ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5256

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 12, 2019

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5256.

      This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (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 NJ Transit 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.

      As reported, Assembly Bill No. 5256 is identical to Senate Bill No. 3574, as also reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      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 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 release already to the public in various ways and will only need to be compiled.