Transportation
The City of Elizabeth is at the center of an air, land and sea regional transportation network that is continuing to see upgrades during the City’s current boom in commerce.
ONGOING PROJECTS
• The development of the Newark- Elizabeth light rail system
• The development of ferry service from the Jersey Gardens Mall site
• The twinning of the Goethals Bridge
• Improvement of intermodal freight operations through revitalization of area rail lines
• A major road improvement in the Kapkowski/North Avenue area to separate commercial traffic bound to Port Elizabeth from the traffic bound to the major retail and hotel development areas
• The creation of a special Transportation Development District in the area’s most important commercial areas
COMPLETED PROJECTS
• The $1 billion modernization program at Newark/Elizabeth Liberty International Airport
• A monorail system at the airport
• A new NJ Transit AirTrans station to serve the airport
• The widening of the NJ Turnpike to 14 lanes
• Replacement of spans crossing routes 1 and 9 in Elizabeth
NEWARK/ELIZABETH LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Sitting on approximately 2,027 acres of land, nearly 50 percent of which is partially located in the City of Elizabeth, is among the world’s busiest and fastest-growing airports, handling more than 35 million passengers annually. It is leased and operated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, generating thousands of new jobs, and contributing $35 billion in economic activity to the region.
The Airport has experienced rapid growth in international air service in the last decade. Today, international airlines offer direct service to many destinations around the world, including the world’s longest non-stop flight from Newark/Elizabeth to Singapore, lasting nearly 21 hours, operated by Singapore Airlines. To accommodate this growth, an ambitious modernization program by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is ongoing at Terminal B and related facilities.
In December 2004, the Port Authority Board authorized the Terminal B Modernization Program at an estimated total of $279.2 million to address deficiencies and accommodate forecasted growth in air passenger volumes.
This program was developed to reduce ticketing, passenger screening and roadway congestion; improve the efficiency of international baggage screening; relocate and increase the domestic baggage claim area; expand post security concessions; and provide space for airline lounges, ticketing and back-office operations. The identified program objectives continue today, as international traffic has shown strong overall growth at Terminal B, and increased passenger traffic is forecasted to continue even through the current challenging economic cycle.
Projects completed in 2008 and anticipated scheduled projects from 2009 through 2011 are as follows:
The opening of 18 lower-level ticket counters, which are in use by British Airways.
To provide more space for the Passenger Screening Checkpoints, a connector project has been put in place to widen the Terminal B corridors providing space for additional screening lanes. This work is ongoing and is scheduled to be completed in stages. The first two connectors are scheduled to open the third quarter of 2009, with the third to follow in early 2010.
To improve baggage safety and efficiency, a new In-Line Baggage Screening project is approximately 90 percent complete. It includes state-of-the-art technology to track bags as they move through the process. Final acceptance of the system is expected in the beginning of the third quarter of 2009.
Security Bollards have been constructed on the lower-level frontage for the safety and security of our passengers, airlines and tenants. They will be placed on other levels as well.
The new High Occupancy Vehicle frontage roadway at Terminal B has opened to provide better transportation access to the airport and relieve congestion.
Final design has commenced for the remaining program elements, including the Mid-Level, Upper-Level and Meeter-Greeter portions of the Terminal. Our objective is to develop these areas in a manner that can effectively evolve over the life expectancy of the terminal with the changes in airline passenger processing requirements.
The Port Authority of NY & NJ Board authorized a $20 million planning effort to develop the terminal facilities at Newark Liberty International Airport, such that the operational capacity of the airfield, terminals and landside facilities are matched. Along with plans to increase capacity to accommodate future passenger growth, The Port Authority has been looking at the possibility of either renovating the existing Terminal A or building a new Terminal. A Conceptual Design and Alternatives Analysis are currently underway.
To date, the planning team is working on accomplishing the following tasks:
Validate airport capacity, establish future demand, determine facility deficiencies, develop programmatic requirements, develop conceptual design alternatives and conduct evaluations to select a preferred alternative.
Their findings to date are:
• The addition of new elevators and escalators in order to accommodate passenger flow and maximize the new roadway system.
• The Expansion of the Terminal to add additional gates.
• A new parking garage adjacent to Terminal A.
• A new parking garage adjacent to Airtrain station P-1 (possible).
• Airside improvements at south end (aircraft parking, infrared de-icing structures).
Although these projects will be deferred until a later date, we continue to explore the possibilities.
PORT ELIZABETH
The Port of Elizabeth/Newark is the largest containerized, deep-water shipping terminal in North America, and it is the most active. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operate the Port. The 2,463-acre port has more than 5.5 million square feet of storage and distribution space.
To meet the demands of our growing industry, a $1 billion investment is already underway to reconfigure existing terminals, deepen the harbor’s channels to 50+ feet, dredge berths, and improve inland access by rail and barge—all to create the most efficient and cost-effective port possible. Our improved port will feature new high-capacity, environmentally friendly cranes that can load and unload containers more quickly, and an improved transportation infrastructure that will alleviate traffic and port congestion. At the same time, deepened channels and berths will allow for the more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly transport of cargo.
PORT AUTHORITY INDUSTRIAL PARK
Located in the middle of New York and New Jersey’s vast transportation complex, with direct access to the New Jersey Turnpike, is Elizabeth Park, a 71-acre suburban-style mixed-use facility that includes both retail and industrial space. It is adjacent to the Port Newark/Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark International Airport. An excellent example of private-public partnerships, the Park includes IKEA, a Swedish home furnishings retailer, which has recently developed a retail center called The Elizabeth Center at 13A. IKEA also operates a 270,000-square-foot retail store, and AFI Food Service maintains a distribution facility at the Park. Elizabeth’s Urban Enterprise Zone status offers qualified companies various tax benefits. Companies in the park may also be eligible for inclusion in Foreign Trade Zone #49, which can result in lowered or deferred U.S. Customs duties.
LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM
The City’s proposed Midtown Redevelopment Project will serve as the anchor for the planned $30 million Newark-Elizabeth Rail link. The system will provide access from Midtown, adjacent to the Historic Train Station and the City’s pedestrian plaza. It will connect to IKEA, the Jersey Gardens Mall (near a proposed ferry terminal), Newark- Elizabeth Liberty International Airport, Port Elizabeth, and the City of Newark.
FERRY TERMINAL
The proposed Newark-Elizabeth Rail link would connect to oncoming ferry service that will be available at a slip adjacent to the Jersey Gardens Mall, AMC Loews Jersey Gardens Theatre and a proposed mixed-use development.
ROAD ACCESS AND NJ TRANSIT
The City of Elizabeth is well-served by a myriad of highways and county roads that criss-cross the municipality, serving commuters and commercial traffic. Routes 1 and 9 flow into Newark-Elizabeth Liberty International Airport and lead to New York and a number of major state and federal highways, as does the famous New Jersey Turnpike, which serves the City with two exits at 13 and 13A.
As part of its long-range goal, City and County planners have worked with the Turnpike to widen the highway from 12 to 14 lanes in the part that serves Elizabeth. The Turnpike connects to Goethal’s Bridge in Elizabeth at Exit 13, and at 13A it connects to the Jersey Gardens Mall, AMC Loews Jersey Gardens Theatre and the Elizabeth Center at 13A.
Public transportation to Elizabeth is also convenient through a wide range of New Jersey Transit’s buses and trains. There are two NJ Transit train stations in Elizabeth—at Broad Street and at North Elizabeth. The train ride to Manhattan from Elizabeth is 35 minutes, and the ride south to Trenton is 55 minutes. The stations are served by the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coastline Service, which also connects to points along the Jersey Shore.
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
|
