NJ TRANSIT gets new CEO (left); NJ refuses congestion toll settlement; Transportation cost burden; MTA ridership & the City of Yes; Resilient transit funding strategies (right top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
Will This Man Be New Jersey Transit’s ‘Train Daddy’?
Patrick McGeehan, The New York Times | December 12, 2024
Governor Phil Murphy appointed Kris Kolluri as CEO of NJ TRANSIT, tasking him with leading the agency until January 2026. Transit advocates hope Kolluri’s experience as NJDOT commissioner and Gateway project CEO will drive change during his tenure. Kolluri pledged to focus on clean stations, replacing aging trains, and maximizing effort to improve transit.
NJ TOD News
NJ Refusing ‘Generous’ Congestion Pricing Lawsuit $ettlement, Hochul Says
Dave Colon, Streetsblog NYC | December 18, 2024
Governor Phil Murphy has rejected a settlement offer exceeding $100 million from New York in New Jersey’s congestion pricing lawsuit. The toll currently funds MTA, Metro-North, and Long Island Rail Road services, but a settlement could provide funding for NJ TRANSIT, which raised fares this year due to budget shortfalls. Murphy’s spokesperson declines comment.
RED BANK—Red Bank Hosts Second Workshop on Train Station Redevelopment – See PPT Presentation
E. Scott Wingerter, TAPinto | December 18, 2024
Red Bank held a second public workshop to continue shaping the redevelopment plan for the area around its train station, following an initial meeting in July. The proposed plan includes three residential buildings with retail spaces and affordable housing to meet state mandates. Despite some community concerns about the development’s impact on the town’s character, the project is planned to break ground by late 2025 and be completed by 2028.
TENAFLY—Mayor Mark Zinna: Affordable Housing
Mark Zinna, New Jersey Globe | December 17, 2024
In a New Jersey Globe op-ed, Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna urged municipalities opposing Fourth Round Affordable Housing obligations to reconsider. He argued that affordable housing reduces the tax burden per household by lowering municipal maintenance costs. Tenafly has supported affordable housing through rezonings and acquiring and by donating land to non-profit organizations to finance low-cost construction.
JERSEY CITY—202-Unit Mixed-Use Building with Affordable Housing Breaks Ground in Jersey City
Bill Hartnett, Jersey Digs | December 16, 2024
Jersey City leaders, led by Mayor Steven Fulop, attended the groundbreaking for 301 West Side Avenue, a six-story mixed-use project by TAY Investments. The development will include 202 units—20 of them affordable—6,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 20,000 sq. ft. of amenities. Located less than a ¼ mile from the West Side Avenue station on the Hudson-Bergen line, it is scheduled for completion in summer 2026.
HADDONFIELD—Borough of Haddonfield Announces $825,000 Grant Award from NJDOT for Kings Highway Pedestrian Improvements
Press Release, Borough of Haddonfield | December 11, 2024
Haddonfield has received an $825,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets to Transit Program to improve pedestrian infrastructure along Kings Highway and nearby streets. The project aims to enhance accessibility to local transit, including Haddonfield Station on the PATCO line, by updating sidewalks, curbing, traffic signals, and signage. Haddonfield will announce a timeline for construction in early 2025.
Transit and Equity News
ARIZONA—How One Mayor Is Cooling Off America’s Hottest City
Staff, Streetsblog USA | December 17, 2024
After temporarily losing her ability to drive, Kate Gallego experienced the challenges of navigating her city without a car. As mayor of Phoenix, she now advocates for multimodal transportation, including a shade plan to support pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users in the Arizona heat. The City is adding hundreds of structures and planting over 27,000 trees to provide 70% shade cover in high-traffic areas.
Solving the Housing Crisis Will Take More Than YIMBY
Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect | December 17, 2024
Robert Kuttner, co-founder of The American Prospect, acknowledges that “Yes in my backyard” (YIMBY) proposals for zoning reforms away from single-family housing help but are only a small part of the housing crisis solution. He proposes two additional measures: preventing the conversion of government-subsidized affordable housing to market-rate units and integrating transportation policy with housing policy by building affordable high-speed rail linking affordable housing to job centers.
