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Which would be more cost-effective-a new trans-Hudson tunnel or a modernized car-float operation? That's the first question, but not the last, that rail freight advocates must answer.
New York Cross Harbor Railroad President W. Robert Bentley was recently in Newark, N.J., explaining to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority that his marine/rail operation is perfectly positioned to offer direct service to New York City, Long Island, even New England. The divvying-up of Conrail between Norfolk Southern and CSX creates two huge systems with seamless access to metropolitan area markets, with potential increases in north-south rail shipments, he said, and these could greatly reduce the number of 18-wheelers clogging the New Jersey Turnpike, which now hosts a crushing two million trucks a month. For NYCH to be most effective, he said, it needs political support from both sides of the Hudson River-not an easy thing to acquire, given the often-contentious relations between New York and New Jersey.
Bentley had good reason to lobby the Planning Authority, because after a 30-- year near-death experience, freight railroading in the New York City metropolitan area is showing signs of a pulse. This is due in large part to the demise of Conrail's northeast monopoly. CSX, NS, and CP Rail herald a new era of competition. Add to that the short lines and regionals-NYCH, New York & Atlantic, Providence & Worcester-that stand to benefit from the new railroad order in the Northeast.
The Hudson has always been a major barrier for the railroads. Under Conrail, practically all city-bound cargo terminated on the New Jersey side. Those few cars headed to destinations within the city itself were routed north to Albany's Selkirk Yard, then across the river and down into the Bronx. This 270-mile scenic tour of the Hudson Valley was never a popular option. Making matters worse, many of the city's distribution centers relocated away from the urban core.
The net result is a bumper crop of trucks. Roughly 97% of regional freight is transported by truck, and an estimated $10 billion is spent annually on excess drayage charges due to traffic congestion. The George Washington Bridge alone handles approximately 275,000 motor vehicles of all types each weekday, while 50,000 trucks a day ply the city streets.
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