JERSEY CITY — Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy announced today that the City of Jersey City has received a $175,000 grant from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to complete the Liberty State Park Circulator Cost-Benefit Analysis.

The purpose of the study is to analyze a range of options for mass transit circulator service throughout Liberty State Park that would serve destinations within the park and existing and future adjacent residential development and businesses. The study will evaluate a range of route and modes, including rail and rubber tire options, using a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria. The final product will include the identification of a range of feasible concepts for further study.

 

“We believe that a circulator service will support tourism and enhance the multi-modal mass transit network for park visitors, residents and workers in the vicinity,” said Mayor Healy. “Jersey City has a high transit-dependent population and was identified by the NJTPA in 2007 as an Environmental Justice community. Because 40 percent of Jersey City residents are without access to a car, many residents rely on public transportation to access park facilities.”

 

Located on Jersey City’s eastern waterfront, Liberty State Park is the largest park in the city. There are many major destinations within the park, including the Liberty Science Center, ferry access to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty National Monuments, the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, the park’s Interpretive Center, and the Liberty Landing marina. With six million visitors each year, Liberty State Park is the most-visited park in the state and the second most-visited state park in the nation.

 

Currently, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Liberty State Park station and park-and-ride lot are located on the western edge of the park. However, there is no regular transit connection between the light rail station and the park’s interior and environs. A circulator service will facilitate movement between destinations in and around Liberty State Park, of which many are beyond reasonable walking distance from the light rail station.

 

In order to gain a better understanding of the travel behavior of current and potential park visitors, a survey is being implemented. The brief survey takes about one minute to complete and is available in English and Spanish through the study website (www.lsptransitstudy.com). Paper copies of the survey are available at the following locations in Jersey City: Mayor’s Action Bureau at City Hall (280 Grove Street, Room 105), the office of the Division of City Planning (30 Montgomery Street, Suite 1400), the Park Office at Liberty State Park (200 Morris Pesin Drive), and at the information desk at the Central Railroad of NJ Terminal in Liberty State Park. All are encouraged to participate in the survey, even those who have never visited Liberty State Park.

 

As part of the public outreach plan for the study, two public meetings will be held.

 

Liberty State Park is owned and operated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry. A Technical Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from City, County, State, and Park agencies; transportation professionals; and local businesses has been convened. The City has hired a consultant team led by Sam Schwartz Engineering to prepare the study. The final report is anticipated by June 2013.

 

Please visit www.lsptransitstudy.com for more information.

All media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Morrill, Press Secretary to Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy at 201-547-4836 or 201-376-0699./////

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