NEW JERSEY – The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday passed the One Seat Ride Act.
The One Seat Ride Act, led by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and cosponsored by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), would direct the Secretary of Transportation to analyze various obstacles to implementing single-seat trips on certain commuter passenger rail services during ‘peak hours,’ including ‘one-seat-ride’ trips on New Jersey’s Raritan Valley line.
Currently, Raritan Valley Line passengers are forced to change trains at Newark Penn Station to access New York City and make the same change heading westbound. A ‘One-Seat-Ride’ allows passengers to take one time-efficient train from stations such as Westfield, Somerville, and Lebanon directly into New York City.
“I am grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support that propelled the One-Seat-Ride Act through the House today,” Kean said. “This is another milestone in our mission to pave the way for the crucial One-Seat-Ride needed for my constituents and their fellow New Jerseyans.”
“The Raritan Valley Line serves over 23,000 commuters each day – and many of those commuters have to switch trains at Newark Penn Station during peak commuting hours, unnecessarily extending an already lengthy commute. This report is a necessary step towards a more efficient system that better serves the hard working people of New Jersey and allowing them to spend more of their valuable with their families,” Watson Coleman said.
Congressman Kean currently serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
