That’s right 2045 is the magic number. This is the year that scientist have predicted that the population of New Jersey will increase by 17% from the current number of people in the North Jerseys region; reaching a number of about 7.7 million. 2045 is also the year that the numbered of employed people is suspected to increase by 13% from the current number growing to about 3.4 million people. Those numbers show that Northern Jersey is expected to grow and that is a lot of people that need to somehow find transportation to their destinations. Luckily 2045 is also the number used in the title of the Northern Jersey Transit Planning Authority or NJTPA’s plan to improve the transit methods in New Jersey to develop a sustainable transit system in the Northern Jersey region. The plan itself is so modestly titled “Plan 2045”.
Plan 2045 is a comprehensive plan has one simple goal in mind; connecting northern Jersey. How the people at NJTPA will go about it can be found in the detailed document here. Included in the master plan are 7 key goals that aim to create a sustainable and longterm multimodal transit system. These goals are:
- Protect and improve natural ecosystems, the built environment, and quality of life.
- Provide affordable, accessible, and dynamic transportation systems responsive to all current and future travelers.
- Retain and increase economic activity and competitiveness.
- Enhance System Coordination, efficiency, overall safety and connectivity for people and goods across all modes of travel.
- Maintain a safe, secure, and reliable transportation system in a state of good repair.
- Create create places through select transportation investments that support the coordination of land use with transportation systems.
- Improve overall system safety, reducing serious injuries or fatalities for all travelers on all modes.
“We have to be able to give our today for the next generation’s tomorrow….
Mitchell Silver, Commissioner of NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Words spoken on the Plan 2045 symposium that can be viewed here.
Plan 2045 does not only plan for the issues that we see within the transit systems today, but it plans for the issues that may come later on in the future. It takes into consideration trends that are occurring today that can continue to grow such as the growing population and the effects of climate change with superstorms like Sandy. Plan 2045 also takes into consideration the innovations that may occur in the future that shifts methods of transportation based on the innovative trends of today. These changes include: ride-share increases, a shift in fuel sources, the increased population in cities, the increased deliveries from online shopping, etc. Plan 2045 has a plan for issues that may occur and is constantly being updated to reflect the trends. Plan 2045 has a plan for the roads, bridges, tunnels, bus systems, trains, bicycles, pedestrians, airports, and freight. This plan will leave no aspect of transportation out. The plan will abide by 4 themes. These themes are to create a transit system in north Jersey that is:
- Competitive
- Efficient
- Livable
- Resilient
With all these elements added into the mix of this well thought out plan I can’t hope but be excited for all the change that is to come to New Jersey. My only concern is how much funding is the public going to add and where will it be delegated to. Increases in fares, tolls, and taxes are expected in order to achieve this goal of connecting North Jersey but if the outcome is as good as they plan for, then I’ll be alright paying a little extra to indulge in the benefits of a better transit system.