NJ TRANSIT ADVANCES DESIGN OF NEW NORTHERN BUS GARAGE
New Garage Will Increase Bus Storage, Maintenance Capacity, and Support 100% Zero-Emissions Bus Fleet
October 20, 2021
NEWARK, NJ — The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today approved the next phase of the design process for the new Northern Bus Garage proposed for construction in Ridgefield Park. The completion of this latest phase will bring the design up to 30%. The Northern Bus Garage project would construct a new 500 bus garage which would increase the bus storage and maintenance capacity and will include the necessary infrastructure to support the operation and maintenance of zero-emissions buses.
“Advancing the design of the Northern Bus Garage is a critical project that ensures we can maintain and expand bus service for our customers who rely on NJ TRANSIT to get them to jobs, school, and recreation,” said NJ TRANSIT Board Member Richard A. Maroko. “These upgrades are part of our continuing commitment to meet the needs of our customers and ensure reliability.”
“NJ TRANSIT’s Northern Bus Garage is vital to our plan to ultimately transition to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ TRANSIT’s sixteen bus garages are aged and beyond capacity. This state-of-the-art facility will provide much-needed additional capacity for the existing bus fleet, and accommodate future growth as zero-emissions buses are added to the fleet.”
In September of 2020, NJ TRANSIT executed a contract with Gannett Fleming to complete Phase IA: Conceptual Design. During this phase, Gannett Fleming collected data, conducted a needs assessment, developed four conceptual designs, and prepared a project definition report. This phase of the project carried the effort to a 10% design level and recommended an initially preferred alternative.
The Board of Director's authorization today amends the previous contract with Gannett Fleming of Newark to enter Phase IB – Preliminary Design/Engineering. The approximately $12.5 million contract amendment is expected to carry the design effort from 10% to the 30% level. During this phase, Gannett Fleming will provide survey and base mapping and right-of-way engineering, conduct utility, geotechnical, environmental investigations, prepare requirements for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and develop preliminary and value engineering. Upon successful completion of the Conceptual and Preliminary Design phases, NJ TRANSIT may elect to pursue a Design-Bid-Build (DBB), a Design-Build (DB), or a Public Private Partnership (P3) method of procurement for the remaining design phases, including final design.
NJ TRANSIT’s New York City-bound interstate bus system has continued to experience year-over-year growth. NJ TRANSIT has developed plans to purchase larger (45’ and 60’) buses with additional seating to address capacity issues on certain routes. NJ TRANSIT currently does not have available capacity at any of its existing garages, which are operating 28% overcapacity, to accommodate additional buses within the target service area. As a result, NJ TRANSIT requires a new facility to store and maintain buses to support existing and future bus operations in the northern portion of the state.
The new Northern Bus Garage could be LEED-certified and constructed with solar panels on the roof, feature modern fleet diagnostics and maintenance equipment, and will be 100% Zero-Emission Bus ready.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.