Hudson County Executive and North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Chairman Robert C. Janiszewski announced the NJTPA’s endorsement of the Fiscal Year 2001 Capital Construction Program last week. Hudson County is slated to receive $91,493,000 for capital improvements. The Capital Construction Program was originally supposed to be voted on three weeks ago. However, Janiszewski delayed the vote to ensure board members had the chance to have their concerns addressed. The hold-over resulted in $31 million in additional federal funds coming to New Jersey and Hudson County. “In Hudson County and throughout our state, our infrastructure is in need of repairs,” said Janiszewski. The NJTPA approved the distribution of $1.5 billion to North Jersey for projects like road repavements, the Light Rail and rebuilding of key bridges. This funding will ensure our streets are safe for travelers and that there are transportation options for those traversing Hudson County. Janiszewski also announced the inclusion of a $30 million package for transportation planning throughout North Jersey. Ten million dollars will be distributed for three years for the NJTPA to study the feasibility and impact of North Hudson projects. Additionally, under the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority Act and FY2000 Local Bridge Rehabilitation Program, Hudson County will receive $3,788,000 in funds for the revitalization of the 14th Street Viaduct and for improvements to River Road. At last week’s meeting, Janiszewski also called for the renewal of the State Transportation Trust Fund. “The $1.9 billion we are approving today at best seems like a very modest down payment,” Janiszewski said. “The upcoming renewal of the State Transportation Trust Fund represents an opportunity to achieve a surer financial footing for meeting our long-term needs. We face a staggering and expensive agenda of projects. Just to put our system in good working order to meet current travel demands is a proposition that could consume all available funds for years to come. Currently waiting in the wings are proposals for rehabilitation of a number of major bridges in our region whose total cost will be well over a billion dollars, and we must do all we can to bring financing to these projects.” Projects in Hudson County to receive NJTPA funding include: Baldwin Avenue, Weehawken, $360,000 – This Congressionally-mandated project will improve the intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Kennedy Blvd. to facilitate access to the waterfront and ferry terminal. Work will commence this year and will be completed in 2003. Bergen Arches, Jersey City, $4,950,000 – The Bergen Arches project aims to connect the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus with the Holland Tunnel. This funding will finance a Needs Assessment/Concept Development Study of the Bergen Arches rail cut through the Jersey City Palisades for the provision of improved east-west transit and/or vehicular access to the Hudson County waterfront. Equal financing was provided this year for the beginning stages of this feasibility study. Additional funding will be granted through FY2003. The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the lead on this project. Secaucus Connector, Secaucus, $630,000 – This project will construct a highway connector between Route 1&9 (Tonnelle Avenue) and the New Jersey Turnpike at Secaucus Intermodal Transfer Rail Station and Trans-Hudson Corridor at Bergen Arches. Work will not be initiated on this project until the completion of the Bergen Arches study. Union City Intermodal Facility, Union City, $360,000 — This project will provide for the reconstruction of an intermodal facility on Bergenline Avenue in order to replace the current New Jersey Transit depot. The result will be a bus-to-rail facility. The project hopefully will be completed in 2003. Weehawken Multi-Modal Facility, Weehawken, $4,320,000 – This project will provide for the construction of a new multi-modal facility at the NY Waterways depot. When completed, there will be a new ferry terminal with rail and highway connections. St. Paul’s Avenue Bridge, Jersey City, $8 million – This project will provide a replacement of the St. Paul’s Avenue Bridge with an extended viaduct on a new alignment. The new bridge will contain wider lanes and will straighten out dangerous curves. Charlotte Circle, Jersey City, $10,563,000 – This project will eliminate Charlotte Circle to provide a direct connection from Route 7 to Route 1&9 northbound. It also will provide two left turn lanes for the Route 1&9 southbound continuation, a cut-through for Route 1&9 northbound and two signalized intersections. Tonnelle Circle will be modified to improve traffic flow by improvement of Route 1&9 southbound to the Pulaski Skyway route and revision of the southbound lanes approach to the circle. Minor ramp improvements will be made at both circles. Bridge rehabilitation, Jersey City, $7 million – This project will provide for the deck replacement and superstructure rehabilitation of the 12th Street and 14th Street viaducts. This includes sandblasting the steelwork, painting to prevent corrosion and adding a new drain system. Hoboken Viaduct, Jersey City, $3 million – This project will provide for the rehabilitation of the Hoboken viaduct, as well as the deck replacement and superstructure rehabilitation of the Conrail viaduct. Projects nearing completion from NJTPA Funds Route 1&9 Bridge, North Bergen, $5 million. The Route 1&9 bridge over Amtrak will be replaced and the existing diverge of Route 1&9 and Route 3 will be modified. Route 1&9 will be widened, with a new third lane constructed southbound from the existing I-495 westbound exit ramp to the Route 3 intersection. In FY2002, this project will receive an additional $23,120,000. Hudson projects receiving NJ Transit Capital Program Funds Hoboken Terminal Historic Preservation, Hoboken, $114,000,000 – This historic preservation project will restore the Hoboken Erie Lackawanna terminal. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, $17,100,000. Access to Region’s Core, $12,300,000. Funding changes for Hudson projects The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail project received an increase of $5,510,000 in is FY2001 funding, raising funding from $131 million to $136,510,000. The Hudson County ADA received an increase in funding of $2,942,000, raising funding from $2,318,000 to $5,260,000.