HOBOKEN BUS TERMINAL IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED |
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NJ Transit
Source: PressReleasePoint.com
19 December 2006
Enhanced safety for pedestrians and buses
NJT-06-148
Contact: Joe Dee 973 491-7078
NEWARK, NJ — Brighter lighting, new pedestrian fences and crosswalks, and extensive roof repairs are among the improvements benefiting thousands of customers who pass through Hoboken Bus Terminal each day.
The improvements, part of a $775,000 restoration project completed this month by NJ TRANSIT, are designed to enhance pedestrian safety and customer convenience for the 6,000 bus customers who begin or end their trips at the terminal each day. In addition, the project will benefit thousands of pedestrians who pass through the bus lanes as they walk between the surrounding streets and Hoboken Terminal, which serves more than 50,000 commuters each weekday on commuter rail, light rail, buses, ferries and PATH trains.
"Hoboken Terminal is one of the jewels of the city, and this renovation project adds to its luster,’’ said Hoboken Mayor David Roberts. "We welcome the improved functionality and appearance of the bus terminal."
NJ TRANSIT safety engineers analyzed pedestrian and bus traffic through the facility and designed a series of enhancements, including attractive new fences to channel pedestrians to designated crosswalks. To improve lighting and visibility, incandescent bulbs were replaced with high-powered halogen lamps. New reflective signage and high-visibility paint was used to delineate pedestrian zones and provide direction for bus operators.
NJ TRANSIT also made innovative use of materials and techniques to improve accessibility and safety for customers with visual impairments. The terminal’s crosswalks now feature raised edges and other tactile cues to help visually impaired customers stay within the boundaries of pedestrian areas. Dimpled surfaces embedded in the pavement indicate that pedestrians have reached the end of a crosswalk or are traversing an area between bus lanes.
"We welcome the new physical markers at the Hoboken Terminal to assist visually-impaired visitors," said Vito DeSantis, executive director for the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the Department of Human Services. "Being able to determine where the bus lanes and crosswalks are will go a long way toward promoting safety and independence and we're gratified that NJ TRANSIT is a partner in this."
The bus terminal’s shed, which provides protective cover for the five bus lanes below, received a significant amount of attention, including roof repairs and repainting of the shed’s fascia, underside and steel supports. New identifying signage now spans the side of the structure.
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing nearly 857,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.