expansion of ferry service and greater flexibility in providing commuter service to Manhattan, as well as improved customer convenience and operational reliability.
Hoboken Terminal currently provides travelers multiple transit options including commuter rail, light rail, PATH and bus service. More than 50,000 people use the terminal daily.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 12 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.