From: jishnu@nospam.verizon.net   
      
   On 6/9/2014 11:27 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
   > hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
   >   
   >> Given the relatively short trip time from Newark Penn Station to the   
   >> airport via the regular bus, one can't help but wonder if the whole   
   >> monorail and separate train station was a huge boondoggle.  For far, far   
   >> less cost, they could've provided an express bus, designed for easy   
   >> luggage handling, from Newark Penn.  Some traffic priority in tight   
   >> spots could've been given.  Perhaps even better service than what is   
   >> provided now.   
   >   
   > It never made sense to me that PATH wasn't extended onto the airport   
   > campus. Given the repair work being done to repair potholes, it also   
   > tells us Skytrain has certain maintenance costs associated with it unique   
   > to fixed guideway that a conventional railroad wouldn't have.   
   >   
   >> Newark Penn was originally built to be an inter-modal station.   
   >   
   > With shuttle buses to the airport way back when?   
   >   
   > It's also clear that basing the shuttle operation at Newark Penn Station   
   > provides additional train service that wouldn't be offered at Newark   
   > Airport Station.   
   >   
      
   Absolutely! PATH should have not only been extended to the airport but   
   when the new Terminals A, B, C were designed they should have made   
   accommodation for such future construction. But the PANYNJ Project   
   Managers were dead set against any rail connection to EWR, and specially   
   PATH. So they actually went out of their way to design the terminals to   
   make it very difficult to bring PATH to the terminals. (This is now for   
   a fact from someone who was part of the team that was given explicit   
   directions to design such that it is hard to add rail connection later).   
   This whole frickin' disaster of transportation to EWR is entirely a   
   creation of PANYNJ architects for reasons that are hard to fathom.   
   Shades of Robert Moses survived in PANYNJ perhaps? Who knows?   
      
   Actually most users of Newark Airport Station find it much much more   
   convenient than using Newark Penn Station and buses from there. That is   
   why general use of rail to get to Newark Airport is significantly down   
   while the EWR station is closed.   
      
   Ideally, if rather useful European practices were followed. a double   
   track railroad would have been built between Hunter and North Elizabeth   
   that swung through the airport with a station right under the terminal.   
   Heck even the Israelis have done something similar at Ben Gurion Airport   
   off of the line to Modi'in, which forms part of the eventual HSR line   
   between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Yes it would have cost some more, but   
   the final solution would have been scalable and even more convenient for   
   everyone concerned.   
      
   This would allow the select trains that stop at Newark Airport to   
   actually serve the airport without depending o a tinker toy train. Of   
   course, it the 3rd Runway and related relocation of terminal buildings   
   comes to pass, that will open up an opportunity to get that done right.   
      
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