Improvements to Hoboken Terminal Corridor

Spring Semester Update

During the spring semester, the project’s focus shifted from conceptual development to the detailed design and refinement of alternative design option 3, which was chosen to provide the most optimal solutions. Building upon the analysis and selection process completed in the fall, the team finalized all components of the proposed design, including detailed traffic, hydrologic, hydraulic, and structural elements.

A representative image of the overall final site design for the Hoboken Terminal Corridor is displayed. A redesigned intersection of Hudson Street and Observer Highway is located in the southwest of the image and a redesigned intersection of Hudson Street and Newark Street is directly north of it. The proposed geometry for both intersections is shown in pink and labelled with callouts. The geometric layout of a proposed stormwater pipe system is shown in blue and labelled with a callout. There are four independent pipe networks that outfall into the Hudson River, which is located at the eastern end of the image. Finally, a floodwall is shown in green and labelled with a callout along the coastline of the city, and a floodwall gate is shown in light blue and labelled with a callout at the southeast end of the image where the ferry terminal is located. — Final Site Design

The final design included a 40-foot roundabout with a 66-foot apron at the intersection of Observer Highway and Hudson Street, and a 10-foot traffic circle with a 13-foot apron at the intersection of Hudson and Newark Streets. The relocation of the bus terminal allowed the former terminal area to be converted into a cobblestone pedestrian plaza, enhancing connectivity and accessibility. A new passenger drop-off area was introduced adjacent to the relocated terminal to minimize vehicular congestion at the entrance. Additionally, the two existing NJ Transit employee surface parking lots were consolidated into a single 4-story parking garage, surrounding the terminal with new greenspace, further contributing to an efficient and pedestrian-friendly environment.

An overview of the proposed site work for the Hoboken Terminal Corridor, including the redesigned intersections of Hudson Street and Newark Street as well as Hudson Street and Observer Highway are displayed. Each intersection is labelled with a call out, in addition to the elevated parking garage, which is located directly west of the intersection of Hudson Street and Observer Highway, and the relocated bus terminal, which is located at the southwest corner of the image. A pedestrian plaza is labelled with a callout and located directly north of the terminal, while greenspace that is directly northeast of the terminal is labelled with a callout. — Site Plan Overview

This photo shows a more detailed image of the redesign at the intersection of Observer Highway and Hudson Street. Callouts detail a 40'. 2 lane roundabout with a 66' apron that conveys cars through the intersection. Greenspace has been added around the roundabout and an 8' bike lane and 8' walkway exist along Observer Highway above Hoboken Terminal. The bike lane is protected by landscape islands around the roundabout, conveying cyclists from Observer Highway to Hudson Street in both directions. Roadway lane widths are labeled at 10' and flush curb is called out on both the northern and southern edges of the pedestrian plaza. — Redesign at the Intersection of Hudson Street and Observer Highway

This photo shows a more detailed image of the redeign at the intersection of Newark Street
and Hudson Street. Callouts detail a 10' traffic curcle with a 13' apron that conveys cars through the intersection. Greenspace has been added on all of the street corners with 9' x 22' striped parking space on the southern portion of Hudson Street and across Newark Street. — Redesign at the intersection of Hudson Street and Newark Street

To alleviate the flooding caused by the overtopping of the Hudson River, a 6 foot tall, 5-foot-wide floodwall was designed to span approximately 68,036 linear feet along the edge of the city of Hoboken. This design encompassed 7 total floodgates to allow for boat access to and from the piers during operating hours and for adequate flood mitigation during storm events.

This ariel image of Hoboken Terminal shows linework along the Hudson River shoreline. Blue lines represent the extent of the floodwall along the shore, and two shorter green lines show the location of flood gates which exist in the water to allow the passage of boats through the terminal. — Sample Floodwall Gates

To address flooding due to rainfall and excess stormwater runoff, a stormwater pipe system consisting of four independent pipe networks was designed and sized for the 100-year 24-hour storm event. These pipe systems were made up of reinforced concrete pipes with diameters ranging from 18 to 42 inches, manholes with structure diameters of 5 feet, type ‘B’ curb inlets, and type ‘E’ grate inlets. The outfall culverts for Outfall A and Outfall B were sized at 42 inches in diameter, while Outfall C was sized at 36 inches and Outfall D was sized at 33 inches.

An image of the designed stormwater pipe system is displayed. An arial view of the Hoboken Terminal Watershed is shown, where the four pipe networks are highlighted in a light green color, and the water from excess runoff at the end of the 100-year 24-hour storm period is highlighted in light blue. The water is completely drained away from the city and discharged into the Hudson River as a result of the implemented pipe networks. Outfalls A, B, C, and D, located from north to south respectively, are labelled with callouts. The Hoboken Terminal Station is located to the south of the pipe networks and is appropriately labelled. — Stormwater Pipe System Geometric Layout

Finally, comprehensive cost estimates were prepared for both engineering and construction phases, and all deliverables, including construction drawings, cost analyses, and written reports, were completed in accordance with the original project schedule. The estimated engineering and construction costs at the completion of this project were $43,500 and $20,300,000, respectively.

The team’s final presentation can be accessed through the link below.

Improvements to Hoboken Terminal Corridor Final Spring Presentation