PENNSAUKEN TRANSIT CENTER ADVANCES TOWARD CONSTRUCTION
Intermodal facility will expand convenient travel options for River LINE and Atlantic City Rail Line customers
September 16, 2009
NJT-09-100
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT’s two South Jersey rail services will be directly linked for the first time under a contract authorized today to launch construction of the new Pennsauken Transit Center. The project will create an estimated 300 jobs during both phases of construction.
The transit center will provide River LINE light rail customers and Atlantic City Rail Line customers with direct access to both services, as well as access to NJ TRANSIT bus lines that will serve the new facility. The project includes approximately 280 parking spaces.
“New Jersey’s economic recovery program is pumping much-needed federal stimulus dollars into the economy through transportation infrastructure projects like the Pennsauken Transit Center,” said Governor Jon S. Corzine. “By doing so, we are creating jobs for our hardworking families, improving the mobility of our workforce and enhancing the environment.”
“By creating a connection between our South Jersey rail lines with the construction of this new transit center, our customers will have convenient access to a much broader choice of travel destinations,” said NJ TRANSIT Chairman and Transportation Commissioner Stephen Dilts. “It instantly enhances the appeal of public transportation.”
The transit center will be built in two phases on vacant land on Derousse Avenue where the two grade-separated rail lines cross.
The $2.1 million Phase I contract approved for award by the Board of Directors today covers River LINE elements of the project, including construction of a 200-foot platform with 60-foot canopy for customers boarding River LINE trains. The contract also includes installation of infrastructure and conduit for communications, security and ticket vending machines, grading, drainage, lighting and federally mandated public art.
“This will make a huge difference for our customers, because a simple transfer at Pennsauken Transit Center gives them access to every station along the Atlantic City Line, from Philadelphia to Atlantic City, and to every station along the River LINE, from Camden to Trenton,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles. “And in Trenton, the River LINE links customers to the Northeast Corridor, with service to New York and points in between.”
The design/build contract for Phase I, which was procured through a competitive bid process, will be awarded to Northeast Remsco Coast, Inc., of Farmingdale NJ (builder) and ARORA and Associates, PC, of Lawrenceville, NJ (designer) pending the completion of environmental reviews. Work is expected to begin this fall.
In Phase II, two 300-foot-long, high-level platforms will be built on either side of the Atlantic City Rail Line tracks, which cross above the River LINE along a viaduct. Stairs and two elevators will be constructed to provide customers with access in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act.
The second phase also includes construction of the parking lot, installation of all passenger communication and CCTV equipment and ticket vending machines, as well as resurfacing, curbing and lighting improvements to Derousse Avenue.
The transit center will be operational upon completion of Phase II, which will be built under a construction contract that has not yet been advertised. The total project is estimated to cost approximately $40 million and will be ARRA-funded. Project completion is expected around the end of 2012.
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.