JERSEY CITY-The Port Authority Board of Commissioners hasauthorized the agency to move ahead with the purchase andredevelopment of Greenville Yards, a century-old rail yard herethat will serve as the lynchpin to removing up to 360,000 trashtrucks annually from trans-Hudson crossings and New Jersey highwaysby moving New York City's sealed containerized solid waste andother commodities by barge and rail when the facilities arecompleted by 2013.

Greenville Yards today forms the western terminus for New YorkNew Jersey Rail LLC, which is owned by the Port Authority andoperates the last cross-harbor car float system on the HudsonRiver. Under this system, freight is loaded on rail cars and thecars are moved by barge from Greenville to Brooklyn, NY, where theyare either delivered to local customers or handed over to anotherrailroad to reach their destination.

The Board has authorized $118.1 million for the overall project,part of which will go toward the purchase of approximately 47 acresof upland property and 72 acres of riparian rights at Greenville,with the other portion going toward the existing rail car floatsystem operating between Greenville Yards and sites at 51st and65th streets in Brooklyn. Funding will come from federal and stategrants, as well as Port Authority funds.