OREGON—Portland City Council Approves $120M Streetcar Extension, New Mixed-Use Neighborhood in Northwest
Alex Jensen, KGW8 | December 11, 2024
The Portland City Council approved a $120 million plan to extend the Portland Streetcar to the recently approved Montgomery Park redevelopment. The 30-acre project in Portland’s Northwest District will comprise over 2,000 housing units, commercial space, and offices. The approval requires the creation of 400 middle-wage jobs and a set aside of least 200 units for 60 percent AMI affordable housing.
Lowest-Income Households Face Highest Transportation Cost Burden: Federal Report
Dan Zukowski, Smart Cities Dive | December 10, 2024
USDOT’s 2023 Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that transportation expenses accounted for nearly 32 percent of pre-tax income for the lowest-income group. U.S. households spent an average of $13,174 on transportation, with most costs attributed to vehicle purchases, insurance, fuel, and maintenance. However, urban households spent nearly $1,400 less on transportation than rural households.
Regional and National TOD News
TEXAS—San Antonio Has New Zoning Rules for Development Around the Planned Green Line
Iris Dimmick, San Antonio Report | December 19, 2024
The San Antonio City Council approved new zoning rules and a policy framework to promote transit-oriented development along planned bus rapid transit corridors. Property owners can now apply to change their zoning to the new TOD designations, enabling higher density, mixed-use development without parking requirements. The zoning rules will apply to areas surrounding the VIA Green Line, set for completion in 2027.
NEW YORK—New Housing Spurred by City of Yes Offers ‘Unforeseen Boon’ for Transit: Report
Jeanmarie Evelly, City Limits |December 18, 2024
A recent report by the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA estimates that the City of Yes zoning reforms could add 70,000 to 97,000 new MTA riders, generating up to $309 million in additional annual fare revenue by 2039. The report highlights the potential for increased ridership in underutilized transit areas, particularly in the northern Bronx, eastern Queens, southern Brooklyn, and Staten Island.
MARYLAND—TOD Creates Public Space in Suburban DC
Robert Steuteville, Public Square CNU | December 17, 2024
Chevy Chase Lake, a new mixed-use, transit-oriented development, is located above a suburb-to-suburb light rail line set for completion by 2027. The development includes three buildings with 530 units, 110,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and a one-acre public square. A public stair will provide access to the light rail station. The new service will connect multiple mixed-use suburbs throughout the DC area.
WASHINGTON—Link Light Rail Smashes Ridership Record in October
Bryce Kolton, The Urbanist | December 13, 2024
Link light rail ridership in Seattle set new records for three consecutive months—August, September, and October 2024—driven by the Lynnwood Link expansion and fall events. October marked the first time the system surpassed 3 million riders, with the 1 Line alone reaching 2.93 million. However, the increased ridership has stressed the system, and Sound Transit faces challenges with reliability issues amid growing demand.
International TOD News
4 Cities Looking Beyond Rider Fares to Fund Better, More Resilient Public Transit
Staff, World Resources Insitute | December 19, 2024
Many public transit systems have struggled financially due to reduced ridership since COVID-19, but some agencies have maintained or even increased revenue by diversifying funding sources. Cities that rely on government subsidies, land value capture, and employer taxes have been more resilient than those dependent primarily on fares. Cities could learn from global success stories like Jakarta or Bogotá and adopt a mix of direct, indirect, and general funding strategies for long-term stability and growth.
PAKISTAN—Pakistan’s Mass Transit Is Failing. BusCaro Thinks It Has a Solution
Zuha Siddiqui and Ananya Bhattacharya, Rest of World | December 16, 2024
Maha Shahzad founded BusCaro to address the challenges women face with unsafe and unreliable public transportation in Pakistan. The platform connects commuters to buses, minivans, and cars on fixed routes, offering a safer, more affordable alternative to ride-hailing services. Despite difficulties in raising funds and competition from past ventures, BusCaro has gained traction by partnering with private employers and is on track for profitability.