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(rshsdepot) Artur Kill Bridge to reopen - Mobilizing the Region (NYC Metro)
Original Message:
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From: Gary R. Kazin gkazin_@_yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 10:15:45 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.tstc.org/bulletin/20020603/mtr36808.htm
Issue 368, June 3, 2002
Finally, Staten Island Freight Link to Reopen
After more than a decade of isolation from the country=92s rail freight
network, Staten Island may soon have its rail access to New Jersey
restored. According to the Staten Island Advance, officials expect that
freight trains will begin running over the Arthur Kill lift bridge from
Howland Hook Marine Terminal and other Staten Island sites by early 2004.
The restoration of rail freight will likely have a strong impact on
traffic congestion. The Howland Hook Marine Terminal is now served
exclusively by trucks, which clog the Goethals Bridge and Staten Island
Expressway. Truck traffic on the Goethals Bridge is projected to drop by
56,000 a year as rail freight is restored.
Business leaders also expect the return of rail to boost Staten Island=92s
economy. The Staten Island Economic Development Corp. names
revitalization of the North Shore Railroad as its number one priority,
according to the Advance. The group will spend $14.5 million over the
next three years to overhaul the Arlington Yard, which will provide Staten
Island with rail-truck transfer capacity.
Cesar Claro, SIEDC executive director, said investment in the line and the
growth of companies that will expand and relocate near the line will
benefit the Island. =93It will ultimately create a whole new economy on
Staten Island,=94 he said.
The Arthur Kill rail bridge has in fact been ready for service for several
years, awaiting the conclusion of drawn out negotiations in New Jersey to
fix a connecting rail segment. The NYC EDC invested $15 million for
restoration of the lift bridge and track repair on Staten Island in 1998
(MTR #162).
A set of nagging disputes between the Port Authority, Elizabeth and Union
County over land near Newark Airport and compensation for various airport
impacts held up the purchase of a section of property crucial to connect
the rail bridge to New Jersey=92s Chemical Coast freight line. County
officials wanted compensation for the Newark deal built into the price of
a parcel new Turnpike Exit 13A that the Port Authority wants to use for
an overpass (MTR #324). With a deal struck this month, design and
construction for the rail link can now advance. The new link will
complement planned expansion at Howland Hook.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey
http://www.geocities.com/gkazin/index.html
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