Business leader envisions automatic cars and rail for region.
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, thinks the region should come up with a plan for its future growth, especially with things like American Dream Meadowlands and possibly a casino opening up.
Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, speaks in East Rutherford, Sept. 22, 2016. (Myles Ma | NJ.com for NJ Advance Media) So he tasked his organization with coming up with a Vision Plan for what the Meadowlands will look like in 2040, much like the chamber dreamed up a vision for the Sports Complex that included four casinos, hotels and a convention center.
But things are changing so fast, it's been hard to finish the plan, Kirkos said. The next step for the plan is "dream things," Kirkos said.
He believes autonomous vehicles are only a few years away. What if the Meadowlands had a driverless shuttle service taking passengers on a loop from Lyndhurst to East Rutherford, down to MetLife Stadium and Secaucus Junction and back? Or an automated people mover taking people from the Hudson River to the Sports complex? It would tie the communities of the Meadowlands closer together, and increase the appeal for companies moving to the region, Kirkos said.
Or an automated people mover taking people from the Hudson River to the Sports complex? It would tie the communities of the Meadowlands closer together, and increase the appeal for companies moving to the region, Kirkos said.
Transportation will be a key cog in the future of the Meadowlands, Kirkos said. Whenever anyone talks about American Dream or a casino in the Meadowlands, he said, they always ask: What about traffic?
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It's not always easy to predict. The chamber invited a group of transportation officials to speak in East Rutherford, and their message was that federal funding is becoming more scarce for big transportation projects. That means local governments and businesses have to shoulder more of the burden.
So while extending the No. 7 subway line from Manhattan to Secaucus Junction might be a dream for Meadowlands commuters, it's likely to stay that way, said John Degnan, chairman of the Port Authority.
"Unfortunately, there is zero political support in New York," he said.
Dennis Martin, interim executive director of NJ Transit, said Secaucus Junction could help make the Meadowlands an economic powerhouse in the near future. If the Gateway Project to expand trans-Hudson rail capacity is completed, so too will Secaucus' role as the gateway for mass transit into New York, he said.
With attractions like American Dream and MetLife Stadium nearby and land available for development, there's plenty of potential in the Meadowlands, Martin said.
"The opportunity for economic growth is high," he said.
Transportation, whether it's with autonomous cars or subway lines, will help the region benefit from that growth, Kirkos said.
"We've got to be able to get people around so it becomes a Meadowlands experience," he said.
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.