U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) reintroduced legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct and analysis of one-seat-ride trips vs transfer trips during “peak hours” on NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Line.
The legislation, the One Seat Ride Act, would require the Transportation Secretary to analyze various obstacles to implementing a single seat trip on certain commuter passenger rail services, like the Raritan Valley line. Currently, Raritan Valley Line passengers must change trains at Newark Penn Station to access New York City and make the same change heading home. The One-Seat-Ride would allow passengers to take one time-efficient train from stations like Westfield, Somerville, and Lebanon into New York City.
“Long, inefficient rush-hour commutes mean lost time at kids’ sporting events and missed family dinners for countless households in our area,” Kean said. “No one should have to switch between multiple trains just to get to New York City. This study will be the first to highlight on a national scale the inefficiencies of multi-stop journeys and the impact on our economy. Commuters in New Jersey deserve better.”
The legislation was introduced in the last Congress and made it successfully through the House. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
“The Raritan Valley Line serves over 23,000 commuters each day – and many of those commuters have to switch trains at Newark Penn Station during peak commuting hours, unnecessarily extending an already lengthy commute. This report is a necessary step towards a more efficient system that better serves the hard-working people of New Jersey, allowing them to spend more of their valuable time with their families,” Watson Coleman said.