On September 12th, I will be attending and speaking at the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Transportation Summit, “Connecting the Region for the 21st Century: Investments for the Future.”
This event will provide an excellent venue for officials to engage in an informative discussion about transportation, mobility and put forward and explore new ideas that will shape the future of regional connectivity.
At this summit, I will join a smart group of leading transportation experts and scholars including John Robert Smith, Veronique Hakim, Mary Murphy, Martin Robins, Mitchell Moss, and Petra Messick.
Among the topics that will be discussed are federal perspective on infrastructure investment, thinking and acting regionally, trans-Hudson initiatives, regional to local needs, last mile connections and next action steps. Transportation infrastructure has been a very important issue for REBNY, and we have been involved and supportive of several proposals to expand and improve transportation infrastructure across the region. The growth of our regional economy hinges on our ability to fund major capital investments to expand transportation access and capacity between NYC’s Central Business District and a growing suburban workforce in New Jersey.
Despite increasing commuter demand, there has been no investment in new trans-Hudson rail capacity since 1911. During this period, the populations of New Jersey and Rockland County have grown by 335 percent. Looking to the future, commuter trips into Manhattan from New Jersey are expected to double by 2030. And by 2040, the workforce population of northern New Jersey and Rockland County is expected to increase by 1.5 million. Running at full or near capacity, we must find solutions to address trans-Hudson connectivity.
The panel discussions will present an exciting opportunity to bring some needed attention to our trans-Hudson transportation system and specifically, the proposal to extend the 7 line into New Jersey. It’s an expensive idea but the potential benefits are too great to warrant not exploring it further. Extending the 7 line into New Jersey would improve transit access across the city and reduce traffic at the Hudson River Bridges and Tunnels and connect workers west of the Hudson with jobs in New York. Another important issue to be explored is how to improve conditions at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the Lincoln Tunnel.
The Meadowlands Regional Chamber is responsible for the creation of several relationship-building and networking opportunities through its many programs during the year, which also serve as an excellent source of education, leadership development, and business strategies. Focusing primarily on transportation and mobility, the MRC understands the importance of these issues, particularly the environmental and economic impact they can have, and the role they play in the quality of life for the region’s residents. Attendees will get a chance to learn about the present and future state of regional transportation and directly interact with public officials and major decision-makers.
In order to keep pace with our city’s growth, we need to continue introducing enhancements to our transportation network. This principle holds true for transportation systems on both sides of the Hudson, which is why events such as the upcoming Transportation Summit are so important.
By holding discussions such as these and addressing these issues together, we greatly increase our collective knowledge in this field and can devise ways in which we can continue to improve our entire region.
In other REBNY News:
September 4 is the Lower Manhattan Office Building Luncheon. The Luncheon takes place from 12:00pm – 2:00pm, at Delmonico’s, and is open to Lower Manhattan Committee members and their guests. For more information, contact Desiree Jones at DJones@rebny.com.
September 9th is our Residential Breakfast Club Seminar. The seminar takes place from 9:30am – 11:00am in the Mendik Educational Center, and is free for REBNY members only. Registration is required.
September 10th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm is our Residential Sales Council. This event is open to all REBNY Sales Agents and Broker C members, and provides an opportunity to be more active and share ideas concerning business practices and examining market trends. Meets monthly in the REBNY Boardroom. For more information, contact Yesenia Perez at YPerez@REBNY.com, or Angela Donovan at ADonovan@REBNY.com.
September 10th from 9:00am to 11:00am is REBNY’s Residential SFC Meeting. For REBNY members only, this is an open forum for the continuing advancement of educational and business issues that are relevant to residential real estate firms that are current active members of REBNY. The meeting must be attended by owners, principles, or, in special circumstances, a special designee of the member firm.
