Port Authority development priority

[Overmod]

Dave Klepper posted an item on PATH improvements in Transit a few hours ago.  One of the line items in the Port Authority release may be of more general interest:

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) board yesterday approved a $3.2 billion operating budget and $3.4 billion capital budget for 2018.

The budgets — which contain no fare or toll increases — will fund agency efforts to enhance security, improve customer service, invest in sustainability and environmental protection, undertake state-of-good repair work and build new transportation facilities, according to a PANYNJ press release.

The capital budget includes funding for ... construction of an intermodal container transfer facility at Greenville Yards at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal ...

Who has technical details of this?  My opinion is that it does not bode well for any cross-Harbor tunnel construction; I think it safe to assume that Gateway would never be optimized for freight use at any time of day, nor would rebuilt North River Tunnels.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Maybe 6 years back I took a look at whatever was publicly available then. 

The project was put on hold because of 2012 Hurricane Sandy's damage to the Greenville yard and float bridges - maybe the ones in Brooklyn, too. 

Within the last year I saw that blurb, too.  Try looking for the Environmental Impact Statement.  If I had more time I would. 

EDIT: Here are the results of about 1 minute's worth of searching (not a criticism, but more a disclaimer regarding the quality of these results).  "Cross Harbor" is the best keyword:  

https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/port-authority-says-cross-harbor-freight-plan-will-ease-traffic-help-environment/ 

https://www.panynj.gov/port/cross-harbor.html 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Jersey 

EDIT 2:  Maybe what you're looking for is "ExpressRail" instead: 

http://container-news.com/ny-port-authority-break-ground-new-expressrail-port-jersey-facility/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExpressRail 

https://www.panynj.gov/port/express-rail.html 

- PDN. 

[Overmod]

I am all in favor of either of the Cross Harbor proposals.  The problem is that this latest Greenville business is supposed to involve enhanced gantry crane construction ... separate from the ExpressRail direct-from-ship-to-well-cars project ... whereas that could have little if anything to do with reducing truck traffic to 'the other side'.  Meanwhile, if I recall correctly the 'expanded car-float operation' (with its fancy low-emission locomotives, LED lighting, and all the other green enhancements) is supposed to be taking 'railcars' across to ... the old Bush Terminal yard? on floats that have a capacity of 18 cars, at least in the material I saw -- is that articulated well sections with stacks?  I have a real clear picture how this saves time and reduces the traffic at the PA Hudson River crossings. 

Let's not forget the counterflow advantage: still NYC solid waste?  Not sure if that's functional intermodal as well as barge ... and I would not want to mingle those stinky green containers with shippers' intermodal goods.

So I still hope someone can explain to me exactly what the Port Authority is now committing to, and give me some idea of the magnitude of actual benefit the operation provides per hour or per day.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

I once pointed out that the vertical angles in the track at the carfloat operation - particularly at each end of the adjustable float bridge, i.e., the landward end and at the barge end - would likely be in violation of the FRA Track Safety Standards for even Class 1 track (Sec. 213.63 - Track Surface: maximum deviation from a 62' chord is 3").  It could be waived or treated as Excepted Track - but the latter might lead to some other issues when hazmat is moved, since it isn't allowed within 100' of a bridge (Sec. 213.4 -  Excepted Track, (d) ).

- PDN.