LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY, No. 5256

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: DECEMBER 16, 2019

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires NJT to conduct feasibility study on restoring one-seat ride to Manhattan on Raritan Valley Line.

Type of Impact:

One-time State cost increase.

Agencies Affected:

New Jersey Transit Corporation.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

Year 1

 

 

State Cost Increase

 

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill will result in a nominal increase in one-time costs for the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to produce the written report.  The costs are expected to be nominal because most of the information required for the report appears to have largely been released already to the public in various ways and will only need to be compiled.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

This bill requires NJ Transit to conduct a feasibility study on providing rail service on the Raritan Valley Line that offers full-time direct rail service to New York City.  NJ Transit is required to prepare and submit a report detailing the findings of the study within six months of enactment.

      The report is required to include findings concerning why service was initially suspended, historical and expected ridership for the direct rail service to New York City, actions that the corporation is required to take in order to provide the service, the amount of time those actions are expected to take, the cost to provide the service, and any factors that may delay or increase the cost of providing the service.

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that the bill will result in a nominal increase in one-time costs for NJ Transit to produce the written report.  The bill requires NJ Transit to conduct a study and publish a report.  The study of the feasibility of providing full-time direct service to New York City should be relatively simple and involve information already possessed by the agency, such as the number of available slots for trains to cross the Hudson tunnels, the number of dual mode locomotives required to operate full time service on the Raritan Valley Line, and the current schedules on the Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley Line, and North Jersey Coast Line, which all use the same part of the Northeast Corridor to reach New York City.

      The report that follows from this study should simply require the compilation of data from already existing data sources about ridership, the cost of additional dual mode locomotives, and train slot availability.  It will also require some reporting on previous business decisions made by NJ Transit.  The largest cost burden will likely be for staff time to write and publish the report.  NJ Transit could likely use existing staff to meet this obligation, but it is not clear whether it will entail overtime costs or redirecting staff time in a way that will result in indirect costs elsewhere in the agency.

 

 

Section:

Authorities, Utilities, Transportation and Communications

Analyst:

Patrick Brennan

Principal Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Frank W. Haines III

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).