The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Commissioners recently authorized $12 million for the planning and preliminary design of the Newark Liberty International Airport Station Access Project.
The project would increase public transit access to New York City and the airport for underserved communities in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J., by using existing infrastructure, including Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, and AirTrain Newark rail service.
It also would significantly reduce travel time for residents from approximately 40 minutes by bus to less than 10 minutes by rail.
“Access to public transportation is vital to expanding economic opportunities,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said. “For decades, the communities of the South Ward of Newark and the northern part of Elizabeth have lacked affordable transit options, particularly to Newark Liberty and New York City.”
In addition, the project would provide efficient and safe access to the existing transit services for cyclists and pedestrians.
The authorization is for the planning and preliminary design work of a new multimodal facility at the AirTrain Newark Rail Link Station serving the airport. It includes external stakeholder outreach, cost estimating and construction scheduling services, the development of project concepts and progress of design for selected alternatives, and a National Environmental Policy Act review.