The board of commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently approved a $4.8 million demonstration program.
The 18-month project will test technologies that could increase bus capacity in the Lincoln Tunnel’s Exclusive Bus Lane.
The bus lane is a 2.5-mile contraflow lane along NJ Route 495 that handles 1,850 buses each weekday carrying more than 70,000 passengers from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The technology potentially could increase capacity by up to 30 percent.
“One of this agency’s top priorities is to explore emerging technologies that can enhance trans-Hudson commuting at a time when regional commuting growth has placed extreme strain on many of our legacy facilities,” Jeffrey Lynford, Port Authority vice chairman, said. “This upcoming demonstration program is a perfect example of seeking out 21st-century technology to improve our capabilities, and gives us hope that the Exclusive Bus Lane will continue to be a critical mass transit facility for many years to come.”
The demonstration program is a partnership with an oversight committee comprised of representatives from three bus carriers, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The board awarded contracts to two firms to test specific technology solutions on both off-site test facilities and on a closed bus lane.