New Jersey Transit to see overhaul of Walter Rand Transportation Center, state funds to green its fleet

Feb. 18, 2021
The transportation center is a vital transit hub in South Jersey while the state funds for transit bus electrification are part of a $100-million state investment in clean transportation projects.

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) is getting a double dose of good news from the state, which revealed plans to pursue a $250-million overhaul of the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden County, N.J., as well as a $15-million commitment to electrify NJ Transit’s bus fleet.

NJ Transit is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the conceptual design, preliminary engineering, final design engineering and construction assistance for the Walter Rand Transportation Center. State and transit officials called it a first step in the redevelopment of the transportation center, which is the largest such hub in Camden County, N.J.

“Any modern city needs a modern transportation hub, and with this investment, we are sending a clear signal that Camden’s best days are ahead,” said Gov. Phil Murphy.

The project will upgrade and enlarge the existing facility to accommodate the development renaissance currently underway in Camden, which is located in South Jersey. The new Walter Rand Transportation Center building will provide accommodations for future transit developments and the potential for new retail, office, housing and hospitality opportunities utilizing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) design standards.

“The Walter Rand Transportation Center is a vital transit hub and economic engine for all of South Jersey,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “The investments committed today by Gov. Murphy will improve safety, support transit-oriented development in Camden, better accommodate growth throughout Camden County and provide improved connectivity to Camden’s medical, educational and industrial development areas. These investments will also give us an opportunity to integrate the center with battery-electric buses, building on our aggressive efforts to transition toward a zero-emissions bus fleet.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Murphy committed $100 million through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Funds toward “clean, equitable transportation projects that will improve air quality and reduce the effects of climate change.” The state has a goal to be 100-percent clean energy by 2050.

Within the funding commitment is $15 million for NJ Transit’s bus electrification efforts, which call for an all-electric fleet by 2040. The agency was assisted by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which allocated $8 million to jump start NJ Transit’s electric bus program through a pilot project in Camden. In September 2020, NJ Transit awarded a contract to renovate its Newton Avenue Bus Garage with electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure modifications in anticipation of its first eight electric buses entering service in mid-2021.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.