BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2005

Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, New York City made a commitment to restore and upgrade damaged rail lines to facilitate the rebirth of Lower Manhattan. As part of this massive effort, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City (NYC) Transit and the Federal Transit Administration established key reconstruction priorities.

At the top of the list was the restoration of PATH train service to the World Trade Center site. Prior to September 11, this station served more than 67,000 commuters per day. The collapse of the World Trade Center severely damaged the PATH terminal below the building and forced the closure of several stations on the line. To restore service as quickly as possible, the Berger Group assisted in the upgrade of the Exchange Place Station in Jersey City, allowing it to act as a terminus during the rehabilitation of the tunnels and the construction of a temporary World Trade Center (WTC) PATH station. Berger specialists also assisted in the development of the temporary station. Throughout the course of this effort, Berger team members provided program management, including scheduling and budgeting allowing the project to be completed ahead of schedule on November 23, 2003, and within budget.

Following the completion of the temporary WTC station, PANYNJ selected Berger as a program manager for the development of the permanent PATH station. The new station will offer travelers access to modern, 10-car platforms and improved signal systems, fare collection equipment and lighting.

The permanent WTC PATH terminal will be part of a new intermodal transportation hub which will connect PATH with the NYC subway system. A 3,000-foot concourse, beginning at the World Financial Center Winter Garden, will connect the PATH station with the NYC subway system at the new Fulton Street Transit Center. In addition a north-south concourse will connect Vesey Street with Liberty and Church Streets and serve as a transit hub for 150,000 people per day. The WTC Transportation Hub is also envisioned as an attractive space linking cultural facilities, the World Trade Center Memorial, a hotel and conference center and new office buildings.

The Fulton Street Transit Center will form the opposite terminus of the WTC Transportation Hub. The current complex incorporates six stations, built between 1905 and 1932. As a result, transferring between trains can be difficult and confusing, requiring travelers to negotiate narrow sidewalks and navigate multiple levels. To improve passenger movement, the Berger team studied the current station configurations, train schedules and passenger transfers and recommended improved layouts.

The Berger Group also prepared an environmental impact statement for the new station complex. Berger specialists assessed the likely construction impacts of the $750 million Transit Center within this dense urban environment, including restricted pedestrian and traffic access, noise, air quality and cultural resource concerns. Because the project was being built at the same time as other massive reconstruction initiatives, Berger specialists coordinated with all of the agencies involved to prepare an innovative integrated environmental impact statement which identified both the individual and cumulative impacts of construction, allowing work to proceed on schedule.

The Berger Group is also working to upgrade transit at the 98-year-old South Ferry Station located at the tip of Lower Manhattan in Battery Park. This $450 million restoration will replace the existing five-car platform, allowing the station to accommodate modern 10-car train sets, add new platforms, three tracks and a new tunnel bellmouth. The upgrades will also allow intermodal connections between the Staten Island Ferry and the N and R stations at Whitehall and improve access for the disabled.

To preserve Manhattan's valuable park land, the Berger Group evaluated the need for the new station construction and examined alternative sites. Team members studied traffic patterns, air and noise impacts and current and proposed land use and developed a mitigation plan which will minimize the impact on park land, local users, residents and traffic.

Since the Colonial era, Battery Park has been a key part of New York's shipping and military history. As a result, Berger archaeologists also conducted extensive investigations of the natural environment and prehistoric and historic development of the area. The Team conducted field studies, unearthing a number of historical treasures, including a commemorative medallion from the Battle of Louisburg in July 1758, during the French and Indian War, which may have belonged to a soldier stationed in the area.